As T's father lives in Osaka, it naturally became our home base during our trip to Japan. That said, we spent most of our days exploring the sights of Osaka. Generally when we travel, we usually steer towards things that tend to be off the beaten path and as this certainly wasn't T's first time in Japan, I feel like there was even more reason for us to try and find the hidden gems of Osaka. I'm not sure how T first came across the Open-Air Museum of Old Japanese Farm Houses, especially as I'm now finding that there isn't much information about it on the internet (in English at least). But whether it was fate or just dumb luck, I'm so glad we decided to take a chance and explore this lovely museum.
As its name suggests, the museum is an outdoor exhibit in which a collection of old Japanese farmhouses are on display. Each of the structures were built in the Edo period (17th - 19th century) and as the museum includes 12 traditional farmhouses and buildings (such as a windmill and a rural Kabuki theater) its a veritable village in and of itself. Once we paid admission, we were free to wander among and within each of the buildings, some of which were outfitted with old tools and other artifacts. Thanks to the English-language pamphlet provided (at the front gate), we could easily navigate our way through the museum.
At the time of our visit, there were few other visitors (who were mostly artists painting the picturesque scenery) which only added to the atmospheric air of the museum. Soaking in the quiet... walking among the rustic homes, aged trees and bamboo groves... it certainly felt as if we had been transported to another time or at the very least, to one of the better kept secrets of Osaka.
0 comments:
Post a Comment