In the heart of the Japanese mountains, the villages of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama are home to treasures of traditional Japanese architecture: thatched cottages with sloping roofs, designed to ...

Because of the shrinking population and internal migration, Japan has millions of unoccupied houses in rural areas. But thanks to the low prices and the lack of restrictions on foreigners ...

Much of the work is done by herself and she keeps discovering pieces of precious history packed in the house. For instance ... Her effort is truly worth it. “Rural Japan can seem very closed ...

SHIRAKAWA, Gifu -- An illumination event at a UNESCO World Heritage-listed settlement in this central Japan village began on Jan. 13, lighting up historic thatched houses. Tourists in the ...