Get a taste of the lifestyle of a traditional farm village in Hida
The Hida Folk Village is a museum that recreates the lifestyle of the rural areas as well as the seasonal events from the Hida district. The village consists of old & valuable Japanese-style houses of Minzoku Mura that were transferred and restored and the steep thatched-roof houses from Hida-no-Sato. The Old Nokubi House in Minzoku Mura is the symbol of this museum. Said to be the oldest house surviving in Hida, its notable feature is its thatched roof which has been built from ripped boards folded several times and piled on top of each other, further topped by lumber and rocks. For these special thatched-roof houses that have disappeared elsewhere around the nation, this building is precious indeed.
The thatched-roof houses at Hida-no-Sato
At the other highlight of Hida-no-Sato, there are 6 thatched-roof houses which have been moved and restored. At places like Shirakawago, 2 types of thatched-roof houses can be viewed: the steep gassho-zukuri and the irimoya-zukuri with the more gentle slanted roofs. The Old Nishioka House at the heart of Hida-no-Sato is a gassho-zukuri house that was moved over from Shirakawago. In the past, a chief priest of a Buddhist temple had lived there and the house has the air of a chief priest’s quarters everywhere you look. At the Old Tomita House which was built in the irimoya-zukuri style, Hida Sashiko items with patterns made from white thread by the local elderly are featured (except in winter). You can see these fine arts born within a lifestyle up close.
There is also plenty to enjoy on the road linking the two facilities!
On the Hida-no-Sato road which connects Minzoku Mura and Hida-no-Sato, there is an art museum, restaurants and handicraft shops. There are plenty of things to see during your trip up the road. There are accommodations such as minshuku guesthouses built in the gassho-zukuri style that were moved from the World Heritage site of Gokayama. Also, at the entrance to Hida-no-Sato, there is a souvenir shop and the Hida Takayama Crafts Experience Center where you can create items without making a reservation. There is a variety of things to do such as creating the Hida District craft work of Sarubobo and painting Japanese candles. You can get up close and personal with the traditions of the Hida district.