「The Little World Museum of Man」(the Little World), located in Inuyama City, Aichi Prefecture, is an open-air ethnographic theme park with buildings from 23 countries and regions around the world. Ethnic cultures including clothing, food, and housing from around the world are introduced there.
When you talk about the Little World, you can’t miss a folk costume experience!
You can experience 12 different ethnic costumes from China, Germany, South Africa, Turkey, India, and more. All of them are authentic costumes that cannot be experienced at other facilities. Rental fees start at 400 yen, so you can enjoy them casually. Some costumes are also available in kids’ sizes, so you can take a family photo!
This time, we actually tried the ethnic costumes of eight countries. The following is a report on the experience, along with points of interest, such as how to experience, fees, and keys to be photographed.
*Information is current at the time of the interview.
Please check the latest information of each facility and store before visiting.
目次
The Little World covers an area of 1.23 million square meters. It is approximately 2.5 km in circumference, and it takes a minimum of 2 hours to walk around. If you want to fully enjoy the ethnic costume experience, it is recommended to go in the morning to give yourself plenty of time!
▼List of Ethnic Costumes You Can Experience（https://www.littleworld.jp/clothes/）
・Okinawa (Ishigaki Island House)
・China (Taiwanese Farmer)
・Peru (House of the Lord of Acienda)
・Indonesia (Bali Aristocrat’s House)
・Germany (Village in Bavaria)
・France (House in Alsace)
・Italy (House in Alberobello)
・South Africa (African Plaza)
・Turkey (Istanbul)
・India (Village in Kerala)
・Thailand (Ratchapruek)
・South Korea (Landlord’s House)
No advance reservations are required for the ethnic costume experience. Once you have decided on the costume you would like to try, head to the rental place.
Here are Costumes from Eight Different Countries!
Gorgeous Traditional Costumes｜China
First, we decided to try on Chinese traditional costumes!
You can try on a two-piece Han Chinese costume and a one-piece Manchu traditional costume. You can also try on the emperor costume from the movie “The Last Emperor.” Chinese dresses and a Vietnamese Ao-dais are available as well.
and Yang Kui Hui (right)!
The Last Emperor (90cm and up) ¥500
Yang Kui Hui (155cm and up) ¥500
We thought it would be hard to get dressed, but we simply put them on over our clothes and the transformation was complete!
The building is authentic, so you can take realistic photos as if you were there! Costumes can be rented out for about 5 minutes, so you can think about your shooting points in advance to make the process smoother.
The Colorful Embroidery is Beautiful! ｜Peru & Mexico
Next, we will go to the Peru area in Latin America.
Here, visitors can experience the traditional costumes of the indigenous Indians. There were also Mexican dance costumes and Spanish flamenco dresses.
This time, we tried on Mexican dance costumes (left) and Peruvian folk costumes (right). Cheese with alpaca!
Mexican Dance Costumes (women’s costumes 100cm and up) ¥500
Peruvian Folk Costumes (women’s costumes 90cm and up) ¥500
The same costume comes in a variety of patterns and colors, so it is hard to decide which one to choose.
Peruvian national costume is the traditional costume of the indigenous Indians. Kids’ sizes from 90cm are also available for family photo shoots!
Here’s a little happening…!!
Since the ethnic costumes are worn over the clothes originally worn, the bottoms were visible. It would be better to wear knee-length bottoms and a light inner wear when experiencing the ethnic costume.
Like a Fairy Tale Character｜Germany & Italy
We have come to the European area.
Here, visitors can experience the national costumes of Germany, France, and Italy. There were also fairy tale costumes that would make you feel like the character in a fairy tale.
We tried on a traditional German costume (left) and an Italian carnival costume (right) this time!
German Traditional Costume (women’s costumes 100cm and up) ¥500
Carnival Costume for Women (women’s costumes 80cm and up) ¥500
This traditional German costume is cute and fairy-tale-like. It comes in a variety of colors, so it’s cute to wear different colors with your friends!
This is an Italian carnival costume. They are costumes from around the 18th century, when aristocratic society flourished and court salons were glamorous.
The European area has many photo shooting locations.
Colorful Costumes of the Ndebele People｜South Africa
Next, we move on to the area of South Africa!
You can experience the costumes of the Ndebele tribe, who live in the interior of the Republic of South Africa, at an altitude of 900 to 1,500 meters above sea level. You can also experience Senegalese folk costumes and Kanga.
Ndebele Ethnic Costume (men’s/women’s 80cm and up) ¥400
This is the Ndebele folk costume.
Ndebele women wear plastic beadwork ornaments and colorful acrylic blankets. Men also wear this costume for their coming-of-age ceremony.
Since the costumes are unisex, it is also recommended that a large number of people match their costumes!
*Please note that photography is not allowed near Ndebele’s house. (Photography is only allowed in designated areas of the African Plaza.)
Feeling like Aladdin and Jasmine｜India
Next is India!
Here you can experience Indian folk costumes, just like Aladdin and Jasmine.
After choosing a sari of your choice, the staff made it into a beautiful traditional costume. We also decided to try the men’s kurta (right).
Sari (women’s costumes 80cm and up) ¥500
Kurta（men’s costumes 90cm and up）￥500
The sari is a typical Indian women’s costume in which a single piece of cloth is wrapped around the body. The beautiful shape of the drape that flows from the stomach to the ankles is sometimes described as “like a morning glory blooming”!
The recommended photo spot is under the roof of the building. You can take a picture full of exotic atmosphere.
Graceful and Elegant Palace Costumes｜Turkey
Next, visit the Turkish area! You can experience exotic and gorgeous costumes such as palace costumes, Chalkez costumes, and Ankara regional costumes. There was also a full lineup of kids’ size costumes.
Since you can take pictures inside the building as well, it is great for bad weather days.
Here we try “Turkish Palace Costume (left)” and “Ankara Costume (right)”!
Turkish Palace Costume (women’s costumes 140cm and up) ¥500
Ankara Costume (women’s costumes 80cm and up) ￥500
The Turkish palace costume was worn by the sultan (king) and queen who lived in the palace. It is characterized by wide cuffs that seem to hide the hands.
Ankara costume is a costume of the Ankara region and is also beautifully embroidered.
If you take a photo in the courtyard, you can get a picture that makes you feel as if you have been abroad!
Feel Like a Korean Heroine in Court Costume! ｜Korea
The last stop is the Korean area.
Here, visitors can try on the Chima-chogori, the traditional costume of Korean women, and the Pachi-chogori, the men’s costume for formal wear. Visitors can also try on the court costumes that were popularized in the movie “Dae Jang Geum, the Courtesan”.
By the way, it is standard for Korean women to wear their hair up when they wear traditional costumes. Neat and tidy with your hair tied up!
Court costume (women’s costumes 90cmand up) ¥500
You can also take pictures in the hallway. Feel like a Korean heroine!
This concludes our report on the Little World’s costume experiences: we were able to experience costumes from eight different countries in one day. This time, we mainly visited the Little World with a focus on costumes, but if you want to enjoy the buildings and food, two or three different types of costumes might be just right.
Key Points of the Ethnic Costume Experience
Finally, We would like to introduce some points that we felt after the actual experience.
・It is smooth if you decide on the costume you want to experience in advance.
・The rental time is about 5 minutes, so think about where you want to take pictures beforehand.
・It is better to wear a costume that is a little flashy to look good in the photos.
・Simple clothes that can be worn inside the costume are better.
The best clothes are T-shirt with a wide open neck and knee-length bottoms, etc.
Avoid bulky clothes such as hoodies and thick knits.
・Some costumes have height restrictions, so be especially careful when going with children.
You can get a card for the ethnic costume experience!
In this issue, we introduced the ethnic costume experience at the Little World Museum of Man.
The attraction of the Little World is the high quality of its buildings. Every building is faithfully reproduced by transporting columns and stone walls from the local area, using local materials, and conducting interviews in the area.
This makes it possible to take realistic photos that look as if they were taken in the actual area! Enjoy the feeling of world travel at the Little World.
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