Experience the Old Tokyo in Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum

In Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum, you can discover the Tokyo of the old times. The museum exhibits wide range of historical buildings from the Tokyo area, mostly from the Meiji Period (1868-1912) or more recent times. Especially for those interested in architecture, this is a place not to miss!

The outdoor exhibits are is divided into three zones. There is a commercial area with old shops, a public bathhouse and taverns, a zone of buildings with high historical value and a zone that comprises of old houses with thatched roofs. The plaques in front of the buildings are in Japanese and English and usually you can go inside the houses.

One of the main attractions of the museum is a public bathhouse from the year 1929. You should check also the interiors, as there are beautiful murals.

Next to the bathhouse, there is a liquor shop from 1933. Exploring the shops, you can get a feeling of what it was like in the old times.

What kind of houses did people live in those days? There are houses that were built by famous architects. This one is built by Kunio Maekawa, a key figure in Japanese architecture. It is his own house.

One of the nicest things about exploring the museum area is that you can also see the interiors and get insight into how people used to live. For example, when looking out from Maekawa`s house, it looks like this.

If you get tired, there is no need to worry, as there are also places that you can rest. For example, this photo is from inside of the farmhouse of the Tenmyo family. 

Sometimes there are also volunteers who teach children how to make origami, although in Japanese. But you do not need a common language for that! At the end or beginning of your visit, it is also handy to visit the indoor gallery that showcases the history of town-building of Tokyo.

How to get there?

Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum is located in Koganei park, 5-minute bus ride from Musashi-Koganei Station on JR Chuo Line. From Shinjuku, it takes about 25 minutes to Musashi-Koganei Station.

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