There’s a wonderful museum in Kawasaki not too far from central Tokyo:

Japan Open-Air Folk House Museum / 川崎市立日本民家園 (Kawasaki Municipal Nihon Minka-en)

The museum has over 20 historic houses that illustrate traditional Japanese folk architecture. The houses were moved from other parts of Japan to this park in the hills of western Kawasaki. This brochure shows all of the structures, with a map showing the original location of each building:

Here are some photos from my visit:

A takakura 高倉 (high warehouse on stilts) from the Anami / Amami Islands. This structure is from Okinoerabujima 沖永良部島 (map), which is close to Okinawa, but administered by Kagoshima Prefecture 鹿児島県.

Museum map and path:

Folk craft exhibit:

Museum brochure:

More brochure information:

Museum address:

Nihon Minka-en 川崎市立日本民家園, 〒214-0032 Kanagawa Prefecture, Kawasaki, Tama-ku, Masugata, 7 Chome−1, 多摩区枡形7−1−1 / Google map

• English website: http://english.nihonminkaen.jp/
• Japanese website: http://www.nihonminkaen.jp/

Also nearby is the excellent Taro Okamoto Museum of Art, and the Ikuta Ryokuchi Park 生田緑地 (see blog):

For more Kawasaki tourism, see:

• Visit beautiful Kawasaki! (You can’t get there from here!) かわいい川崎に行こう
• Kawasaki City Guide Map
• Takatsu-ku ento-bunsui walking map (Kawasaki) 円筒分水と久地不動尊コース
• Kawasaki: Tsukui Highway and Masugata Castle 川崎歴史ガイド ⊗ 津久井道と忻形稢址
• How to get to the Kawasaki industrial zone