Open-Air Museum of Old Japanese Farmhouses

The Open-Air Museum of Old Japanese Farmhouses stands in a corner of Hattori Ryokuchi Park in Toyonaka, Osaka. Opened in 1956, it was the first open-air museum in Japan. Twelve farmhouses from regions between Iwate and Kagoshima, all built between the 17th and 19th centuries, were moved here and restored, and are shown with the tools their households used. The grounds cover about 36,000 square meters, planted with plum, cherry, bamboo and persimmon.

History

The museum opened to the public in October 1956 as the Toyonaka City Folk Museum (Toyonaka Shiritsu Minzokukan, 豊中市立民俗館). It became a registered museum in 1960 and took its present name in 1961. Since 2002 it has been run by the Osaka Prefecture Cultural Properties Center (Osaka-fu Bunkazai Center, 大阪府文化財センター).

Buildings

• Nagayamon gate from Kawachi Fuse (Osaka): Registered Tangible Cultural Property, 2017

• Farmhouse from Hyuga Shiiba (Miyazaki): Important Cultural Property, 1973

• Farmhouse from Shinano Akiyama (Nagano): Important Cultural Property, 1964

• Farmhouse from Yamato Totsukawa (Nara): Osaka Prefectural Tangible Cultural Property, 1974

• Farmhouse from Echizen Tsuruga (Fukui): Osaka Prefectural Tangible Cultural Property, 1974

• Tea room from Kitakawachi (Osaka): Registered Tangible Cultural Property, 2017

• Magariya from Nambu (Iwate), an L-shaped farmhouse: Osaka Prefectural Tangible Cultural Property, 1974

• Rural kabuki stage from Shodoshima (Kagawa): Osaka Prefectural Tangible Folk Cultural Property, 1974

• Takakura storehouse from Amami Oshima (Kagoshima), raised on posts: Osaka Prefectural Tangible Cultural Property, 1974

• Farmhouse from Settsu Nose (Osaka): Important Cultural Property, 1964

• Gassho-zukuri farmhouse from Hida Shirakawa (Gifu): designated a national Important Folk Material in 1959, today an Important Tangible Folk Cultural Property

• Rice storehouse from Dojima (Osaka): Registered Tangible Cultural Property, 2017

• Windmill from Sakai (Osaka)

Activities

Hands-on activities in the grounds include tea gatherings, grinding with a stone mill, spinning tops and kimono dressing.