Meiji Mura: Where History and Nature Meets

Replica of Imperial Hotel, Meiji Mura

It was a holiday last Tuesday. It was Culture Day and it was very apt to visit a very "cultural" place called Meiji Mura.

Meiji Mura is a historical theme park in Aichi Prefecture. It's located in Inuyama, a place outside of Nagoya. It shows how Japan looks like a hundred years ago.


I've been to several historical and cultural places in Japan and Meiji Mura has now become my favorite. To be honest, this is the only historical/ cultural place in Japan that didn't disappoint me. I mean some of the places are okay but they didn't meet my expectations based on the ads. (ie: Ryoanji Temple in Kyoto, Hida Village in Takayama, etc.)

Meiji Mura, Inuyama 

So why you should visit Meiji Mura, too? Let me rave about it.

1. It has a great view of Lake Iruka. The whole place is built on the hillside of the lake. So nice!

2. The whole place blends beautifully with nature. It's a great place to view autumn colors. I suggest visiting within this month. Flashes of red and orange were already visible when we visited.

3. It has more than 60 replicas of buildings during the Meiji Era. You can also enter the buildings. Worthy of mention are the Imperial Hotel, The Prisons, The Theater, The Church, The Post Office and The Hospital. I personally enjoyed looking through the prison cells.

4. You can watch a cultural show in the theater for free. We watched a musical show when we visited. It only lasted for 30 minutes.

5. It covers a vast tract of land, about 1,000,000 square meters. You'll need a whole day to explore the place. One of the reasons I always get disappointed with other places is their size. From the ads, you'd think that they're big places but you can already see everything from a single viewpoint. (ie: Farm Tomita in Hokkaido)

6. It has trains and bus services. Because of its vastness, the place has designated bus stops and a train services for people who might be feeling tired.

Kanazawa Prison House at Meiji Mura, Inuyama

Let me clarify that the Meiji Era was characterized by strong Western influence. Hence, you might be surprised that most of the buildings are Western in style.

Be warned that there are only 4 small restaurants in the place. They're far apart and they were all full of people when we visited. We didn't get to eat a proper lunch. We just settled for the food on the stalls- some sausages, potatoes and mochi.

Admission fee is 1,700 Yen for adults and 800 Yen for children.

Evolution of post boxes in Japan at Meiji Mura, Inuyama

How to Get there:
(I went with friends on a car but it's still possible to go via public transportation.)

This is based on Japan  Guide.

1. From Nagoya Station, take the Meitetsu Inuyama Line to Inuyama Station (30 mins, 550 Yen)
2. From Inuyama Station, transfer to a Meitetsu bus going to Meiji Mura. (20 mins, 420 Yen)

Enjoy your trip!