The
Nihon
Minka-en folk house museum is
located 12 minutes walk from
Mukogaoka
station on the Odakyu line.
Twenty-five buildings including a kabuki stage and gassho zukuri minkas
from Shirakawa,
are set in the pretty
Ikuta Ryoguchi park near Kawasaki. The open-air museum makes a great
half-day trip and has clear
explanations in English too.
I visited during Golden Week and there were many volunteers, there to
explain how people lived in past times.
There were also chances to make
items using straw, such as boots and raincoats. In addition, children
could
try traditional toys and games, such as, stilt-walking and hoop-rolling.
