The beauty of Shirakawa-go Village

I have visited Shirakawa-go Village on December 28, 2021, and It was a great moment in my life because I have seen the live snowfall first time in my life. Shirakawa is a mountain village located in far northern Gifu Prefecture, bordering Ishikawa Prefecture and Toyama Prefecture on the Ryōhaku Mountains. Mount Hakusan is the highest elevation at 2,172 meters (7,126 ft). The village’s area is 95.7% mountainous forests, and its steep places are characteristic.
Houses built in the gassho-zukuri style are designed to help survive heavy winter snowfalls in various ways. For example, the steep angle of the roof protects the house from the weight of accumulated snow and is intended to reduce the work of snow removal. All these houses are built with gable ends facing north/south, which facilitates the melting of snow by day. They have survived for more than 300 years or so because firewood is burned indoors every day, which fumigates the roof with smoke, kills pests, and has a preservative effect. Constructed without using even a single nail, these houses are distinctive for being built entirely of natural materials.