Myozenji Museum is housed in the tallest gassho-zukuri building in Shirakawa-go, standing 15 meters tall across five stories. Built in 1817 by master carpenter Yosuke Yamamura, it represents one of the largest gassho-style houses in the UNESCO World Heritage village. The building originally served as the living quarters for the head priest of the Buddhist temple founded in 1748.
The museum features multiple floors of authentic traditional living spaces, including tatami rooms and a central hearth area that remains continuously lit. Visitors can explore ancient everyday tools and artifacts that demonstrate how mountain families lived and adapted to harsh winter conditions. The lower floors showcase the original kitchen and heating system, providing an immersive experience of traditional Japanese mountain life.
The museum operates with different seasonal schedules. From April through November, hours are 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM. During the winter months from December through March, hours are reduced to 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM due to shorter daylight and weather conditions in the Japanese Alps region.
The museum is located within Ogimachi village in Shirakawa-go, Gifu Prefecture. From Kanazawa, take a bus via the Hokuriku Expressway for approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes. The museum is also accessible by bus from Takayama. Once in the village, the museum is easily walkable from other attractions, as Shirakawa-go is a compact UNESCO World Heritage site designed for pedestrian exploration.
