Museum Meiji-mura Museum

Address: 480-1 Inuyama, Inuyama-shi, Aichi 484-0000, Japan (Meiji-mura; sometimes listed under Aichi Prefecture)

Website: https://www.meijimura.com/en/

Hours: Daily 9:30am-5:00pm (last entry varies seasonally)

Admission: ¥1,700-¥2,000 adults (varies by season); discounts for seniors/children

Museum Meiji-mura is an open-air architectural museum near Inuyama in Gifu Prefecture that preserves and displays historic buildings from the Meiji, Taisho and early Showa eras. The park contains a large collection of relocated and restored structures illustrating Japan’s modernization.

Visitors walk between over 60 preserved buildings including residences, schools, shops and public halls; the reassembled lobby of the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Imperial Hotel is a highlight. Exhibits explain construction techniques and the social history behind the buildings, and the site hosts guided tours and periodic demonstrations.

The museum was founded to rescue and conserve threatened historic buildings dating from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, relocating many structures to a single park where they could be maintained and interpreted. Conservation work and building relocations have been an ongoing activity since the museum’s establishment.

Meiji-mura sits near Inuyama, roughly between Nagoya and Gifu, and is accessible by road from the surrounding metropolitan areas; the site occupies a park setting with parking and visitor facilities.

• Open-air format: The museum is an open-air site where historic buildings were relocated and rebuilt, allowing visitors to move between original structures from different regions and periods.

What to See#

• Imperial Hotel lobby (Frank Lloyd Wright): The Imperial Hotel lobby designed by Frank Lloyd Wright was dismantled and reassembled in the park and is one of the museum’s most visited exhibits.
• Open-air architectural collection: An array of relocated and restored buildings from the Meiji, Taisho and early Showa periods, numbering over 60 structures including houses, shops and public buildings that illustrate Japan’s modernization.

From Nagoya, take the Meitetsu Inuyama Line to Inuyama Station (about 30-35 minutes), then take Meitetsu bus bound for Meiji-mura (roughly 20 minutes). By car, follow Route 155 and clear signage to Meiji-mura; ample parking is available.

• Arrive at opening to see wooden buildings before tour buses arrive; use the free audio guide to understand relocated architecture.
• Don't miss the early 20th‑century imported English and American houses-details like staircases and door hardware are marvels.
• Combine with a visit to nearby Inuyama Castle to see Meiji Japan in contrast with feudal architecture.