What other travelers are saying about Hida Folk Village (Hida no Sato)
A peaceful and pleasant open-air museum that gives a good feel of traditional Hida architecture and lifestyle. The whole area is easy to explore on foot, with many well-preserved houses you can enter and explore freely.
Apart from viewing the traditional houses, there are also a few fun activities set up near the entrance. We got to try shooting water from a traditional bamboo water gun and walking on bamboo stilts. Simple but surprisingly fun, especially for kids.
Parking is paid together with the entrance ticket at the counter.
What a cool spot. This place is packed with history, culture, and some beautiful scenery to top it off. You can take the bus up, but we just walked — it’s a pretty easy stroll from the town center.
Tickets were under 1,000 yen for both of us (from memory), and well worth it.
You get to explore a bunch of old traditional houses with thatched roofs, all laid out like an old mountain village. The architecture is unreal, and the displays showing how people lived and worked back then were really interesting.
There were shrines around the grounds, and we even saw some live demonstrations — stuff like woodcarving and pottery, which gave the whole place a hands-on feel.
It’s peaceful, open, and a great way to step back in time for a few hours. Would definitely recommend if you’re in Takayama and want to see something a bit different.
It's a nice place that... Tried to explain the way of living of local people during the Edo period. But sadly what we saw, is that it is not fully taken care off. It's nice to collect the stamps and walk around the beautiful forest, listening to a small water stream, also feeding the fish. But the houses need a little more love, I think. Not sure if it's too historically accurate and they leave them like that to make it more... Accurate.
There is a bus route that will leave you and pick you up. 2 buses per hour till 5 p.m.. Or if you want to walk is up a hill.
Hida no Sato (Hida Folk Village) is an open-air museum. It preserves over 30 traditional houses from the Hida region, relocated to this site to safeguard architectural and cultural heritage. Highlights:
Gasshō-zukuri Houses: These iconic farmhouses, with steep thatched roofs resembling hands in prayer, were originally built in the Edo period (1603–1868). Some are over 250 years old.
Historical Interiors: The houses are furnished with authentic tools, farming equipment, and household items, offering a glimpse into rural mountain life.
Exhibits:
– One house features a fascinating display about silkworm cultivation, including tools and life cycle explanations.
– Another showcases marriage-related customs, with ceremonial garments and symbolic items.
– A third introduces mountain vegetables traditionally grown in the region and the methods used to prepare them.
Traditional Craft Demonstrations: Visitors can watch or take part in workshops such as weaving, lacquering, and sashiko embroidery.
Hida Takayama Crafts Experience Center: Located nearby, it offers hands-on activities like making sarubobo dolls and wind chimes.
Opening Hours: Daily: 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM
Admission: Adults: ¥700, Children (ages 6–15): ¥200. Parking: ¥300
This place has stunning outdoors sculptures and a very interesting Picasso display. We loved it all. A great walk. Slow at least 2 hours. Easy bus access.
