Last Updated: Nov 9, 2023

Open Air Museums

Tokyo’s Collections of Historic Buildings

Are you a major history buff or architecture geek? If so, today’s article is just what the doctor ordered. In this one, we’ll be taking a look at two fascinating spots in the vicinity of central Tokyo that are home to impressive collections of antique structures. Respectively, these allures are known as the Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum (which I referenced before in this piece on Mt. Takao) and the Nihon Minka-en Open Air Museum. Seeing as both sites are located but a mere thirty minutes away from Shinjuku by train, you’ll be hard pressed to discover an easier way to get your fix for this type of attraction. In fact, it’s a miracle that all these buildings have found a home in the world’s biggest and most chaotic megalopolis.

Now, I know you’re going to ask which of these dual competing locations is objectively the better of the two. Honestly though, I don’t have an answer for you. At the end of the day, I’d guess that it boils down to what the rest of your travel itinerary looks like. In the last few years, I’ve visited the Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum a number of times so I can comment that it makes a superb addition to both Mt. Takao as mentioned as well as the area of Chofu. On the other hand, the Nihon Minka-en Open Air Museum…