What other travelers are saying about Jinchokan Moriya Historical Museum
I enjoyed my visit here. There was information in English and I was fortunate enough to get the gist of the Japanese tour and well through my own ability and the help of a friend. This seems to be a very unusual historical place, as it's quite rare (allegedly it's only here?) to see animal sacrifice in Japan. Not that you get to watch it but that it was practiced here in the past. The grounds themselves are also quite nice to stroll through.
Would have been more interested if the guide there had explained using a little bit more understandable language. He had such a quick tongue not even my Japanese parents in law managed to decipher what he was saying.
Fascinating glimpse into the ancient history and tradition of Suwa. Housed in a fantastical structure, with walks out past several others and through woodlands to several sites of the Suwa shrines.
There is an English leaflet, the collection is small and will not take long to view, but worth a diversion if interested in local history.
September 2025
Visited by car. There's a parking lot at the entrance.
There's a sign, but it's a little hard to find.
However, the building itself is very interesting, with rows of stuffed deer heads lining the walls inside.
It's a wonder why such a magnificent building is located here.
You can stroll around the area, and the promenade is fun. There are some interesting things to see.
Admission fee: 100 yen.
The museum offers very affordable admission with adult tickets at 100 yen, high school students at 70 yen, and elementary/junior high school students at 50 yen. Group discounts are available for groups of 20 or more people. This makes it one of the most budget-friendly cultural attractions in the region.
The museum was designed in 1991 by renowned architect Terunobu Fujimori, marking his first architectural work after being commissioned by his native village. As a famous architectural historian, Fujimori aimed to create totally unique architecture dissimilar to any that came before. The building represents his distinctive approach to combining traditional Japanese elements with contemporary design, and visitors can also see three other unique Fujimori works nearby: Takasugi-an (too high tea house), Hikusugian (too low tea house) and Soratobudorobune (flying mudboat).
Despite its small unassuming size, the museum offers an intimate encounter with centuries of Japanese religious history through carefully curated displays of ancient documents and manuscripts. At the entrance, an impactful exhibition portrays the festival of heads (Onto), and visitors can explore artifacts that reveal the Moriya family's role as shamanic figures who acted as intermediaries with the Spirit of Nature Mishaguchi and later as high-ranking priests known as jinchokan.
The museum is closed on Mondays, December 29 to January 3, and the day following public holidays (when Monday is a public holiday, the next day is also closed). Visitors should plan accordingly, especially during Japanese national holidays when the closure schedule may extend beyond the typical Monday closure.
