When choosing activities for this trip, I wanted to see things that I may have not seen before, but also things that my family might not be a priority for them to do when we come here together. Sure, they might have enjoyed my trip today, but I know there are things they might enjoy more. The beauty of today was that I started with a loose plan, and then I just let the day unfold – it was great!
After doing some research, I decided to go to Nihon Minka-en: The Japanese Open Air Folk House Museum in Kawasaki. It is situated in Ikuta Ryokuchi Park.
I consulted Google Maps and the route said to take two different subway trains and then a bus. The trip would be approximately an hour and a half. Finding the trains was easy, then I got to the bus station and there were no English signs anywhere. I asked for help (In Japanese) from a small group of slightly older people that I thought might be familiar with the attraction I was going to. It turned out that they were taking the same bus as me, so once we got on the bus, we struck up a conversation. I was proud of myself that I was able to make myself understood, even if I couldn’t always understand 100% of what they were talking about. They were going to a rose garden close by. I filed this information away in case I had time to stop by later.
I arrived at the park and quickly realized there was a lot more to do than just the Open Air Folk House Museum. I started the adventure by taking a short hike up the into the hills, surrounded by old growth forest and bamboo. It was incredible. After two days in the concrete jungle in Tokyo, I was craving nature. here are some shots from the hike:
From Conde Nast Traveller: “The sprawling grounds are home to 25 marvelously preserved Edo-era homes relocated from all over the Japanese countryside, spanning an array of styles from farmhouses to samurai houses and includes a shrine, water mill, and kabuki stage. The houses are arranged in five villages according to their places of origin. Most are open to the public, allowing you to step back in time and wander through the various rooms. Placards describe the structure of the house and give background on how the previous owners lived.”
The museum was truly fascinating. the details of the construction methods were mind-blowing – what they were able to do with the technology they had and didn’t have was incredible. The craftsmanship was second to none. I was truly impressed.
Video of the Mill:
The Kabuki theatre:
One of the highlights was a soba noodle restaurant that my friends on the bus told me about. I was able to eat a delicious bowl of hot soba noodles in soup while looking out at a spectacular view while sitting on a traditional tatami mat floor in a historically accurate building with a thatched roof 🙂
Because it was Sunday, they had people giving workshops in some of the traditional cultural arts: thatch roof making, sandal making, bamboo basket making, and weaving. They have an indigo dying studio as well. One of the bamboo craft crew was handing out bamboo rings:
Video of the roof thatch preparation:
After the Open Air Folk House Museum. I stumbled upon a beautifully designed art gallery dedicated to the art and memory of Taro Okamoto. For more information about him click here: https://taro-okamoto.or.jp/en/
He was a multi-disciplinary artist. He was a painter and sculptor, did ceramics, and commercial design. He was also a writer, musician and skier among other things. the gallery itself was also stunning, as were all of the grounds surrounding it. Here are a few highlights.
Last but not least was the Rose Garden my bus buddies told me about. It took about 20 minutes to walk there. I don’t know what I was expecting, but it was infinitely better in real life. I came around the bend over the crest of the hill and there were roses as far as I could see – every colour combination, every fragrance. It was impossible to capture the magnitude of this rose garden with a camera to do it justice.
On the way back, Google sent me a completely different way – three different trains – non of which I rode on the way there. When I arrived to my station, I was starving, so I popped into a Kai-ten Sushi place (conveyor belt style) where you sit at the bar and grab whatever plates you like. At the end of the meal, they add up the plates, each colour coded by price. It was quite cheap but delicious!!
I am again trying to stay up even though I am exhausted. I am excited to start classes tomorrow, so I don’t want to be up half the night with jet lag. If you are still reading this, thanks for sticking with me 🙂