A five-minute climb from the intersection of Routes 156 and 360 rewards you with the postcard view of Shirakawa-go: a tapestry of thatched rooftops nestled in a river valley with mountains rising behind. This is the shot you've seen in every brochure, and standing here in person, the scale of the village and the drama of the landscape feel even more impressive. Come in winter when the roofs are laden with snow, or in autumn when the surrounding hills blaze with colour.