Webmaster visited Japan Open-air Folk House Museum (Nihon-minkaen) last week. It takes less than one hour from Tokyo by train.
Access: Tokyo (local train 0:14) Shinjuku (local train 0:21) Mukogaoka-yuen (walk 0:13) @
Admission:￥500 for adult. Closed on Monday and year-end holidays.
The entrance house of the museum
More than twenty old folk houses from various region of Japan were brought and reconstructed here.
An explanatory board written in Japanese and English is placed in front of each house.
Inside of the houses. You will notice that tatami mats cover only a part of the floor.
Cooking stoves called kamado are set in doma (earth floor).
The other type of fireplace for cooking called irori
Volunteers set fire at irori (fireplace) in some houses.
A soba (buckwheat) noodle restaurant is in one of the folk houses.
A sweet stall is in front of the restaurant. Many kinds of Japanese confectionery are sold, such as dango, daifuku, and manju.
An exhibition room in the entrance house
The open-air museum is located in Ikuta-ryokuchi Park. You cannot only go around old folk houses but also take a walk in forests.
If you are a fan of contemporary art, it is also worth while visiting Taro Okamoto Museum of Art which is in the same park. Taro Okamoto (1911-1996) is a famous contemporary artista.
End.