A World Heritage village in central Japan has conducted a fire drill to protect houses with distinctive steep-angled, thatched roofs.

Residents and volunteer firefighters of Shirakawa Village in Gifu Prefecture took part in the drill on Sunday.

The drill is conducted every year around this time when the air gets dry.

At 8 a.m. as a siren wailed, water gushed from 59 water cannons. Participants adjusted the angle and direction of the streams, creating walls of water to protect the houses from sparks.

In February this year, a fire broke out at a hot spring facility in the village. Concerns were raised at the time that if all the water cannons were used at one time, there wouldn't be enough water.

That led this year's drill to include training in which participants used water cannons in turn as instructions were given through an administrative radio system.

A participant said the drill is important because the residents should know how to use the water cannons when a fire breaks out.

Many tourists and amateur photographers flocked to see the arcing water from an observation deck overlooking the village.

A tourist from Osaka Prefecture, western Japan, said everyone should work together to protect the houses.