The Museum Meijimura
The Museum Meijimura
4.5
Points of Interest & LandmarksArchitectural BuildingsHistory Museums
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
About
Beautifully located on a hillside facing Lake Iruka, it occupies an area of 1,000,000m2, where currently over sixty Meiji buildings have been brought and rebuilt. On display inside the buildings are furniture and other items of interst, objects of reference related to the respective buildings, and temporary exhibitions of historic materials as occasions call. The Meiji-mura offers the Japanese people a place of social education, where they can discover and have first-hand contact with the form and spirit of the Meiji period. We also believe that the Meiji-mura, as an evidence of East-West cultural exchange, can be helpful to enhance mutual understanding between the peoples of Japan and other countries of the world.
Duration: 2-3 hours
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4.5
506 reviews
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213
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geo3
Calgary, Canada1,893 contributions
Sept 2023 • Solo
This is a great collection of buildings from the Meiji era in Japan, covering the entire spectrum of uses. There are around 65 separate buildings. I had half a day to explore, and that wasn't enough.
The buildings are in good condition, and the map that is supplied at the entrance is a very good guide to getting around the massive grounds. The grounds are laid out based on five different themes (such as residential, business, education, industrial, etc), so if there are particular aspects that interest you, you can focus on the areas that highlight those. There are several suggested routes which help simplify exploring this large park.
Due to lack of time, some interesting things did not get done. If I were to come again, I would a) ride the steam train, b) get a day pass for the trolley and ride it, or c) get a day pass for the bus and ride it. It might have been a good idea to take the trolley or bus ride around the grounds initially to get a good look at what was on offer, and high-grade based on what looked most interesting - because there is a LOT to see.
There are several good options for food within the park.
On the day I was there, it was busy but not overly crowded.
Getting there is a bit complicated if you are using public transit. In general, though, you need to get to the Inuyama train station. From here there is a bus which goes to Meiji-mura, leaving every 30 minutes from the large bus stop area to the east of the train station. You can also take a taxi, which will probably cost you roughly 3000 yen.
Getting back was also complicated, mostly because of needing to determine the fare for the bus ride. There is a bus stop at Meiji-mura for the bus to the Inuyama train station, so that part is easy. You take a ticket when you get on the bus, and then scan it when you leave the bus at the train station (or insert it into a card reader, can't remember which it was), and the correct fare is then calculated at that point. Have change handy in case the bus doesn't accept a credit card.
Overall, a great day, and worth a return visit.
The buildings are in good condition, and the map that is supplied at the entrance is a very good guide to getting around the massive grounds. The grounds are laid out based on five different themes (such as residential, business, education, industrial, etc), so if there are particular aspects that interest you, you can focus on the areas that highlight those. There are several suggested routes which help simplify exploring this large park.
Due to lack of time, some interesting things did not get done. If I were to come again, I would a) ride the steam train, b) get a day pass for the trolley and ride it, or c) get a day pass for the bus and ride it. It might have been a good idea to take the trolley or bus ride around the grounds initially to get a good look at what was on offer, and high-grade based on what looked most interesting - because there is a LOT to see.
There are several good options for food within the park.
On the day I was there, it was busy but not overly crowded.
Getting there is a bit complicated if you are using public transit. In general, though, you need to get to the Inuyama train station. From here there is a bus which goes to Meiji-mura, leaving every 30 minutes from the large bus stop area to the east of the train station. You can also take a taxi, which will probably cost you roughly 3000 yen.
Getting back was also complicated, mostly because of needing to determine the fare for the bus ride. There is a bus stop at Meiji-mura for the bus to the Inuyama train station, so that part is easy. You take a ticket when you get on the bus, and then scan it when you leave the bus at the train station (or insert it into a card reader, can't remember which it was), and the correct fare is then calculated at that point. Have change handy in case the bus doesn't accept a credit card.
Overall, a great day, and worth a return visit.
Written 28 July 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
澤田美也子
東京1,969 contributions
Nov 2023 • Couples
This is a theme park for adults who are interested in architecture, railways, and history. We went on a weekend during the tourist season, and there were actually more adult groups than groups with children. However, the restaurants in the park are more for families than for adults, so there isn't a mature atmosphere. The park is large, so it's best to take a full day to explore. To explore the entire park, we recommend a ticket that includes unlimited rides on the steam locomotive, tram, and bus.
Written 22 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
智0701
Kasukabe, Japan842 contributions
Nov 2023 • Friends
I took a direct bus from Nagoya Station to Meijimura. The buildings from the Meiji period were relocated as they were, so I was able to experience the era firsthand, which was a very valuable experience. Since it is a Meiji period building, there is no air conditioning inside and moving between buildings is basically done on foot, so I think it must be quite difficult during the hot summer months.
Written 7 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Voyage68613627992
11 contributions
Mar 2024 • Solo
It's great that there are so many Meiji-era buildings, but I didn't get the feeling of having traveled back in time to the Meiji era.
The reason for this is that the layout of the buildings is just a mess. There is no streetscape with government offices, shopping district, residential area, etc. It's a shame that with so many buildings, they couldn't have paid more attention to the layout.
The reason for this is that the layout of the buildings is just a mess. There is no streetscape with government offices, shopping district, residential area, etc. It's a shame that with so many buildings, they couldn't have paid more attention to the layout.
Written 13 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ユウユウイルカ
Fukuoka, Japan110 contributions
Jun 2023
I had read a book about the construction of the Imperial Hotel, so I really wanted to see it, and so I went. There were two volunteers to give explanations, but the woman didn't seem to know much about it.
It's large, so it's best to get on a bus and decide in advance what you want to see.
It's best not to expect anything good from the food.
It's large, so it's best to get on a bus and decide in advance what you want to see.
It's best not to expect anything good from the food.
Written 5 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
NagoyaYabu
Nagoya, Japan92 contributions
Dec 2021
I had been there some times before. Every time I went there, it was an interesting experiences.
Especially, you can see buildings of Meiji period. If you have any interest in architecture and design or history, you will like to go there.
The museum Meiji mura was really great place!
Especially, you can see buildings of Meiji period. If you have any interest in architecture and design or history, you will like to go there.
The museum Meiji mura was really great place!
Written 14 February 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ルイス マ
Japan12 contributions
Apr 2019
It may be bit inconvenience to go if using public transportation,, but surely worth to go. All buildings are original. Better arrive there since early morning if you want to see through it all within one day.
Written 6 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
petertaylor57
Auckland Central, New Zealand422 contributions
Apr 2024 • Family
This collection of Meiji period buildings should interest all history buffs as well as those looking for an interesting day out. The park covers all areas of life from trains to migration to brighter prospects. For me, the jewel in the crown is Frank Lloyd Wright's old Imperial Hotel. Sit in the lobby, admire the architecture and picture yourself in the 1920s with loads of white suited staff around to cater for your every need. Only downside - it can get very crowded.
Written 13 May 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
hfot2 🌸🍁🌸
Vermont7,597 contributions
Mar 2016 • Couples
Frank Lloyd Wright’s Imperial Hotel was our target here. We arrived at the gate before opening time. Once we exchanged our voucher for our entrance and retro bus tickets, we hopped the first bus to the Hotel from the station (a ride of about 20 minutes). Doing so meant we got to photograph the exterior and much of the interior before the crowds arrived. It’s a splendid place and well worth as much time as you can put into it.
To be clear, it is just the lobby and the entrance that have been preserved here at the museum, but what a lobby and entrance! The whole hotel must have been a magnificent pile. We had coffee and cakes (cake sets) in the little tea shop on the mezzanine at the front because it seemed like a wonderful thing to do. The wait staff kindly offered us a treat of mini pancakes in addition to our cake - how nice.
After spending about 2 hours at the Imperial Hotel, we were ready to take on the rest of this huge complex. It was good that we had previously prioritized what we wanted to see. If you do this, you can see everything you are interested in in a very full day. You do have to be willing to ride the bus past some buildings you just won’t have time for and look at them in passing.
Walking around we bogged down on a succession of buildings - a rescued jail, banks and other municipal buildings, the odd koban, a bridge, the telephone exchange and the old post office. We did admirably well at St Francis Xavier Cathedral. We walked by and looked into the bathhouse, a theater with a revolving stage, Lafcadio Hearn’s summer house which was turned into a trinket/souvenir shop, and an abutting barber shop.
Our entrance ticket included a snack which we picked up at one of the many stands scattered around: curry bread and a coke, enough to stave off hunger. There are other food options available and you might want to bring along a snack as well.
We walked from the food stall up a street with sake breweries and a merchant’s house, a school with auditorium and a chemistry/physics building, a doctor’s office, and a district office. Then we walked over to a bluff overlooking the lake for some nice views. We stopped at a pharmaceutical institute and a prince’s villa.
At this point we were really very tired and had had enough. I know in my list above I’ve left off some of the places we visited - there is just too much to process. We took the bus back to the entrance, retraced our way back to the station, and returned to Nagoya.
Tips:
You can buy a one day package pass at the Meitetsu station in Nagoya. It included round trip train fare, the bus to Meiji Mura, unlimited use of the retro bus at the museum (different rules applied for the steam train or the trolley) and a snack. We recommend choosing the retro bus since it was unlimited use and stopped at more sites.
Senior discounts are available at the gate, but are not available with the package tour ticket at the train station.
Arrive as early as possible - there is too much to see in one day.
Make a copy of the bus schedule so you can plan to return to the entrance at the right time without having to waste time waiting there for the next bus since there are not that many running each hour.
Toilets are strategically and discreetly placed throughout the park.
To be clear, it is just the lobby and the entrance that have been preserved here at the museum, but what a lobby and entrance! The whole hotel must have been a magnificent pile. We had coffee and cakes (cake sets) in the little tea shop on the mezzanine at the front because it seemed like a wonderful thing to do. The wait staff kindly offered us a treat of mini pancakes in addition to our cake - how nice.
After spending about 2 hours at the Imperial Hotel, we were ready to take on the rest of this huge complex. It was good that we had previously prioritized what we wanted to see. If you do this, you can see everything you are interested in in a very full day. You do have to be willing to ride the bus past some buildings you just won’t have time for and look at them in passing.
Walking around we bogged down on a succession of buildings - a rescued jail, banks and other municipal buildings, the odd koban, a bridge, the telephone exchange and the old post office. We did admirably well at St Francis Xavier Cathedral. We walked by and looked into the bathhouse, a theater with a revolving stage, Lafcadio Hearn’s summer house which was turned into a trinket/souvenir shop, and an abutting barber shop.
Our entrance ticket included a snack which we picked up at one of the many stands scattered around: curry bread and a coke, enough to stave off hunger. There are other food options available and you might want to bring along a snack as well.
We walked from the food stall up a street with sake breweries and a merchant’s house, a school with auditorium and a chemistry/physics building, a doctor’s office, and a district office. Then we walked over to a bluff overlooking the lake for some nice views. We stopped at a pharmaceutical institute and a prince’s villa.
At this point we were really very tired and had had enough. I know in my list above I’ve left off some of the places we visited - there is just too much to process. We took the bus back to the entrance, retraced our way back to the station, and returned to Nagoya.
Tips:
You can buy a one day package pass at the Meitetsu station in Nagoya. It included round trip train fare, the bus to Meiji Mura, unlimited use of the retro bus at the museum (different rules applied for the steam train or the trolley) and a snack. We recommend choosing the retro bus since it was unlimited use and stopped at more sites.
Senior discounts are available at the gate, but are not available with the package tour ticket at the train station.
Arrive as early as possible - there is too much to see in one day.
Make a copy of the bus schedule so you can plan to return to the entrance at the right time without having to waste time waiting there for the next bus since there are not that many running each hour.
Toilets are strategically and discreetly placed throughout the park.
Written 1 January 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JapanTravelCafe
Los Angeles1 contribution
Apr 2012 • Friends
Meijimura might be one of the most underrated destinations in all of Japan. “Meiji” as in Emperor Meiji, and “Mura” as in village. He was the Japanese leader who brought in experts from Europe and America to help “modernize” Japan at the turn of the century.
Imagine what happened when East met West for the first time to collaborate and build. When Carnegie steel and red bricks met tatamis and shoji screens. Someone actually had the foresight to collect the buildings from that era, knowing someday people will wonder what it was like to be there. That is Meiji Mura.
I am from Chicago and have seen my fill of Frank Lloyd Wright houses. But I can’t describe the feeling of walking into the lobby of his Imperial Hotel. Awesome stuff if you are into architecture and History. There is so much information there written in Japanese, that you do feel a little left out. But overall, worth the day trip from Nagoya.
Richard
www.japantravelcafe.com
Imagine what happened when East met West for the first time to collaborate and build. When Carnegie steel and red bricks met tatamis and shoji screens. Someone actually had the foresight to collect the buildings from that era, knowing someday people will wonder what it was like to be there. That is Meiji Mura.
I am from Chicago and have seen my fill of Frank Lloyd Wright houses. But I can’t describe the feeling of walking into the lobby of his Imperial Hotel. Awesome stuff if you are into architecture and History. There is so much information there written in Japanese, that you do feel a little left out. But overall, worth the day trip from Nagoya.
Richard
www.japantravelcafe.com
Written 4 March 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
How often is the bus back to Inuyama? I’m worried about getting stuck there. Any taxi rank?
Written 27 September 2019
The staff at the entrance to Meijimura can arrange transportation back to a nearby station. They aren’t especially genial or hospitable but when pressed will offer nominal assistance.
Written 18 December 2020
When travelling to Meiji Mura, is Meitetsu Nagoya station the same location as JR Nagoya station?
Written 7 March 2018
They are next to each other. Follow the signage in the JR station. You'll be led to exit the JR station building and immediately go down the stairs of the adjoining building to the Meitetsu Nagoya stn.
Written 8 March 2018
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