Shirakawa-go, and the nearby village of Gokayama, receive a great deal of snow throughout winter, so the steeply angled roofs are essential to help them shed snow so that they don’t collapse under the weight. Repairing one of these roofs is difficult so the whole village will pitch in, making it a real community event.
You can even go inside some of the houses, which might contain gift shops or cafes and experience the interesting architecture from within.