Guide
Kawasaki Municipal Nihon Minka-en is an open-air museum established in 1967 with the mission of preserving and passing down traditional Japanese folk houses, which are rapidly disappearing, to future generations. The museum features 25 buildings that symbolize the rich lifestyle of Japan, including representative folk houses from Eastern Japan, watermills, boatman huts, and even a Kabuki stage. Among these, seven are designated as National Important Cultural Properties, making this an exceptionally high-value collection of architectural heritage. Rather than just being a static display, the site uses buildings that have been restored to their original forms through rigorous research, allowing visitors to experience the evolution of Japanese housing in a three-dimensional, living way.
The facility was founded to protect and showcase traditional architectural and lifestyle patterns that were being lost during Japan's modernization process. The relocated folk houses have undergone restoration research to uncover the history of their modifications over time. Most buildings are presented in their