Shirakawago Birthday trip part 4

Shirakawa-go 白川郷
I set off early by bus to get to Shirakawa-go, a small UNESCO village in the mountains. It's famous for the traditional thatched roof gassho-zukuri houses. Next to the bus station is Gassho-zukuri Minkaen, an open air museum displaying lots of relocated farmhouses. 
After wandering around the museum, I made my way across the across the bridge to the rest of the village. Many of the farmhouses are now restaurants or museums where you can wander around inside the houses. As well as walking round some of the farmhouses, I also visited the Doburoku Festival museum. Doburoku sake made at the shrine can be tried at the museum. 

On the other side of the village you can catch a shuttle bus to Shiroyama viewpoint. From here you can see lots of the houses surrounded by mountains and fields. 

Before catching the bus onwards to Nagoya, I had a local Hida beef teishoku meal at the restaurant by the bus station.