is an

open-air museum An open-air museum (or open air museum) is a museum that exhibits collections of buildings and artifacts out-of-doors. It is also frequently known as a museum of buildings or a folk museum. Definition Open air is “the unconfined atmosphere� ...

of close to 30 old farmhouses illustrating the traditional architectural styles of the mountainous regions of

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

. Of particular interest are the thatched and shingled roofs, such as the ''gasshō-zukuri''-styled buildings. Many of the buildings were brought from their original sites to preserve them. The village is picturesque, as it is built on a hillside overlooking the Takayama Valley and surrounds a large pond. It is in the city of Takayama,

Gifu Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu. Gifu Prefecture has a population of 1,991,390 () and has a geographic area of . Gifu Prefecture borders Toyama Prefecture to the north; Ishikawa Prefecture to the northwest, F ...

, Japan, about 2.5 km southwest of the

train station A train station, railway station, railroad station or depot is a railway facility where trains stop to load or unload passengers, freight or both. It generally consists of at least one platform, one track and a station building providing suc ...

. The structures range from 100 to 500 years in age. Many are open to perusal and are filled with artifacts from their respective periods, including

spindle Spindle may refer to: Textiles and manufacturing * Spindle (textiles), a straight spike to spin fibers into yarn * Spindle (tool), a rotating axis of a machine tool Biology * Common spindle and other species of shrubs and trees in genus ''Euony ...

silk worm Silk is a natural fiber, natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be weaving, woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoon (silk), cocoons. The be ...

raising artifacts, cooking utensils, and clothing. There is a workshop illustrating how many of Japan's famous handicrafts are made, including

wood carving Wood carving is a form of woodworking by means of a cutting tool (knife) in one hand or a chisel by two hands or with one hand on a chisel and one hand on a mallet, resulting in a wooden figure or figurine, or in the sculptural ornamentation ...

, tie-dying,

weaving Weaving is a method of textile production in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads are interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth. Other methods are knitting, crocheting, felting, and braiding or plaiting. The longitudinal th ...

, and

lacquer Lacquer is a type of hard and usually shiny coating or finish applied to materials such as wood or metal. It is most often made from resin extracted from trees and waxes and has been in use since antiquity. Asian lacquerware, which may be ca ...

work. Sometimes it is referred to as "the village hidden in the leaf". Four of the buildings are listed as National Important Cultural Properties (ICPs) and seven more are listed as Gifa Prefectural ICPs and one as a Takayama City ICP. There is also one western-style building from the

Meiji period The is an era of Japanese history that extended from October 23, 1868 to July 30, 1912. The Meiji era was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feudal society at risk of colonization ...

, which is a Registered Tangible Cultural Properties

Gallery

file:Hidapond.jpg file:Hidaview.jpg file:Hidaview2.jpg file:2002-10-13_Hida_Folk_Village_Mill2.jpg file:Hidatorii.jpg file:2002-10-13_Hida_Folk_Village_Shrine.jpg file:Hidanamestickers.jpg

External links

*
Hida Sightseeing Guide
{{Authority control Museums in Gifu Prefecture Open-air museums in Japan Vernacular architecture in Japan Folk art museums and galleries in Japan Important Cultural Properties of Japan Takayama, Gifu