Hida no Sato Open Air Museum, Dewa Travel Guide

Hida no Sato, also known as Hida Folk Village, is an enchanting open-air museum that transports visitors to the rural past of the Hida region in Gifu Prefecture. Established in 1971, the museum's mission is to preserve the beautiful gassho-style houses and other traditional buildings synonymous with the area. Over thirty structures, including four nationally designated Important Cultural Properties, have been carefully relocated to this hillside setting, creating a village-like atmosphere.Unlike Shirakawa-go, which is famous for its exclusively gassho-zukuri houses, Hida no Sato features a variety of buildings, including former village head's houses, logging huts, and storehouses. Gassho-zukuri farmhouses are named for their steep thatched roofs that resemble hands joined in prayer, a design that helps them withstand heavy winter snow. The structures range from 100 to 500 years in age.Inside the buildings, visitors can explore carefully preserved interiors, complete with tools, utensils, and furniture that evoke daily life in the Edo Period (1603-1868). The indoor fireplaces are lit every morning, creating an immersive sensory experience. Exhibits showcase aspects of rural life, such as silkworm cultivation, marriage customs, and mountain vegetable preparation.Visitors can also witness demonstrations of traditional crafts like weaving, wood carving, and sashiko embroidery. The Hida Takayama Crafts Experience Center, located near the museum entrance, offers hands-on workshops where you can create your own souvenirs, such as sarubobo dolls and wind chimes.Traditional events and seasonal festivals are held throughout the year. The winter light-up events are particularly magical, illuminating the snow-covered gassho-zukuri houses. From the village, there is a panoramic view across the town to the peaks of the Japanese Alps.