Do you like the Japanese culture, history and architectures? Kawasaki has a great open air folk house museum. The museum, Nihon Minkaen, has 25 traditional Japanese houses removed from all over the eastern Japan. Most of them were constructed in 17th century and offers the great view and imagination of the life of Japan in that period. You can enjoy a great time traveling to Edo period. On Sunday, there are demonstrations for traditional craft works. Those craft works are the traditions that had been carried on by generation to generation.
To visit Nihon Minkaen, the museum, start at Mukougaoka Yuen Station of Odakyu Odawara Line. You can come directly from Shinjuku Station or Odawara Station. Then walk south for 20 min to visit the entrance of Nihon Minkaen.
Nihon Minkaen is located in Ikuta Ryokuchi Park. It is also a beautiful forest park, it has beautiful Iris Pond that bloom in June.
You can have a joyful lunch at this park with Nature.
If you visit in late May or late October, Ikuta Ryokuchi Park opens its beautiful Rose Garden. It is located 10 min west from Nihon Minkaen. The rose garden has about 530 kinds 4,700 roses.
When you have extra time, and visit in late June to early July, Myorakuji temple and Higashi Takane Shinrin Park have beautiful Hydrangea blooming. Myorakuji temple is 20 min. walking east from the Rose garden. It has small but beautiful Japanese garden with full of Hydrangea. Higashi Takane Shinrin Park is located another 20 min. walking east from the temple. This is another forest park with many seasonable flowers. When Hydrangea is blooming, Iris is also blooming as well as Iris at Ikuta Ryokuchi.
Then another 20 min. walking north-east to Kuji Station of JR Nanbu Line.
This tour of Japanese traditional folk House offers the beautiful Japanese culture, history and architectures. Also, You can enjoy rose in the end of April and October. In June, Hydrangea and Iris are stunning. Nihon Minkaen is a great tour for family trip. If you like flowers, you can enjoy Hydrange and Iris a lots in this tour.
The Japan Open-Air Folk House Museum (日本民家園, Nihon Minkaen) in Kawasaki City has on display some fine examples of traditional Japanese architecture dating back to the 17th century. There are 25 historical buildings from all over Japan most of which are farm houses. There is also a traditional water mill complete with mortars and wooden pestles and a complete Kabuki stage which was built in 1857. There is a Shinto shrine which was built in the 1860’s, and a ferry man’s hut which dates from 1925. There is also a gate of a samurai residence which was built in the middle of the 19th century and a traditional raised storehouse which was built in the late 19th century and brought here from the Amami archipelago in Kagoshima Prefecture.
Tourist Info.
Admission Fee:
Adults 500 yen, 65 years and over 500 yen. Children(Junior High School and under) Free, Handicapped Persons Free.
Open:
from Mar. to Oct. 9:30am~5:00pm(Last admission 4:30pm)
from Nov. to Feb. 9:30am~4:30pm(Last admission 4:00pm)
There is public parking. English tour guides are available
Access
0. at Kawasaki Station
1. use JR Nanbu Line to Noborito (27 min.)
2. use Odakyu Line to Mukogaoka Yuen (1 min.)
3. walk south (13 min.)
500 JPY
2 hr.