I mentioned recently that I went back to
Meiji Mura (link is to my first trip's post), the largest and best architectural museum/historical village in Japan. With a heavily-discounted admission, I wanted to explore some buildings a second time to retake photos and take additional angles. And, of course, I got to sample the
local beers and a delicious snack.
I started by heading to the large train shed housing a luxurious collection of rail cars.
I believe at least one of these belonged to the Empress. I would guess others were used by the Emperor, or servants or aides. I could totally travel across Japan in one of these. You can peer in the cars, but entry isn't allowed here.
That isn't true of any of the buildings, though - they are all open and free to be explored in part or whole. Just expect to take your shoes off.
The buildings are mostly arranged in small clumps, with one nice street housing a tea house, school, and a doctor's office.
You can walk in a couple rooms of the doctor's office/house.
A new exhibit since my last visit was a restored street car. There are at least two streetcars on the grounds; this one can be boarded and explored.
You won't be riding the rails at all in this car, but you can play with the handles and ring the bell. Or just take a seat inside.
The Koban (police box) is next door. This is one building I wish was opened fully because I still don't know what lies behind the small office in the front.
Continuing on there's a small collection of shops, including a fully-functioning candy shop. You'll see what I bought from here next month, and more.
The kabuki theater is open at the back so you can look inside.
Tours are given to see the rest of the building, but I didn't time my visit properly to take part. The right-hand photo was taken by peering in through a side window. There is a balcony here!
Due to the overcast/rainy weather, my outdoor shots are somewhat gloomy; many of my outdoor photos from the first trip just couldn't be improved upon on this trip.
But with a new, better camera this time, I could get some good indoor shots of the cathedral.
Aside from the koban, several law enforcement buildings are clustered together. The first building on the right is a very old prison.
It's entirely made of thick wooden posts which could probably be sawed through over a few hours, provided you didn't disturb the guards and had an actual saw. This is the view inside the cell from outside the building. There is a solid roof, but I imagine it's not so nice in here on cold or wet nights.
The kitten didn't seem to be happy with me taking its picture and was afraid of me. But when I left its cell, it came to the bars and yelled at me.
Just behind the old jail is a somewhat-newer old jail. One wing plus the entrance has been preserved here.
Abashiri it is not, but you could peer in a few cells and enter a couple too.
Daily life: boring, apparently.
Poop bucket and a sink, plumbing not included.
I'm not sure if you got to keep your dishes or if they were delivered in that box. But there they were, in the box.
This guard inside the entryway kept watch. Why do all guards in Japanese prisons have mustaches? Is that a requirement?
Next door is a courthouse, and it looks like this poor guy will probably be headed for a cell soon.
I returned to the Frank Lloyd Wright hotel looking to take more interior photos. I just wish they had kept some additional rooms.
On the left is what might was probably an office. On the right, the impressive brick-work on a pillar.
The lobby is intact, with a couple restaurants on the front side of the building. The back is closed to the public, but might be used for receptions and events.
The gift shop sells reproductions of the original dinnerware, for a fairly hefty price.
I returned to the bank full of oddly-lighted white models of all the buildings in the museum, and was able to get a couple decent images inside this time.
There are three forms of transportation at the museum, though two weren't functioning on my first visit. There's a bus which is best for actually getting around the expansive grounds, but there are also a train and a streetcar, both of which run back and forth between two stations each. I recommend the day pass to take advantage of all three.
In addition to misokatsu, there is a wide variety of local foods and limited dishes served in the cafes and restaurants scattered among several of the buildings. I went with what you see above. It's an egg covered with a few toppings and a sauce, and turned into a sandwich between two shrimp crackers. It's delicious but messy due to the sauce and non-absorbent shell. I believe this is a Nagoya specialty.
You'd think that two visits are enough, but if I ever have the opportunity to stay even longer I would enjoy participating in the tours, eating more of the food, trying out the transportation, and exploring even more of the buildings in detail. They hold seasonal events, too, and I'm sure this place looks awesome in the fall and in the snow.
I posted details on the museum in
my first post, but times change, so this will bring it up-to-date. You can verify details via the
museum's English website.
The park's hours are 9:00-17:00 March through October, 9:00-16:00 November through February. Note that the museum closes several days in December and January (especially Mondays).
Regular admission is 1700 yen, but discount options are available; mine was literally given to me, so I don't know how to obtain them. I believe combination options through rail or bus companies are a good place to start looking, or ask at visitor's centers in Nagoya or Inuyama.
Access is best via a bus that leaves from Inuyama Station; it departs about once per hour and English signage at the stop is pretty good. Get off at the end of the line; you probably won't miss it as the bus deliberately pulls into a pickup/drop-off area at the front gate.
