Looking into the valley of Shirakawago. A nice little town.

This is a very traditional farming community in the mountains. They build the houses that way because in winter it snows here quite a bit and gets very cold, so the houses are both warm and with that steep roof, the snow rolls right off. I'm speaking of the traditional houses, of course. Many modern houses here these days, as you can see.

Nowadays this place may be more tourist trap than farming community. Still plenty of farming is done—you can see all the rice paddies—but they make a lot of money from tourism. Some of those houses even rent out rooms to tourists who want the authentic experience.

I come here occasionally. It is relatively close to my home and isn't too hard to travel to. It's great for photography!

David LaSpina is an American photographer and translator lost in Japan, trying to capture the beauty of this country one photo at a time and searching for the perfect haiku.

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