Photos

The Gassho-style farmhouses:

Minka come in wide range of styles and sizes, largely as a result of differing geographic and climatic conditions as well as the lifestyle of the inhabitants, but most generally fall into one of two major classifications: farm houses (nōka 農家) and town houses (machiya 町屋). There is also a subclass of the farm house style found in fishing villages, which is called gyoka (漁家).

Minka are generally treated as historic landmarks, and many have been designated for preservation by local municipalities or the national government. Of particular note is the so called gasshō-zukuri (合掌造り, literally "clasped-hands" style), which is preserved in two villages in central Japan, Shirakawa in Gifu Prefecture and Gokayama in Toyama Prefecture, that together have been designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

Gasshō-zukuri are perhaps most recognizable and distinguished for their high, peaked roofs.