Located in a mountainous region of Japan, the historic villages of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama were cut off from the rest of the world from the 8th century until the 1950s. In response to this geographical and social isolation, two unique cultural developments emerged. First, the large Gassho-style houses—characterized by their large attic spaces for agricultural use and the steeply slanted roofs to allow snow to slide off easily—are the only examples of their kind in Japan. Second, due to the little opportunity for the traditional cultivation of rice, the people refined techniques for cultivating mulberry trees and rearing silkworms. Today, these villages are outstanding examples of a traditional way of life adapted to its environment.
—Prepared by the World Tribune staff
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