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Museum Meiji-Mura

— Relocated Meiji-era architecture, out in the open

historyThe classic — done right

An open-air museum in the hills north of Inuyama, holding more than sixty buildings from the Meiji period that were taken down elsewhere in Japan and put up again here. A steam locomotive and a Kyoto tram still run between the ends of the site.

FromInuyama Station
~20 minGifu Bus from Inuyama, ~20 min
Get off atMeiji-mura stop (Gifu Bus from Inuyama Station)
On foot
Museum Meiji-Mura

Directions ↗

Where it is

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What to look for

Kyoto city tram, Museum Meiji-MuraMorio / CC BY-SA 4.0

The streets of the villagebuildings from across Japan set along made streets rather than inside a hall
The Imperial Hotel central entranceFrank Lloyd Wright's entrance block from Tokyo, carved stone and brick, re-erected in full
The steam locomotivea Meiji-era engine under steam, working a short line across the grounds
The Kyoto trama car from the old Kyoto city streetcar, running on rails laid through the site

How to actually get there

Meitetsu Nagoya → Inuyama Station (Inuyama Line limited express).
Inuyama Station → Gifu Bus bound for Meiji-mura (about 20 minutes).
Meiji-mura bus stop → the ticket gate (a short walk).
Inside, use the steam locomotive and the tram to reach the far end of the grounds.

Meitetsu to Inuyama, then the Gifu Bus: Inuyama Station is the gateway, and every Meitetsu limited express on the line calls there. From the station take the Gifu Bus bound for Meiji-mura and ride about 20 minutes to the Meiji-mura stop, which sits at the museum. Look at the return times when you board rather than after you come out.
The same bus back to Inuyama Station: The Gifu Bus returns from the Meiji-mura stop to Inuyama Station, where limited expresses run toward Nagoya and Gifu. Buses out here run to a timetable rather than continuously, so it is the last bus, not the last train, that sets the end of the visit.

Directions from my location (Google Maps) ↗

About the place

The grounds cover about a square kilometre of hills north of Inuyama, so the place works less like a hall than like a small town laid out along streets. The buildings on it were taken down at their original sites across Japan and rebuilt here. Eleven of them carry designation as Important Cultural Properties. What they share is the period: Meiji, when Japanese building took on brick, iron and Western plans while the carpentry stayed its own. A steam locomotive and a tram run across the site, exhibits and transport at the same time.

How to enjoy it

Opening hours move with the season: 9:30 to 17:00 through most of spring and autumn, a 10:00 start in August, and a 16:00 close from December to February. Check the posted hours the day before rather than assuming. Whichever season you come, arriving at opening is what makes the far end of the grounds reachable on foot and by rail.

Background & history

The museum opened in 1965, founded by the architect Taniguchi Yoshiro together with Tsuchikawa Motoo, then chairman of the Meitetsu railway. It was set up to take in Meiji-era buildings that would otherwise have gone down as cities rebuilt. Its best-known acquisition is the central entrance of the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo, completed in 1923 to a design by Frank Lloyd Wright and re-erected here after the hotel was demolished.

Before you go

Cash: Admission is 2,500 yen for adults, 1,500 yen for high school students and 700 yen for primary and junior high school students, as posted at the time of checking. Carry cash for the bus fare as well.
Good to know: Closing days fall irregularly in summer and winter rather than on a fixed weekday, so the calendar has to be checked before travelling. Midwinter has the shortest opening. Most of the site is outdoors and on slopes, which makes rain and summer heat tell more than in an indoor museum.
Another way: A highway bus also calls at a Meiji-mura stop, which saves the change at Inuyama if you are coming from further off. By car there is a large paid car park at the site, though the museum asks visitors to come by public transport where they can.
After you get off: The Meiji-mura stop sits at the museum itself. From the stop the ticket gate is a short walk, and the grounds begin immediately beyond it.