Located 30 minutes from Tokyo and 40 minutes by car from Haneda Airport, this municipal Japanese folklore park in the northern part of Kawasaki City is an outdoor museum that features 25 structures, including traditional Japanese houses, watermills, and Kabuki stages. The buildings are scattered amongst a lush green environment, and you can enjoy the nature of all four seasons. Popular events are also held at the traditional folk houses. In one of the facilities, the traditional crafts building, you can experience indigo dyeing.A gasshō-zukuri house with tall, steep roof and home to the Yamashita family known for their silkworm cultivation and fire farming on the mountain slopes.Similar to the Yamashita House, there was also space under the floors used for the manufacturer of gunpowder.Silkworms were raised in the large attic and papermaking took place on one of the earthen-floored areas.This house was used as both farmhouse and a dye-house.

Soba Noodle Restaurant "Shirakawa-go" is on the 1st floor of the Yamashita House located in the center of Nihon Minka-en. This house is an old folk house with a large gassho-zukuri-style thatched roof, which is designated an important cultural property of Kanagawa prefecture. The soba noodle served here is made of spring water obtained from Oshino village in Yamanashi prefecture.

Ikuta Ryokuchi Park is the largest natural environment in the capital. In spring Masugatayama has cherry blossoms, and at the beginning of summer irises are in season. Autumn is a good time to see the maple leaves. Every season has something to enjoy. The Japan Open-air Folk House Museum, the Taro Okamoto Museum of Art, the Kawasaki Municipal Science Museum and many other sites are also located in Ikuta Ryokuchi Park.Visitors can fully enjoy the lush, green nature in the quiet morning air.

The Metasequoia Avenue is located within Ikuta Ryokuchi Park, which also features cultural facilities such as the Japan Open-Air Folk House Museum, the Taro Okamoto Museum of Art, and the Kawasaki Municipal Science Museum, making it the ideal destination for visitors who enjoy both nature and culture. (Photo courtesy of photolibrary)

Explore a hidden gem in Kawasaki City where greenery meets Japan’s cultural heritage. Ikuta Ryokuchi Park and the Japan Open-Air Folk House Museum provide a relaxing escape from the hustle and bustle of Tokyo, combining natural beauty with the country’s architectural history.