Historical Village of Hokkaido, Open-air history museum in Nopporo Shinrin Kouen Natural Park, Japan.
The Historical Village of Hokkaido is an open-air museum in Atsubetsu-ku that gathers more than 50 historic buildings on the wooded grounds of Nopporo Shinrin Kouen Natural Park. The structures range from simple timber houses to larger administrative buildings and recreate a village as it might have appeared in the early decades of settlement.
The museum opened in 1983 and brought together authentic structures from the Meiji and Taishō eras across Hokkaidō. These buildings were dismantled, moved here, and rebuilt on the forest site to preserve the architecture of those periods.
Many of the merchant shops and farmhouses display tools, furniture, and everyday objects that helped settlers survive in the harsh environment. Visitors can step into the rooms and see how families cooked, worked, and stored supplies for the long winter.
The museum is open from May through September between 9 AM and 5 PM, and from October to April it closes at 4:30 PM. Paths wind through forest and over open ground, so sturdy footwear helps when exploring the sprawling site.
Each building was reassembled using the original methods, so visitors can examine timber joints, roof frames, and window fittings from the settler era. Craftspeople followed the old techniques to show how these structures rose without modern tools.
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