Saiko Iyashi no Sato Nenba, Traditional open-air museum in Fujikawaguchiko, Japan
Saiko Iyashi no Sato Nenba is an open-air museum with twenty-one thatched-roof buildings arranged along Lake Sai's shore, overlooking Mount Fuji. The structures recreate a traditional mountain village where visitors can explore various old crafts and see how people once lived in these rural communities.
The original village was completely destroyed in a 1966 typhoon, prompting its reconstruction and reopening as a cultural museum in 2006. This rebuilding allowed traditional crafts and ways of living to be preserved for future generations.
Visitors can try traditional crafts like pottery and incense-making inside the thatched houses, experiencing how people once worked in these mountain communities. The buildings show how daily tasks and skills shaped life in older Japanese villages.
The museum operates daily with seasonal hours, shorter in winter months and longer from spring through autumn. Parking is available on-site, and the walkways between buildings are flat and easy to navigate for a comfortable visit.
Each building serves a different purpose: one house offers traditional clothing fitting, another teaches local cooking techniques, while others focus on specific crafts. This variety keeps the village functioning as a living place where old practices are actually used rather than simply displayed.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
