Japan Trip 7 was a rather short trip, around 18 days or something, during my winter break from university last year. So I didn't have so much time to/want to visit alot of tourist spots, but one of the great places I visited was on my to-do list for a long time! That place being the Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum of course XD
The entrance to the Museum
What sets the Open Air Museum apart from the other great museums around Tokyo is the fact the museum buildings are the artifacts themselves! Rather then rooms filled with artworks, artifacts etc, the Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum is made up of preserved historical building which you can enter and explore.
Inside a building from the 1920s (I believe)
A banking family's Mansion
The buildings range from the early Edo period up until the 60s; farm houses to aristocrats' mansions, shops and a bathhouse too. All are original buildings that were moved to the museum to preserve them as many old buildings in Tokyo had been destroyed by earthquakes, fire, war etc.
This type of museum is favorite sort, I really like to walk around in old building and explore places in a more hands on manner. Certainly I was glad I was able to finally visit, and really wish I had more time there!
I recommend devoting a whole day to this museum if your schedule permits, or perhaps 4 hours in the morning and then the evening spent in Shinjuku (which is the station you use to access the museum).
A scary toilet (big hole leading to darkness haha) I'm surprised this sort of toilet was indoors
A lovely tatami room
A sitting room for receiving guests in a mansion
Inside an old farmhouse
And the exterior
The buildings I enjoyed most were the old thatched roof farm houses (they were quite spooky with their dim lighting and feeling of spirits) and A politician's mansion from the Meiji era. All the houses and buildings are filled with historical artifacts of the appropriate times, so it makes the experience more "realistic"
Inside a different farmhouse
A shop and the bathhouse
They also have a section of shops, a bar and bathouse so you can experience historical public life too! Overall I have a great impression of the Edo-Tokyo Open Air Museum, and it's one of the things I recommend most when visiting Tokyo!
ACCESS INFORMATION
Admission Fee: Y400 adults, Y320 uni students, Y200 high school students and free for kids under 15
Hours: April till September: 9:30am to 5:30pm, October till March: 9:30am to 4:30pm
Getting there:
JR Chuo Line, take off at Musashi-Koganei Station. (then take a bus)
Seibu bus: Take the bus at platform No. 2 or 3 near the north exit of Musashi-Koganei Station: Get off at Koganei-koen Nishi-guchi and walk for 5 min.
Kanto bus: Take the bus for Mitaka Station at platform No.4 near the north exit of Musashi-Koganei Station: Get off at Edo-Tokyo Tatemono-en mae and walk for 3 min.
Seibu-shinjuku Line take off at Hana-Koganei Station (then take a bus)
Seibu bus: Take the bus for Musashi-Koganei Station, get off at Koganei-koen Nishi-guchi, and walk for 5 min.
Me in the bathhouse haha, it was so cold then not even the glove helped DX
More shops
Inside of a pub!