Meiji Mura Open Air Museum Tickets

Meiji Mura preserves the buildings of Japan’s great westernising age the only way possible: by moving them, whole, to a hillside above a lake near Inuyama. More than sixty structures from the Meiji era and its neighbours stand along village streets here, from wooden churches and post offices to the reassembled lobby of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Imperial Hotel, rescued when the Tokyo original was demolished.

Walking through an era

The museum spreads along a numbered route where you can enter banks, schools, bathhouses and the homes of writers, most furnished to period. The Wright lobby alone justifies the trip for architecture lovers, its carved stone and brick glowing in the afternoon light. A working steam train and a vintage Kyoto tram shuttle visitors between zones, staffed by conductors in period uniform, and croquettes and Meiji era recipes fill the food stalls.

Planning your day

The site is genuinely large and hilly, so allow most of a day and wear walking shoes; village buses help with the climbs. Costume rental in period dress is popular for photographs. Combining Meiji Mura with Inuyama Castle, one of Japan’s few original keeps, makes a superb overnight from Nagoya.

Getting there

From Meitetsu Nagoya Station, ride the Meitetsu Inuyama Line to Inuyama, about 30 minutes by express, then a direct bus from the station to Meiji Mura in around 20 minutes. Buses also run directly from Nagoya’s Meitetsu Bus Center on many days.

Frequently asked questions

Are the buildings originals? Yes, genuine structures relocated and restored, not replicas.

How long is needed? Five hours or more to do it justice.

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