Though most of my trip to Nagoya was packed with negotiations, I did have time off on my last day to do some sightseeing. Actually, my client had taken me to see Nagoya Castle and Atsuta Shrine on Sunday, and it didn’t seem like there was too much else I was interested in within the city limits. I wanted to be outside and enjoy the beautiful autumn weather. My client suggested Meiji Mura.
Nagoya Marriott Associa (Photo credit: bizmac)
I was staying in the Marriott Associa Hotel, which is more luxurious than I would have sprung for myself, but the client was taking care of those arrangements. I must admit that being right above the train station has its advantages! I went downstairs, had coffee and a pastry at Starbucks, and was ready to go.
Inuyama Station, Meitetsu (Photo credit: Kzaral)
The train was from the Meitetsu Company, I did not know it was different from JR. However, the station attendant was very helpful and showed me the correct line. It was about a half hour ride, and it was interesting to see the green hills rather than just city. I have only been to Japan once before, and that was for business in Tokyo, so this was quite a change. At Inuyama Station I had to transfer to a bus to get to Meiji Mura, but they ran frequently so it was not a problem.
I must confess to being a bit overwhelmed when I got there. I guess I didn’t do much reading about it, so I was envisioning several nicely restored houses and maybe a gift shop. When I got my ticket and saw the map of Meiji Mura Museum, I was floored. There were 60 buildings brought here from all over Japan. Not just houses, but hotels, stores, schools, churches, and even a barber shop!
They were all arranged naturally, like it was a real city that grew up there on the side of the lake, not an artificial reconstruction that was started in the 1960’s. The streets were lined with trees, there were gardens and parks. There was even a streetcar and steam train, but they were not in operation, which was disappointing.
I did not have a specific plan, but just walked from building to building, spending more time in ones of interest, and moving on when I felt like it. I was fascinated by the blend of Japanese and Western architecture. Some buildings, like the Kyoto District Court, looked almost completely Japanese, all wood and plaster. Others, like the Cabinet Library, were totally Western, looking like some Renaissance stone edifice.
P1010855 (Photo credit: ryoki)
I loved the traditional old bathhouse, and the massive wooden high school martial arts hall with rooms for judo, kendo, and archery. It seemed like everything was special in some way; even one unassuming iron bridge turned out to be the first railroad bridge in Japan.
All of the buildings came from the Meiji Era, which is when the doors opened to the West and a lot of people wanted to adopt modern, foreign things, including architecture. The blends were sometimes really successful, and sometimes it looked like two styles were grafted onto each other. In all, it was quite an architectural treat.
Meiji Mura Doctors Office (Photo credit: Austin Parks)
Not only could you see the outside, but you could go inside many of the buildings as well. Some had period furniture, others were converted into souvenir shops and restaurants. Nothing was garish, they were all beautifully incorporated into the period feel. I tend to avoid tourist traps as a general rule, so this was really a pleasure to see and explore. I would like to bring my family here someday, I am sure that my kids would really like seeing what life was like in another time and place. It seemed to be a living piece of history, and much more appealing than seeing artifacts carefully isolated behind glass in a museum.
Everything was arranged into five districts called chome, typical for cities in Japan. I found out that most streets have no names, so Japanese cities are divided into these chome, then the houses are given numbers by blocks, such as “House 1 of block 4.” That is why directions are given in relation to landmarks rather than street addresses. Anyhow, the chome in Meiji Mura Museum were easy enough to navigate, and I went in sequence from one to five.
Frank Lloyd Wright’s Imperial Hotel, Meiji Mura (Photo credit: ketterer)
I am glad I did, because that left Frank Lloyd Wright’s Imperial Hotel for the end. I had seen photos, but it felt somehow nostalgic to walk into the lobby for myself. I marveled at all the details. There were even some original chairs that Wright had designed for the hotel. It was exciting to see in person, though in reality, the other buildings were just as interesting.
I had a late lunch near the hotel, in the Roman Restaurant. It featured something called omurice, which was the culinary equivalent of the mixed up architecture. It was like an omelet, with a thin layer of egg around a heaping serving of rice cooked up with bits of meat and green peppers. It had a sauce that was suspiciously like ketchup on top. There was also a hamburger with it, so I had plenty to hold me over.
Meiji-mura steam train (photo: Kzaral/flickr)
I leisurely walked back through the town to the main gate. Before leaving, I stopped at a café for a drink, relaxing and enjoying my free day. I thought again about how much my kids would learn from coming to Meiji Mura Museum. They have never been to Japan, but it is a safe, interesting country, so I don’t see why our family shouldn’t plan a trip for next summer. It is something to dream about, because I want to come back and explore more for myself as well.
