Sericulture in Shirakawa-go
nature
Sericulture in Shirakawa-go
白川郷の養蚕
Overview
Sericulture, or silkworm raising, was practiced in Shirakawa-go since at least the eighteenth century and became a major local industry in the latter half of the nineteenth century.
The steep-roofed gassho-style farmhouses in Shirakawa-go were not built for scenery. They were built for silkworms. The wide, well-ventilated attics beneath the triangular roofs, warmed by smoke rising through the floor from irori hearths below, created ideal conditions for raising the silkworms that fueled the region's silk industry from the late Edo period through the early twentieth century. Mulberry trees for silkworm food grew on nearby slopes, and labor was available in the village. The design that became a World Heritage icon was, at its core, a practical industrial solution.
Practical info
- Japanese name
- 白川郷の養蚕
- Nearest station
- Shirakawa-go Bus Terminal (7 min walk)
- Payment
- Cards accepted
- Reservations
- not required
Accessibility
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