Jul 9, 2012 - 1 min read

Winter at the Edo Tokyo Architectural Museum

Architectural museum inside Koganei Park

By Ben Beechey

Community writer

The Edo Tokyo Museum Public Bath House Kodakara-yu. This famous bath house was considered a major inspiration for Hayao Miyazaki when writing 'Spirited Away'.

Inside the bath house you can see spectacular paintings on the walls as well as traditional advertising boards from the Meiji era.

There is an assortment of houses in the open air museum ranging from farm houses to town houses and grand residencies.

Inside the houses you will find traditionally styled Japanese rooms and hallways. Each house has unique design features.

A tatami-matted living room inside one of the properties at the Edo Tokyo Museum

The houses all come with appliances and furnishings from times gone by. Here we can see an old Sony television set.

Looking from one property to another at the Edo Tokyo Museum

As well as living quarters there are a number of commercial properties at the museum. This drinking establishment can be found next door to the public bathes.

Inside a grocery store at the Edo Tokyo Museum

A bicycle parked outside one of the houses at the Edo Tokyo Museum

A traditional-style postal box sits beneath a thick layer of snow in the Edo Tokyo Museum.

One of the gates to the museum as seen from inside a property at the Edo Tokyo Museum

The Edo Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum (江戸東京たてもの園 - Edo Tokyo Tatemono-en) is an open-air museum of historic Japanese buildings in Koganei, in the western suburbs of Tokyo.

The park includes many buildings from ordinary middle class Japanese family homes to the homes of the wealthy and powerful. It also has a public bathhouse, various shops and a police box from times gone by.

The park is also famous as the model of the world in Hayao Miyazaki ‘s film “Spirited Away”. It is said that Miyazaki often visited here during the creation of the film for inspiration.

More info

Find out more about Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum.

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By Ben Beechey

Community writer

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Tony Mariani 11 years ago

I think this museum is under-rated. I visited it in 1995. I am impressed with how they have kept it interesting. Well worth the visit.

Allan Murphy 11 years ago

This is my favorite museum in Tokyo - and there is quite a selection. It was a great idea going there in the snow. That is on my "do" list. The museum gallery has about 4 exhibitions a yrar and the shop is better than most. There are seasonal events in this park within a park. 2013 is the 20th anniversary and special events were held in March.

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