Everyone knows -- especially the organizers of home stays and house visits -- that you can learn a lot about a society from observing the way its people live. But how about taking a trip back in time, to a home of times past, to gain a better understanding of the cultural roots of today's society?
An afternoon at the Nihon Minka-en (known in English as the Japan Open-Air Folk House Museum), in Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture, gives just this insight. History comes alive at the theme park, which is set in green and tranquil surroundings, and contains 25 traditional Japanese wooden homes and other structures that date back to the 17th century.
Once the humble residences of the likes of farmers, fishermen and townspeople, these buildings are now designated as local or national cultural properties. The houses gathered in Kawasaki's Minka-en are drawn from across northern and central Japan, with several from Kanagawa itself.