Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum

A super day out! This place is worth the train and bus ride, very authentic feel, super staff and actors with lots of little activities and shows to keep you busy the whole day. We rented out costumes as a family and this added to our experience. It might be touristy but it is high quality touristy! Highly recommend!

Absolutely amazing place and a must-visit! The Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum left a great impression on me with its thoughtful display of historical buildings and everyday objects. It truly feels like stepping back in time. The immersive atmosphere and strong focus on both cultural and historical aspects make the experience unforgettable. A perfect spot for architecture lovers, history enthusiasts, and anyone looking to discover a different side of Japan.

Well worth a visit even with a 2km walk from either of the nearest train stations. So nice to be mostly outside in the fresh air vs. the stuffy over warm typical museums. History you can touch and smell. Keep you eyes open for spirits here.

A bit far away from the center but definitely worth a visit. Get shooed that you can easily take off ! Definitely plan couple hours to visit everything. There are a restaurant and cafe inside the museum.

AMAZING! Nicely located in a beautiful park, I arrived shortly after it opened in the morning. It was not crowded and enjoyed looking at buildings from different times. Wear shoes that can be easily taken off, as it required if you like to enter the buildings. Friendly guides are walking around to give additional information. I highly recommend to have lunch in the udon shop. Super delicious!

Great museum for a half day. Neatly kept. Not too big or full. We went on a Tuesday morning and it was not crowded at all. Great for photography enthusiasts, architecture enthusiasts and those who just like the lo-fi nostalgia feel. Very anime. You can walk in quite a few of huge mansions and houses to see how people used to live. The gardens are also impeccable. Wear something photogenic and snap away. You have to take off your shoes to go in the houses so sear matching socks with no holes and maybe even extra thick socks because your feet might get cold walking on the floor. They have a Udon shop and a cafe in the park as well as some vending machines. Also plenty of seating if you'd like to bring some snacks.

Great way to experience many types of Japanese architecture. A bit of a journey from Tokyo, and there is a walk from the train station (or a cab… ours back to the station 1000 yen) however it’s well worth it. We went to an excellent soba place near by and had a great day

Great place. Very interesting to see different types of houses and shops and being able to go inside. I went on a Sunday but it was quiet and located in a huge park. Took the local bus to the station on the way back. This place is not busy with tourists.

Found this on a whim and it did not disappoint. The location is not far from Tokyo, about an hour commute. If you are staying in the Yamamote line, it's about 2 trains and a bus commute. It's fairly easy to get to it and the commute was pretty seamless. The bus to take to get you to the museum is right across the street from the train station and it also has a sign so you would know that it is a bus for the Edo Tokyo Air museum. The location also has a park and I saw such cuties (dogs and even a cat). You would pass this park on your way to the entrance to the Museum. They were a lot of people lounging, having picnics and even biking at the park. There was also a food stall you can purchase some food and snacks. The museum is fairly large and very Instagrammable. The entrance fee is also not that expensive. The staff is very helpful and the museum shop also has some pretty inexpensive and local items to buy as souvenirs. For solo travelers. I do advice that you cannot bring a tripod inside the houses and also the tripod and people cannot step on the area that has grass or plants. I made a mistake when I had stepped on one, since there was miscommunication because of language barrier. Overall it was pretty cute outing. There are also bathrooms and they also sell food inside the museum. It is mostly outdoors so dress appropriately and also for the weather.

I don't usually post reviews because I'm usually too lazy :) However, I wanted to share my visit to this museum because I really enjoyed going. Wonderful museum that's off the beaten path. Went there with my daughter and we both loved it. We spent the morning at the Ghibli Museum and headed over here as it was described (I forget where I read it, I think it was part of a tour offered) as an inspiration for one of the scenes in Miyasaki's "Spirited Away". There was a hands on exhibit on furoshiki that was good; I mean, I wasn't that good at it but I enjoyed trying. :) There were no crowds on the Friday afternoon that we went much made each stop much more enjoyable. The fact that visitors are allowed to experience the homes and shops; walking through what was once homes for different families during different eras is an experience uniquely Japan and I will never forget. The staff and volunteers have done great work with upkeep of the entire museum and their passion shows through when they explain about the homes and shops. Most of the billboards are in Japanese but this did not hinder our understanding as there are free handouts provided for each setting. Anyone who has an appreciation for history and architecture will enjoy this museum.

We visited a few days ago on a Saturday in July 2020. Due to COVID we weren't able to go inside the houses and buildings, which was a bit unfortunate. However, we still really enjoyed seeing the places. Not too many really old thatched roof type buildings (maybe 4 or 5) but we were able to walk into the entry areas of those and could see the kitchens and nice hardwood flooring throughout, old timbering, and lots of tatami mats. There are about 5 newish (less than 100 years old) houses that were really nice. One was huge. Quite western in style. Our fav part of the park is the eastern section where many old shop buildings were rebuilt into a Main Street style with shops on either side of the street. You get to step back in time at this outdoor museum. Well worth the time and cost. Only JPY 400 per person plus JPY 500 per car for parking.

(This review covers both the current Ghibli Architecture exhibit and the Museum overall.) Three words: Wow, wow and wow! If you appreciate the thought and care put into creating the visual environment for the world-famous Studio Ghibli films, this is a must see. Even if you have been carried away by the enchanting stories and characters of the Ghibli films, seeing this exhibit will deepen your appreciation for the true craftsmanship that goes into each production. I received the flyer for this while guiding a fellow Yelper visiting from overseas who wanted to visit the Ghibli Museum (separate review) in Mitaka. Of course I love the museum itself, and near the exit, the friendly staff was handing out the flyers. I asked if he had seen the exhibit and he wholeheartedly answered "Yes!" What was good about it? Granted, he could have been slightly biased as a museum staff, he was very honest in saying, "It goes beyond words. You just have to see it yourself." So last weekend during the long three-day holiday, I made the trip out to Koganei Park north of Musashi Koganei station on the JR Chuo line to finally see the exhibit. Upon reaching the entrance, we were greeted with a long line of over a hundred people waiting just to get in to purchase the admission ticket! We decided to wait even though the was a guy bellowing out from a megaphone that the wait would be well over one hour and that it would be better to come back several hours later. Say what? We decided to wait. And wait. And wait. Then gave up. The next day was the Monday holiday, so we committed to return. And return we did, at around the same time in mid-afternoon. Surprise! No waiting line this time. It was also the last day of a special nighttime light up that happens only once a year. We could look forward to that in a couple hours. So along with the fabulous display of authentic period architecture spanning over a hundred years, the key focus was a limited run exhibit of the architecture of Ghibli films. The exhibit was divided into two parts within the main entrance pavilion, and absolutely no disappointments here. From rough sketches, paintings and actual cell paintings to extremely detailed scale models from selected films, it was one eye-opening scene after another. Several highlights, including a 1/10 scale model of the bathhouse in Spirited Away (千と千尋の神隠し) were simply amazing. Mr. Miyazaki's recreation of architectural styles from around the world were breathtaking and authentic, but at the same time quite natural in the settings of each respective film. After seeing these in person, I'm sure you will agree with me in concluding that the extreme attention to craft and detail could only have been created by extremely talented and well-directed Japanese artists. No more spoilers here; you really need to see it in person! The remaining time we toured around the huge grounds that featured full size examples of Japanese architecture, including the recreation of a Meiji period street featuring old versions of what you find in your neighborhood now: Dry goods store, local bar, bathhouse, among others. You really feel like you've stepped back in time, and since we were viewing this at night, the lighting was also authentic to the period, including real gas lights and very old incandescent bulbs. I could go on, and maybe I'll update this review on subsequent visits, but for now, there are only two words: Just go! At ¥400 admission for adults and half that price for seniors and high school kids and above, it's also a deal in a city where major exhibitions normally command ¥1000 and up. (Junior high kids and younger get in free.) Note 1: The exhibit, scheduled to end on December 14, 2014, has been extended by popular demand to mid-March 2015. Yeah - I'm going again, and again, and again! Note 2: The website has been updated and new and expanded items will be exhibited after mid-December. Audio guidance and English supporting explanation will also be added from that time. Note 3: Admission fees will be FREE on January 2 and 3, 2015 - first opening after the short break for New Years. Note 4: Try to take public transportation from JR Higashi Koganei or JR Musashi Koganei stations. It's about a 30 minute walk from either if you're in the mood and the weather is good. Avoid driving, it'll take you a long time to get into the parking lot and on weekends, it's definitely not worth the time and cost.

Yeap, this is a nice place. It's like stepping back in time. There also is a big park with bike rentals etc. and food stands next to it (to the east). The "cycling course" here is rather small in scale, especially if you compare it with that in Showa Kinen Park or Shinrin Park. But no one would stop you if you went off and rode in the park. About transportation. There is a Seibu bus (#13, I think) running between JR Koganei Station, which is south of the park, and Seibu Shinjuku Hanakoganei Station and north beyond that if you want to save some walking. You'd need to get off at "Koganei Koen Nishiguchi (koganei park west entrance)"