🗺️ Wada House (Shirakawa-go)和田家

The Gassho-zukuri village of "Shirakawa-go" is praised as a primeval landscape of Japan and is a charming area designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Among the similar houses in the region, the "Wada House" is the largest and the only building designated as an Important Cultural Property of Japan. Built in the first year of Tenshō (1573), the Wada House served as the village chief and was responsible for village security during the Edo period, boasting a prominent family lineage that allowed them to carry swords. Additionally, due to the rise of trade in gunpowder materials such as saltpeter, it is said that over 20 people lived there at the time. The construction date is debated, but it is estimated to be from the mid to late Edo period. The site includes the main house, warehouses, waterways, and stone walls, all of which are well-preserved and highly regarded as cultural assets. This three-story residence is still used as a home today. The first and second floors are open to the public for visits. The rural scenery viewed from the second floor is particularly beautiful. Visitors can experience the lifestyle of the past in this Gassho-zukuri architecture that has continued since the Edo period, gaining a deeper understanding of Japanese history.

It is the largest Gassho-zukuri house among similar buildings in Shirakawa-go. Both the first and second floors are open to the public. It has been designated as an Important Cultural Property of Japan.