Open Air Museums in Japan

Japan boasts of many, beautifully arranged open air museums. These museums display historic buildings from various regions of Japan. The buildings belong to historical periods. These buildings have been conserved and maintained in well-planned manner so that the traveling visitors can have a concrete idea regarding the history and culture of the country. Also, the residents of Japan can have a glimpse into the history and culture of their own land.

Historic Village of Hokkaido
This open air museum is located in Sapporo. The theme is the development of Japan's northernmost island of Hokkaido. The growth of the evolution reached an accent during the Meiji Period (1868 to 1912). The museum features about 60 buildings giving the visitors an idea about the ways of life in that era.

Abashiri Prison Museum
This open air museum is situated in Abashiri. This museum exhibits about 12 buildings. These former buildings of the Abashiri Prison showcase the everyday life of the prisoners.

Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum
This museum is situated in Tokyo. There are about 20 buildings in the outdoor section which features various historical buildings of the Tokyo area, mainly from the Meiji Period (1868-1912).

Meiji Mura
Meiji Mura is one of Japan's largest and best open air museums. It is located in Inuyama. There are about 60 buildings which exhibit buildings from across Japan, built during the Meiji Period (1868-1912).

Hida Folk Village
The amazing Hida Folk Village is situated in Takayama. It exhibits about 25 buildings, including a few gassho-zukuri houses from Hida, the mountainous region around Takayama.

Gasshozukuri Minkaen
This museum is located in Shirakawa-go. There are about 20 buildings which conserve and exhibit many gasshozukuri farmhouses and other structures, which were relocated here from the surrounding villages.

Shikoku Mura
The Shikoku Mura or the Shikoku Village is in Takamatsu. It displays buildings and structures from various historical periods and from across the island of Shikoku. There are about 30 buildings

Glover Garden
This garden with beautiful views of Nagasaki, exhibits the former homes of Western residents and other Western style buildings. There are about 10 buildings dating from the second half of the 19th century.