It’s well and truly God’s country out here, but with some humility, concerted searching and a bit of luck, you’re welcome in it — a point illustrated by Suganuma Gassho-Zukuri Shuraku and its charming hamlet of nine traditional thatched-roof houses nestled within the curve of an oxbow along the meandering Sho River.
Originally built between the 17th and 20th centuries, the houses boast steep, inverted V-shaped roofs of thatch piled in dozens upon dozens of layers, a traditional architecture style known as gasshō-zukuri. Aside from its beauty, this peculiar construction helps houses withstand the heavy snow of the Hokuriku region’s harsh winters — when heated from within by a central, open irori (sunken hearth), the rising air both prevents mold growth on the thatched roofs and encourages heavy snowfall, that would otherwise damage the structure, to slide harmlessly off the steep eaves.
Residents of the city of Yasuj in central Iran recently witnessed an unusual phenomenon. Amidst the heavy rains that had been continuing for several days, people began to see live fish falling from the sky
The press service of the Russian Geographical Society has announced the start of accepting applications for participation in the family quiz competition for the anniversary Geographical Dictation
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