4. State of preservation / conservation a) Current situation (Diagnosis)

The basic physical composition of these villages, as seen in the land-use patterns including residential land, irrigated rice fields, dry crop land, and the layout of roads and canals -- has retained the same condition that existed from the end of the Edo Period (early 19th century) to just before the second world war. A portion of the irrigated rice fields in Ainokura and Suganuma Villages once used to be dry crop land for kuwa (mulberry) and was converted to its current use in the 1950s. A roadway wide enough for vehicular traffic was constructed running through the center of Ogimachi Village in the 1890's, and through Suganuma Village in 1958, introducing a new element into each of these villages -- but in Ogimachi, after the passage of a century, this road has become part of the history of the village itself. Also in Ainokura Village, in 1958 a new roadway for vehicular traffic was constructed running through the center of the village. The number of remaining historic buildings such as Gassho-style houses and accessory structures has been reduced to 80% of the number that existed a century ago in Ogimachi Village; in Ainokura Village this figure is 45%, and in Suganuma Village, 70%. But those buildings that remain do retain very well their traditional shapes and configurations -- giving the village the appearance and character of pre-modern times. In Shirakawa-go there used to be 23 historic villages with Gassho-Style houses, but the only one that still remains is Ogimachi Village, the nominated property. In the Gokayama area there used to be 70 villages, but now only Ainokura and Suganuma Villages remain. After the designation of Ainokura and Suganuma Villages as Historic Sites in 1970, and following the designation of Ogimachi Village as a Preservation District after the introduction of the system of Preservation Districts in 1976, there has been no significant change in these villages; the system can therefore be said to have functioned effectively. In each nominated village, the kumi, or self-governing community unit, and the traditional customs of mutual cooperative help like Yui and koryaku have been handed down to the present day. The kumi functions efficiently for management of the community, and the systems of yui and koryaku are effective means of carrying out ceremonies like marriages and funerals, or projects such as new-house construction and rethatching work. In Ainokura and Suganuma Villages, among these traditional customs, all continue as before except for the rethatching work; formally done under the yui system, this work has been taken over by the Gokayama Forest Union, a modernized cooperative organization. In each house and museum in the village, Folklore Cultural Properties such as tools for household use or for production are well preserved -- items which help to illustrate traditional rural life. All three nominated villages are very important as living examples of historic villages, not only because of the historic village buildings and landscapes but also because of the continued existence of traditional life in all forms -- social systems, customs, and folklore.