Gassho House

Did I mention that it was snowing? Right after we visited the shingle-maker's house, we came to this one, built in the gassho style. Very appropriate that it was snowing, actually - these houses are most common in mountainous regions where winter snows were heavy. They were specifically designed to allow the snow to slide off the roofs so that the houses wouldn't collapse under its great weight. The word gassho refers to hands put together in prayer, which the roofs are thought to resemble.