CHIBA

Boso no Mura

Step Back in Time at Chiba's Living History Museum

Experience centuries of Japanese history and culture at Boso no Mura, an interactive open-air museum where traditional crafts, historic buildings, and hands-on activities bring the Edo period to life.

Culture & Arts Experience & Activities Nature & Views

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Head to Boso no Mura for a unique journey through Japan's past, with about 250 different activities and faithfully recreated historic streetscapes!

Opened in 1986 and later merged with the Chiba Prefectural Boso Fudoki no Oka Museum in 2004, Boso no Mura has welcomed 8.0 million visitors from around the world. This living museum preserves and showcases Japan's cultural heritage in a way that no other facility can match.

The museum complex is divided into two distinct areas. The Furusato no Waza Experience Area transports you to late Edo and early Meiji period Japan (1800s) with meticulously recreated merchant houses, samurai residences, and farmhouses. Unlike typical museums, where you simply observe, here you're encouraged to dive in and experience traditional life firsthand. Try your hand at ukiyo-e woodblock printing, weave a bamboo basket, paint papier-mÃ¢chÃ© figurines, or even harvest vegetables. Use all five senses to understand how people lived, worked, and created during this fascinating period of Japanese history.

The sprawling 32-hectare Fudoki-no-Oka Area offers a unique perspective, featuring the impressive Ryukakuji burial mounds, one of Chiba Prefecture's largest kofun groups, with over 100 ancient tombs. As you explore relocated cultural properties and the on-site museum, you'll trace Japanese history from prehistoric times through the ages. The natural satoyama landscape enhances the experience, connecting visitors with the traditional rural environments that contributed to shaping Japanese culture.

With activities ranging from candle-making to traditional games, Boso no Mura caters to a diverse range of interests and ages. Moreover, most of the Fudoki-no-Oka Area is free to explore, making it an accessible adventure for all kinds of travelers.

Getting there is straightforward from Tokyo, and the museum’s proximity to Narita International Airport also makes it an ideal first or last stop for international visitors. For anyone seeking to understand Japan beyond its modern façade, Boso no Mura offers an unforgettable, hands-on journey through the traditions and craftsmanship that defined centuries of Japanese life.

Photo courtesy of Chiba Prefectural Open-Air Museum Boso-no-Mura

Address

1028 Ryukakuji, Sakae-machi, Imba-gun, Chiba Prefecture

Phone number

+81-476-95-3333

Business hours

Open 9:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.

Holiday

Closed on Mondays (open on Monday if it is a public holiday, with closure moved to the following day).

WEB site

https://www.chiba-muse.or.jp/MURA/

Digital Map