About Us

In 1924, 300 Gassho style houses existed in the village. Dam construction on the Sho River following WarⅡ forced many communities to be abandoned while others became submerged below the water. A number of Gassho style houses were transferred outside of Gifu Prefecture.
By 1961 the number of houses had decreased by 30% to 191. Local residents sensed that their village was in crisis caused by depopulation and that their way of life was in threat of extinction.
A series of triangular shaped heavy timber frames comprised of the gassho-zai and the usubari(base of the triangle) forms the roof. The lower end of the gassho-zai called the komajiri is shaped and placed into the usubari. Structurally, the roof and the first floor are separate. When a strong wind blows, the komajiri moves and disperses the force. This is one of the strengths of the Gassho style house.


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