Shirakawa-go hosts a thatching project from 7 to 8 November
Published on 10/24/2026 at 19:28 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWSLiving craft in November
- The National Trust programme runs at Shirakawa-go from 7 to 8 November 2026.
- The first day links roof work with the village's mutual-assistance tradition.
- Shirakawa-go joined the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1995.
Shirakawa-go and its Kayayane Project will bring roof-thatching and reed-cutting to Shirakawa, Japan, from 7 to 8 November 2026. The programme connects visitors with the work that supports the village's steep thatched houses.
The event is also linked to a new cultural-landscape designation made in March 2026. Shirakawa Village's reed-growing area was then included in Japan's Furusato Cultural Properties Forest scheme, which supports material supplies for repairing and preserving historic buildings.
Shirakawa-go project runs from 7 to 8 November
The two-day programme is organised by the Japan National Trust with the Shirakawa-go Ogimachi Village Natural Environment Conservation Association and Shirakawa Village. The organisers are recruiting participants for work that shows how roofing material moves from the reed bed to the roof.
On 7 November 2026, participants will support a traditional mutual-assistance roof replacement. The listed tasks include carrying bundles of reeds to workers on the roof and collecting material that falls during the work. The programme therefore presents the practical side of conservation rather than only the finished appearance of the houses.
On 8 November 2026, the work moves to the reed bed in front of the former Matsui family house, now the Shirakawa-go Gassho Culture Hall. Participants will cut and bundle susuki grass, the reed used to prepare thatched roofs. The official event announcement for 7 and 8 November also lists a thatching-culture lecture by the Japan Thatching Culture Association.
How the project relates to the World Heritage village
Shirakawa-go is the Ogimachi settlement in Shirakawa Village, Gifu Prefecture. The tourist association describes it as a living village with more than 100 gassho-style buildings, rather than a collection of empty monuments. Residents continue to maintain the traditional setting and its associated skills.
The roofs are central to that identity. Their steep profiles help define the gassho-style buildings, while the reed bed supplies a material needed for future repairs. The November programme links those two places directly: roof work takes place in the settlement, and harvesting takes place beside the culture hall.
Ogimachi and the neighbouring historic settlements were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1995. The tourist association describes Shirakawa-go as a place where traditional life continues. That context gives the project a clear visitor focus: it shows maintenance as part of the site's present life, not merely as a historical display.
Visiting Shirakawa-go: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- The Kayayane Project takes place from 7 to 8 November 2026 in the Ogimachi settlement and at the reed bed in front of the former Matsui family house.
- The programme is recruiting participants for roof-support work on 7 November and reed cutting and bundling on 8 November.
- The event is tied to Shirakawa Village's March 2026 designation of its reed bed under Japan's Furusato Cultural Properties Forest scheme.
- Shirakawa-go is in Shirakawa Village, Gifu Prefecture, and the settlement contains more than 100 gassho-style buildings.
- Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.
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Frequently asked questions about Shirakawa-go
When does the Kayayane Project take place at Shirakawa-go?
The project runs from 7 to 8 November 2026. Roof-support work is scheduled for 7 November, followed by reed cutting on 8 November.
What is the Kayayane Project at Shirakawa-go?
It is a two-day conservation programme involving roof-thatching support, reed cutting and bundling, organised with the Japan National Trust and local bodies.
Where is Shirakawa-go and how do you get there?
Shirakawa-go is in Shirakawa Village, Gifu Prefecture, Japan. The programme venues are in the Ogimachi settlement and at the reed bed beside the former Matsui family house.
