In Shirakawa-gō, the thatched roofs of the gasshō-zukuri farmhouses are re-thatched completely through yui, a system of mutual aid. Everyone in the community takes part, from the old to the young. Shirakawa-gō was registered as a World Heritage site in 1995.
In some regions, an encyclopedia notes, unpaid help with rice planting or roof thatching is itself called giri.