Australian travelers visit Shirakawa-go on pilot program

The Yomiuri Shimbun

12:41 JST, May 27, 2022

SHIRAKAWA, Gifu — A group of Australian travelers on Thursday visited Shirakawa-go village, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Gifu Prefecture known for its gassho-zukuri style farmhouses, as part of the government’s pilot program for resuming inbound tourism.

The pilot program, launched Tuesday by the Japan Tourism Agency, comprises 15 groups totaling about 50 people including representatives of travel agencies from the United States, Australia and two other countries. The travelers are touring 12 prefectures in small groups with tour guides, under the condition that they have received three doses of COVID-19 vaccine.