I loved Shirakawa-go and had a good length of time to explore it. Many people come in just for the day and walk around and go to the shops. I was lucky enough to do a home stay and spent the night in one the houses with a family. It was fantastic to not only see one of the houses from the inside, but also experience what it would be like to live in one.
I was here during winter and the snow and the roofs is so beautiful. I imagine the town has a really different look for each season - you could go four times in a year and see such different views.