4 Hokuriku Museums that Make History Fun
In Japan, not only are there famous art galleries and museums where you can take photos that look fabulous on social media, but there are also lots of facilities where you can experience the history and culture of Japan. Incorporating these visits into your travel plans alongside the standard tourist attractions will, of course, make your trip more educational and memorable. In fact, some of these facilities have become the shooting locations for movies and dramas!
（1）Travel back to the Meiji Era with the Museum Meiji-Mura (Aichi)
Museum Meiji Mura is an open-air museum built on an enormous 1,000,000-square-meter site in Inuyama, Aichi Prefecture. Buildings that were built around the Meiji era (1868-1912) have been relocated, preserved, and exhibited, and 67 historical buildings, including 11 important cultural properties, have been opened to the public. And these buildings are now often used as locations for TV dramas and movies.
At the Meiji Living Yorozu Experience Corner, guests have access to "living tools,” such as the lights of the portable candles used from the Meiji era to Showa era, rickshaw riding, and a display of the dinners of that time. What a unique experience!
The Stamp Rally, where you collect original stamps from 16 buildings in Meiji-Mura, is popular among children. Two facilities you can ride within the premises are the steam locomotive (SL) and the Kyoto Tram.（Additional charges are required for both steam locomotives and Kyoto trams. Please note that the steam locomotive and tram don’t run on certain days of the month.）
Moreover, there is a space for children to play on the first floor of St. John's Church. There are also nursing rooms in the facility, so families with infants can enjoy the museum with ease.
Location: Uchiyama 1, Inuyama-shi, Aichi prefecture
Access: Get on the train at Meitetsu Nagoya Station, get off at Meitetsu Inuyama Station, then transfer to the bus outside of the east exit of the station, and you will arrive at the museum in about 20 minutes. Or, it takes about 80 minutes via a short-distance highway bus bound for Meiji-Mura from Nagoya Meitetsu Bus Center.
Operating hours:
| 【April to July, September, October】 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. 【August】 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 【November】 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. 【December to February】 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 【March】 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m *Last call is 30 minutes before closing time |
（2）Get creative at the Kaga Traditional Handicrafts Village Yunokuni no Mori (Ishikawa)
Situated in Komatsu, Ishikawa Prefecture, the theme park "Kaga Traditional Craft Village Yunokuni no Mori" is a facility where more than 50 types of traditional craft experiences can be enjoyed.
Situated in Komatsu, Ishikawa Prefecture, Yunokuni no Mori is a theme park where you can try your hand at more than 50 types of traditional craft experiences.
There are 11 buildings on the vast site of 420,000 square meters, five of which have thatched roofs of over 100 years old. Learn the art of gold leaf at the Ougon no Ma (Golden Room) in the Kinpaku no Kan (Gold Leaf House), whose ceilings are covered with pure gold leaf, and walls and tatami mats are decorated with gold thread. For kids, there’s Dorayaki Petit Experience (10 pieces of dorayaki or bean paste pancake, starting from ¥1,100), where you stuff your favorite bean paste into a pancake. Budding artists can try the Drawing Experience (drawing and music box set, starting at ¥1,920) where they can draw their favorite picture and create a cube-shaped music box. Sign up for your preferred Experiences on the day of your visit.
From early March to late November, the Umbrella Sky Road is a popular photo spot among visitors, with its colorful umbrellas hung along the path. Gather the family too around the big golden Maneki Neko (beckoning cat) in a music box.
There are also places available to get strollers (for rent) and nursing rooms for families with infants. A Children’s Square with lots of playground equipment such as slides, swings, and seesaws is also in the premises.
| Location: Na-3-3 Awazu Onsen, Komatsu City, Ishikawa Access: About 16 minutes by taxi from JR Kaga Onsen Station Operating hours: 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (Last call is 30 minutes before closing) Admission fee: 【Adult】 ¥550 【Children between 12 and 18】 ¥440 【Children 4 and up】 ¥330 |
（3）Mingle with dinosaurs at the Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum
Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum is one of the largest dinosaur museums in Japan. The shiny, silver egg-shaped dome consists of three exhibition rooms, 44 dinosaur skeletons, over a thousand specimens, and a huge restored model on display.
The must-see exhibit is the Tyrannosaurus Rex robot, which stands on two legs in the center of the permanent exhibition room. Adults and children will be thrilled to see the huge display towering at over seven meters, moving violently as if it were alive! There is also a zone where you can touch real fossils, and a 60-minute course in fossil excavation at the outdoor dinosaur museum. English, Chinese, and Korean audio guide terminals are available for both adults and children, so be sure to make use of them.
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Location: 51-11 Terao, Muroko-cho, Katsuyama-shi, Fukui Prefecture Admission Fee:
Annual Pass: Adult: ¥2,100
Individual:
Groups: |
（4）Drop by one of Japan's largest automobile-themed museums with unique exhibits,
Motorcar Museum of Japan
The Motorcar Museum of Japan, one of Japan's largest automobile-themed museums, is located in Kaga Onsen Village. It exhibits about 500 famous cars collected from all around the world, displayed in the order of genre rather than manufacturer.
Among the museum’s unique exhibits are the Car King Corner, featuring the oldest car in the museum, the 1899 De Dion Bouton, as well as the 1922 Berlier VG22, the only unit left in the world. At the Miniature Cars of the World corner, rare classic minicars are displayed in glass cases and shelves on the wall. You can also buy car-related souvenirs such as products from the Tomica series. There’s even a Doraemon type solar car called Soraemon and the battery-operated car called Q-car, so don’t forget to take photos of them! And how’s this for a unique exhibit: Included in the car-themed museum is a Toilets of the World display, which showcases 40 unique toilets from 15 countries across the globe.
| Location: 40 Ikkanyama, Futatsunashi-machi, Komatsu City, Ishikawa Access: Take the tour bus (CANBUS) from JR Kaga Onsen Station |
Refer to the following for more information on the facilities mentioned in this article.
Hokuriku/Tokai
https://www.japan.travel/en/destinations/hokuriku-shinetsu/
https://www.japan.travel/en/destinations/tokai/
Fukui
https://www.japan.travel/en/destinations/hokuriku-shinetsu/fukui/
https://www.japan.travel/en/travel-directory/fukui/
https://www.fuku-e.com/lang/english/
Ishikawa
https://www.japan.travel/en/travel-directory/Ishikawa/
https://www.ishikawatravel.jp/en/
Article:
Treat yourself! Have a wonderful time in Ishikawa in winter
Aichi
https://www.japan.travel/en/travel-directory/Aichi/
https://www.aichi-now.jp/en/
Must-go places in winter! A treasury of spectacular views in the Ishikawa・Gifu・Toyama area
https://www.japan.travel/en/my/solo-japan/must-go-places-winter-treasury-spectacular-views-ishikawa-gifu-t/
Museum Meiji-Mura:
https://centrip-japan.com/spot/meijimura.html
Kaga Traditional Craft Village - Yunokuni no Mori:
https://www.yunokuni.jp/mori/?lang=en
Youtube URL:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUGErxjdm5Y&feature=emb_logo
Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum:
http://www.fuku-e.com/lang/english/feature/feature-dinosaur_museum.php
https://www.dinosaur.pref.fukui.jp/en/
Motorcar Museum of Japan:
http://mmj-car.com/english/
