[Inuyama] A Must-see for First-timers! 5 Points to Fully Enjoy Meiji Mura

"Meiji Mura"is located in Inuyama City, Aichi Prefecture.

It is an open-air museum where famous buildings, mainly those from the Meiji period, have been relocated and preserved on a vast site of about 1 million square meters.

This time, I would like to give a thorough report with a title of 5 points to fully enjoy Meiji Mura for first-timers from access, tickets, recommended spots, and gourmet food.

What is "Museum Meiji Mura"?

Imperial Hotel Central Entrance

First, I would like to introduce a little bit about the Museum Meiji Mura.

Museum Meiji Mura is an open-air museum where famous buildings, mainly from the Meiji period, have been relocated and preserved. More than 60 buildings, including 11 designated as national important cultural properties, are exhibited on a hilly area of about 1 million square meters with beautiful scenery facing Iruka pond.

There are five areas from 1-chome, where the main gate is located, to 5-chome, where the north exit is located.

Life Designs

 

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2018.06.21

Inuyama, Meiji Mura: Have Fun Learning about the Architecture of the Meiji and Taisho eras!

https://life-designs.jp/webmagazine/meijimura

愛知県犬山市にある「博物館 明治村」。明治時代の建築をメインに、大正時代や昭和初期までの名建築が移築・保存されている野外博物館です。東海エリアの方は家族とのお出かけや社会科見学などで一度は訪れたことがある方も多いのではないでしょうか。明治村の創設は、「取り壊しの運命にあった近代建築をなんとか救いたい」という想いからはじまりました。帝国ホテルも、夏目漱石の家も、この施設がなければ取り壊される運命でした。移築する際は、ひとつひとつていねいに解体をし、部材には番号をつけて運び、立て直しをしています。...

5 points to Fully Enjoy Meiji Mura

Meiji Mura Front Gate

I came to Meiji Mura! 20 minutes by bus from Meitetsu Inuyama Station. There is also a direct express bus from Nagoya Station and Sakae Station.

▼Access
https://www.meijimura.com/guide/access/

This time, I would like to give a thorough report on how to enjoy Meiji Mura under the title of "5 points to fully enjoy Meiji Mura"!

<Five points to Fully Enjoy Meiji Mura >

① Let's Take a Walk in the Costume of the Meiji era! (Fashionable Costume Museum)
② Let's Focus on a Specific Point in each Area and Explore it!
③ Let's Enjoy Meiji Food!
④ Experience Meiji-era Vehicles!
⑤ Get Souvenirs at the Museum Shop!

① Let's Take a Walk in the Costume of the Meiji era!
(Fashionable Costume Museum)

The first recommendation is "Meiji Taikendokoro Haikara (Fashionable) Costume Museum" on 2-chome. Here, you can experience wearing a school uniform in the style of a Meiji-era schoolgirl! There are two types of "Commemorative Photo Course" and "Walking Course".

《Walking Course》

・Reservations not possible (Guided on site on the day *First 20 people)
・1 person 3,500 yen
・From 150cm

<Click here for details>

This time, I tried the "Walking Course".

If you take a stroll around the area dressed in Meiji-era hakama, you'll feel like you've slipped back in time! It is especially recommended for those who want to fully enjoy shooting.

② Let's Focus on a Specific Point
 in each Area and Explore it!

Meiji Mura has more than 60 buildings on a vast site of about 1,000,000 square meters. It is difficult to visit all the buildings in one day.

If you are new to Meiji Mura, we recommend that you check 2-3 spots in each area that interest you.

《Click here for each area》

We will pick up and introduce recommended spots!

1-chome: The Wind of Civilization Blooms when You Pass through the Main Gate

St. John's Church

Saigo Tsugumichi Residence

1-chome is located just inside the main gate. This is the southernmost area of Meiji Mura. You can feel the civilization and enlightenment of Meiji-era architecture, such as Gyu-nabe, schools, and government buildings.

Be sure to check out the three important cultural properties, "St. John's Church", "Saigo Tsugumichi Residence", "Mie Prefectural Office Building".

House of Ogai Mori and Soseki Natsume

The Life Designs Editorial Team recommends "House of Ogai Mori and Soseki Natsume". It is a Japanese-style house where two great writers of the Meiji era produced many masterpieces.

You can enjoy the expressions of the four seasons, and the porch is a great photo spot!

《Click here for 1-chome》

2-chome: Stroll through the Japanese-Western streets Lining Red Brick Street

Higashiyamanashi-gun County Office

2-chome with its charming red brick street. It is lined with facilities built in the Meiji period, such as banks, elementary schools, clinics, telephone exchanges, and police stations.

There is also a sweets shop where you can relax, so it is also recommended for a break!

Kyoto Shichijo Police Station

The Life Designs Editorial Team recommends "Kyoto Shichijo Police Police Station". If the timing is right, there might be a policeman at the police station. !

《Click here for 2-chome》

3-Chome: Famous Architecture to be Enjoyed with a Spectacular view of Iruka Pond.

Kitasato Institute Main Building/Medical Building

Shinagawa Lighthouse

3-chome has a particularly large number of Western-style buildings in Meiji Mura, such as the Kitasato Research Institute Main Building/Medical Building and the Shibakawa Mataemon Residence. Further up the slope, there is a hill with a Japanese-style mansion and a tea room.

You can also see Iruka pond from Shinagawa Lighthouse, the oldest Western-style lighthouse in existence.

Shibakawa Mataemon House

The Life Designs Editorial Team recommends “Shibakawa Mataemon Residence”.

This building was built in 1911 as a villa by Mataemon Shibakawa, a merchant from Osaka. Designed by architect Goichi Takeda, who is known as the "father of the Kansai architectural world," you can enjoy a novel and interesting design that harmonizes Japanese and Western styles.

If you join the building guide, you can also tour the inside of the building!

《Click here for information on 3-chome》

4-chome: Touring the Modernizing Era: Hospital, Glass factory, Railroad Dormitory, etc.

Gofukuza

Japanese Red Cross Central Hospital Ward

Even within Meiji Mura, 4-chome has a particularly rich variety of buildings.

There are hospitals, glass factories, railway dormitories, and other buildings that appeared during the modernization era, as well as theatre and public bathhouses that have inherited genealogy from the Edo period.

The ward of the "Japanese Red Cross Society Central Hospital Ward" became a hot topic because it resembled that popular anime.

Ujiyamada Post Office Building

Our top recommendation is the Uji Yamada Post Office. After about four years of repair work, it will be open to the public on November 3, 2022.

It is the only surviving wooden post office from the Meiji period.

《Click here for 4-chome》

5-chome: A Town where Steam Locomotives Run through and Eastern and Western Cultures Mix

Imperial Hotel Central Entrance

Kanazawa Prison Central Guard House / Cell

5-chome is home to many stylish brick buildings that give a sense of civilization.

What you can't miss is the "Imperial Hotel Central Entrance", which has a particularly strong presence in Meiji Mura. The building was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, one of the greatest architects of the 20th century.

St. Xavier's Cathedral

The Life Designs Editorial Team recommends the white Catholic church, St. Xavier's Cathedral.

The light coming through the stained glass changes its appearance depending on the time, so you can enjoy a different look each time you visit.

《Click here for information on 5-chome》

③ Let's Enjoy Meiji Food!

Minced meat and potato croquettes

Beef, western liquor, curry and rice, castella, etc., were the foundations of modern Japanese food culture during the Meiji era. At Meiji Mura, you can enjoy gourmet food that reproduces the taste of the Meiji era!

"Curry and rice" that appeared in the Meiji era romance gourmet novel "Shokudoraku"

Shokudoraku Curry and rice

At the "Shokudouraku Café" on 4-chome, you can enjoy a curry that reproduces the recipe that appears in the Meiji era romantic gourmet novel Shokudouraku.

Based on Indian curry, it features chicken and crushed Nanjing beans (peanuts). While arranging it to suit the tastes of modern people, we emphasize the texture of the time. The spiciness is mild, so even children can enjoy it.

《Shokudouraku Café》

​

Gyu-nabe is said to be a symbol of civilization and enlightenment. “Gyu-nabe” is a hot pot dish that was created in the Meiji era when eating meat became popular due to the enlightenment of civilization. In general, it refers to a dish in which ingredients such as vegetables are boiled in a pot along with beef.

At Oi Beef Shop in 1-chome, you can enjoy Kansai-style Gyu-nabe in the style of the time. There is no doubt that it will be a special memory!

《Oi Beef Restaurant》

"Denki Bran Shiodome Bar" where you can enjoy Denki Bran and Lafcadio Coffee

Denki Bran Shiodome Bar

Lafcadio coffee

At the Denki Bran Shiodome Bar on 4-chome, you can taste Japan's first cocktail "Denki Bran," which was invented by Denbei Kamiya.

We also recommend the "Lafcadio Coffee", which is a modern reproduction of the recipe from the book "Creole Cuisine" by Lafcadio Hearn (Yakumo Koizumi), a writer in the Meiji era!

There are 5 restaurants in Meiji Mura: "Shokudouraku Café", "Gyu-nabe nabe Oi Beef Restaurant", "Meiji Western Restaurant Omurice & Grill Roman-tei", "Noodle Restaurant Nagoya-an", and "Japanese Restaurant Hekisuitei", so please enjoy gourmet food!

④ Experience Meiji-era Vehicles!

In Meiji Mura, you can also experience the "vehicles" of the Meiji era! You can experience riding a steam locomotive built in the Meiji era, the Kyoto City Tram. (*fee required)

Japan's oldest streetcar "Kyoto City Tram" where you can experience riding

"Kyoto City Tram" is one of the oldest streetcars in Japan where you can experience riding! It connects three stations in 2-chome, 3-chome, and 4-chome in the village.

The Kyoto City Tram runs slowly at the same speed as it did back then, while receiving a cool breeze. From the train window, you can see the rich nature and historical buildings in the village.

Japan's oldest steam locomotive/passenger train "SL Ride Experience"

A steam locomotive manufactured in the Meiji era is towing a passenger car, and you can actually ride it.

Everything from the passenger cars to the train cars is over 100 years old and was manufactured in the Meiji era.

Take a picture with "Meiden No. 1"!

You can't ride the train actually, but you can take a commemorative photo at the "Meiden No. 1" exhibition hall in 2-chome!

⑤ Let's Get Souvenirs
at the Museum Shop!

A general store near the North Exit Entrance Gate "SL Tokyo Station Store"

Finally, we are at the museum shop!

There are two shops: the general store "Museum Shop" at the main entrance, and the general store "SL Tokyo Station Store" near the north entrance.

There are plenty of Meiji Mura exclusive goods, so be sure to check them out!

[12 Selections] Recommended Souvenirs to Buy in Meiji Mura

"Museum Meiji Mura" Ticket Purchase Method

For Meiji Mura resident registration, go to the 1-chome Konoe-kyoku Headquarters Annex

<Admission ticket>
Adult 2,000 yen
Senior (over 65 years old), university student 1,600 yen
High school student 1,200 yen
Junior high school student 700 yen
Elementary school student 700 yen

* Free for preschoolers and those born in the Meiji era

With "Meiji Mura Resident Registration (Annual Passport) Adult 4,500 Yen", you can enjoy Meiji Mura as many times as you like for one year from the day after registration!

▼ Click here for details
https://www.meijimura.com/guide/price/

This time, we introduced how to enjoy Meiji Mura under the title of  "5 points to fully enjoy Meiji Mura for first-timers" Of course, Meiji Mura is full of attractions other than those introduced this time. Please come and visit us.