The Meiji Mura 博物館明治村

In the heart of a village

In Inuyama, near Nagoya , the Meiji-mura open-air museum offers you a complete immersion in a pivotal period for the Japanese archipelago, the Meiji era (1868-1912), thanks to some sixty remarkably preserved buildings. Much more than mere remnants of the past, these buildings bear witness to the birth of modern Japan.

Moreover, the surviving monuments are threatened with destruction by major real estate programs generated by the rapid economic growth of the archipelago and unprecedented urban development. The two men then take up the cause for the defense of these cultural assets.

Under the aegis of their foundation, created in 1962, they have a few buildings that cannot be preserved in their original location dismantled and reinstalled on a large plot of land in Inuyama . The Meiji-mura, or "Meiji village", thus opened its doors on March 18, 1965 with around fifteen buildings saved.

 

Tomatsu_House

The Tomatsu House

おはぐろ蜻蛉

In this extraordinary modernization, the architecture is not to be outdone. The Japanese authorities in particular call on a few Western architects to carry out new constructions : government buildings, schools, shops, houses...

A new generation of Japanese architects was then born through contact with European and American architects. An architectural style using new techniques and new materials (brick, stone, glass) is emerging. In this respect, the very modern district of Ginza , which has just emerged from the ground, is an example.

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Imperial hotel lobby

Bariston

Indeed, the visit is all the more charming as it seems to have a real life in these places: the buildings are furnished and fitted out with objects of daily life . Weddings can be celebrated in the Saint François-Xavier cathedral in Kyoto. A kabuki troupe performs regularly at the Kurehaza Theater. The old Nakai brewery in Kyoto offers sake tastings. And the former photo studio welcomes visitors who wish to take a break.

You would almost expect to see customers crossing the threshold of the imposing entrance hall of the Imperial Hotel by American architect Frank Lloyd Wright.

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Saint Francis Xavier Cathedral

Bariston


Address, timetable & access

  • Address

  • Phone

    81 568-67-0314
  • Timetable

    From Nagoya, take the train to Inuyama (30 min), then the bus to the Meiji-mura Seimon-mae stop (20 min).
  • Price

    Adult: 1,700 yen (14 €) Child: 600 yen (5 €)
  • Access

    9:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (from March to July 22 and from September to October)10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (from July 23 to August 31)9:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. (November)10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.: 00 (from December to February)
  • Website

    http://www.meijimura.com/english

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