The Historic Villages of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama are traditional Japanese settlements.The houses in the villages in the valley are unique to Japan. They are very big, and have thick thatched roofs that come down steeply. This way the snow can slide off the roofs. There is also enough space under the roofs to store supplies for long winters. The inhabitants of these villages used to earn their money in the silk-industry. They lived a very secluded life. In Japanese, the houses are called G