Gasshozukuri Minkaen Outdoor Museum

This open-air museum in Gifu Prefecture preserves and exhibits a total of 25 buildings, including 9 designated as important cultural properties. Opened in 1972, the museum was established to preserve the gassho-zukuri houses of Shirakawa Village, which have endured harsh natural conditions including heavy snowfalls that sometimes exceed 4 meters.

Among these is the "Former Yamashita Haruro House," built during the Horeki period (in the 1750s), which is over 260 years old. The landscape, dotted with charming thatched-roof gassho-zukuri houses, conjures up a world straight out of a classic Japanese folk tale. The museum features panel displays explaining the lifestyle of the time and exhibits everyday items and tools that were used, allowing visitors to immerse themselves in the ambiance of historic Shirakawa Village.

The museum is not just a collection of main houses; it also includes shrines, water mills, stables, and tea rooms, creating an atmosphere reminiscent of an entire village. From April to October, visitors can book experiences such as soba noodle making, straw crafting, and botanical dyeing in advance. There is also a soba restaurant using the first floor of a gassho-zukuri house, where visitors can enjoy freshly made hand-cut soba in an atmospheric setting.