Museum Meiji-mura is an open-air history and architecture museum, open since 1965, with its exhibits set among historic buildings on natural, hilly ground. The draw for families is that the past is something you can use: old-fashioned games such as a shooting gallery and archery keep children and adults busy, and you can rent Meiji-style dresses or a yagasuri kimono with hakama and walk the village in costume. The Kyoto City tram runs daily, while the real Meiji-era steam locomotive runs only on selected days. Eating is not allowed inside the historic buildings other than the food outlets. The trade-off is the ground itself: slopes are steep and steps appear all over the site, so it is not fully barrier-free. Strollers can be rented at the main gate or north gate entrance windows, though numbers are limited, as are the free manual wheelchairs lent at the same windows.
Museum
Museum Meiji-mura
An open-air museum of historic buildings near Nagoya, where children can ride a Kyoto streetcar, try old-fashioned shooting and archery games and dress up in Meiji-era costume.
Typical visit
Ages
Booking
Price
Adults JPY 2,500; elementary and junior-high pupils JPY 700; high-school students JPY 1,500 on showing a student ID.
Under school age
Preschool children enter free and ride the steam train, Kyoto tram and village bus free.
Ride pass
A one-day pass for unlimited steam train and Kyoto tram rides costs JPY 1,000 from junior high up and JPY 700 for elementary pupils.
Last entry
Entry closes 30 minutes before the village closes.
Re-entry
Once you leave the village, you cannot come back in on the same ticket.
Food
Food outlets on site serve recreated Meiji-era dishes.
Bad weather
The village may close early or not open, without notice, in stormy weather.
Terrain
Steep slopes and steps throughout; the site is not fully barrier-free, so contact the museum in advance with concerns.
OUR FAMILY ASSESSMENT
Family Intelligence
Why kids will love it
Children don’t just look at old Japan here, they play in it: fairground games from another century, a ride on a historic streetcar and a costume that lets them join the scene.
Plan your visit
Where: View on map
Also compare: Museum Meiji-mura tickets on Tiqets (affiliate link)
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