Shirakawa-go, Gifu · Where to stay
Where to Stay in Shirakawa-go: 10 Gassho Farmhouse Inns, and Takayama or Kanazawa as a Base
10 places to stay · checked October 23, 2026
10 gassho farmhouse inns in Ogimachi, nearest to the bus terminal first
Hours, prices and access checked against each place's own page on October 23, 2026. They change; check before you go.
1Otaya大田屋
Gassho-zukuri minshuku · Ogimachi, by the bus terminal
A gassho-zukuri inn on the riverbank below the observation deck, with five rooms.
- Access
- About 3 minutes on foot from Shirakawago Bus Terminal.
- Hours
- Check-in 15:00 / check-out 9:30
2Bunroku民宿 文六
Gassho-zukuri minshuku · Ogimachi, by Wada House
A gassho-zukuri inn backed by the hill, near the observation deck and Wada House, with three rooms. It is one of the inns in the 2027 light-up lodging lottery.
- Access
- About 6 minutes on foot from Shirakawago Bus Terminal.
- Hours
- Check-in 15:00 / check-out 9:00
3Rihee民宿 利兵衛
Gassho-zukuri minshuku · Ogimachi
A gassho-zukuri inn in the tsumairi style, with the entrance on the gable side, which the inn says was built 400 years ago. Four rooms; consecutive nights are not possible.
One night only: consecutive nights are not possible.
- Access
- About 8 minutes on foot from Shirakawago Bus Terminal.
- Hours
- Check-in 14:00 / check-out 9:00
4Iccha一茶
Gassho-zukuri minshuku · Ogimachi
A gassho-zukuri inn serving country dishes made with local ingredients and wild seasonal vegetables. Four rooms.
- Access
- About 8 minutes on foot from Shirakawago Bus Terminal.
- Hours
- Check-in 14:00 / check-out 10:00
5Koemon幸エ門
Gassho-zukuri minshuku · Ogimachi
A gassho-zukuri inn limited to two groups a day; groups of five or six can ask to take the whole house. Floor heating was fitted in the Heisei-era repair. It is one of the inns in the 2027 light-up lodging lottery.
- Access
- About 9 minutes on foot from Shirakawago Bus Terminal.
- Hours
- Check-in 15:00 / check-out 9:30
6Kidoyaきどや
Gassho-zukuri minshuku · Ogimachi, by Hachiman Shrine
A gassho-zukuri inn near Shirakawa Hachiman Shrine and Myozenji, serving dishes with wild seasonal vegetables. Three rooms; one of the inns in the 2027 light-up lodging lottery.
- Access
- About 10 minutes on foot from Shirakawago Bus Terminal.
- Hours
- Check-in 15:00 / check-out 9:00
7Nodaniyaのだにや
Gassho-zukuri minshuku · Ogimachi, by Hachiman Shrine
A gassho-zukuri inn in front of Shirakawa Hachiman Shrine, home of the Doburoku Festival. Five Japanese-style rooms and two shower rooms renovated in 2019.
- Access
- About 10 minutes on foot from Shirakawago Bus Terminal.
- Hours
- Check-in 15:00 / check-out 9:00
8Juemon十右エ門
Gassho-zukuri minshuku · Ogimachi, far end
A thatched gassho-zukuri inn with nearly 300 years of history. Three rooms.
- Access
- About 14 minutes on foot from Shirakawago Bus Terminal.
- Hours
- Check-in 15:00 / check-out 10:00
9Shimizu Inn民宿 志みづ
Gassho-zukuri minshuku · Ogimachi, far end
A gassho-zukuri inn about 10 minutes on foot from the centre of the village, with three rooms and evening talk around the hearth among guests.
- Access
- About 15 minutes on foot from Shirakawago Bus Terminal.
- Hours
- Check-in 15:00 / check-out 9:00
10Wadaya民宿 わだや
Gassho-zukuri guesthouse (room only) · Ogimachi, far end
A gassho-style guesthouse run by one of the village's few remaining families with three generations of thatched-roof craftsmen. It has reopened as a room-only guesthouse taking one group a day.
Room only, one group a day.
- Access
- About 15 minutes on foot from Shirakawago Bus Terminal.
- Hours
- Check-in 15:00 / check-out 9:30
Good to know
Staying in the village means a gassho-zukuri minshuku: a family-run inn in a thatched farmhouse. The ten here have two to five rooms each, are in Ogimachi, 3 to 15 minutes on foot from Shirakawago Bus Terminal, and most check in at 15:00 and out at 9:00 or 9:30. Rihee does not take consecutive nights.
For the January 2027 light-up, rooms in the village are allocated by lottery. Applications are by email from 1 to 31 October 2026, results come on 10 November, and every lodging in the lottery includes an Observation Deck Ticket. Transport to Shirakawa-go is not included.
Takayama and Kanazawa are the other bases. Buses take about 50 minutes from Takayama and about 1 hour 15 minutes from Kanazawa, and on the Kanazawa–Shirakawa-go–Takayama line timetable the last bus back to either leaves Shirakawa-go at 17:30. Both have their own where-to-stay pages on this site.
In depth
In the village, or Takayama or Kanazawa
Walking and bus times from official pages. Bus fares are one way for adults.
| Base | To Shirakawago Bus Terminal | Check-in / out | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ogimachi, near the terminal: Otaya, Bunroku, Rihee, Iccha, Koemon | 3–9 min on foot | 14:00–15:00 / 9:00–10:00 | Bunroku and Koemon are in the 2027 light-up lottery |
| Ogimachi, middle: Kidoya, Nodaniya | About 10 min on foot | 15:00 / 9:00 | Both by Shirakawa Hachiman Shrine; Kidoya is in the light-up lottery |
| Ogimachi, far end: Juemon, Shimizu, Wadaya | 14–15 min on foot | 15:00 / 9:00–10:00 | Wadaya is room only, one group a day |
| Takayama | Bus about 50 min from Takayama Nohi Bus Center; last bus back 17:30, arriving 18:35 | See the Takayama page | ¥2,800 until 30 Nov 2026, ¥2,900 from 1 Dec (Hokutetsu) |
| Kanazawa | Bus about 1 hr 15 min from Kanazawa Station West Exit, reserved seats only; last bus back on the Takayama line timetable 17:30, arriving 18:45 | See the Kanazawa page | ¥2,800 until 30 Nov 2026, ¥2,900 from 1 Dec |
By kind of trip
Closest to the bus
Otaya is about 3 minutes from Shirakawago Bus Terminal and Bunroku about 6, next to Wada House and the trail up to the observation deck.
The 2027 light-up
Rooms for the four light-up nights go by lottery: apply by email by 31 October 2026, results on 10 November. These three Ogimachi inns are on the lottery list.
A small group or one party
Koemon takes two groups a day and can be taken whole by five or six people; Wadaya takes one group a day, room only.
Near the Doburoku Festival shrine
Nodaniya is in front of Shirakawa Hachiman Shrine and Kidoya is near it and Myozenji. The festival runs 14–19 October.
Quieter far end
These three are 14–15 minutes on foot from the bus terminal. Shimizu describes evening talk around the hearth among guests.
Juemon · Shimizu Inn · Wadaya
Questions
Can I stay overnight inside Shirakawa-go?
Yes. The village tourist association lists gassho-zukuri minshuku in Ogimachi, family-run inns in thatched farmhouses. The ten on this page have two to five rooms each and are 3 to 15 minutes on foot from Shirakawago Bus Terminal.
How do I get a room for the 2027 light-up?
By lottery, not first come, first served. Applications are taken by email from 1 to 31 October 2026, one per person; the draw is 1–9 November and results come on 10 November to successful applicants only. Every lodging in the lottery includes an Observation Deck Ticket and the event admission ticket; transport is not included.
Can I stay more than one night at a gassho inn?
Not at every inn: Rihee states that consecutive nights are not possible. Ask each inn when you book.
Is it better to stay in Takayama or Kanazawa and visit on a day trip?
The bus takes about 50 minutes from Takayama and about 1 hour 15 minutes from Kanazawa, and on the Kanazawa–Shirakawa-go–Takayama line timetable the last bus back to either leaves Shirakawa-go at 17:30. The Kanazawa line is reserved seats only, with booking from one month before. On light-up evenings no regular bus runs back after the event.