Shirakawa-go Gassho-Zukuri Minka-en image

Shirakawa-go Gassho-Zukuri Minka-en

Tourist attraction Open air museum

One of the Most Revieweds in Shirakawa


Address

2499 Ogimachi, Shirakawa, Ono District, Gifu 501-5627, Japan

Website

www.shirakawago-minkaen.jp

Contact

+81 5769-6-1231

Rating on Google Maps

4.30 (1.3K reviews)

Open on Google Maps

Working Hours

  • Friday: 9 AM to 4 PM
  • Saturday: 9 AM to 4 PM
  • Sunday: 9 AM to 4 PM
  • Monday: 9 AM to 4 PM
  • Tuesday: 9 AM to 4 PM
  • Wednesday: 9 AM to 4 PM
  • Thursday: Closed

Featured Reviews


Frequently mentioned in reviews: houses (14) village (10) museum (8) worth (7) visit (6) enter (6)
Reviews are sorted by relevance, prioritizing the most helpful and insightful feedback at the top for easier reference.
  • 5/5 Derek F. 6 months ago on Google • 159 reviews
    We enjoyed our visit to this open-air museum. It was not busy and we had lots of space to ourselves to explore, learn, and take photos. We appreciated the historic writeup of each dwelling and the well-curated site. We spent several hours here and found it well worth our time.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Wan A. 2 months ago on Google • 10 reviews New
    Good place to go. You can enter the houses there. Entrance to the area cost 600 Yen per person. Quite a huge place to explore. It's a lot better than the area where you have to cross the bridge.
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 liholim 1 year ago on Google
    Wow . This museum at least worth to walk because not so crowded and able to take good photo of gassho style houses. There is a place number 14 to try their red bean dessert, the house superb good experience as we sit infront firewood while enjoying dessert.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Beatriz T. 4 months ago on Google • 219 reviews
    Amazing preservation work, it was so calm and not crowded as the other places in Shirakawa-go. You can enter some houses with original interior. Totally worth the entry fee, also took one of the best shots here!

  • 5/5 Digu P. 2 years ago on Google
    I was skeptical at the beginning, but it was very pleasant! beautiful village with a lot of history. A must see
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Justin L. 4 years ago on Google
    It's like an open air museum, very picturesque during autumn with the foliage framing the thatched houses. You can enter the house too but take note you'll need to take off your shoes. Very pleasant to walk around
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Yuri F. 4 years ago on Google
    Must go. Entrance fee is around 500 iens - totally worth it. It has a collection of houses that were placed around the region. Gets less crowded during afternoons just before closing. During the morning this is the first stop of many touristic buses so i would avoid visiting around AM.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Andre 4 years ago on Google
    A tea house to remember... nestled in the snow at Hida village, complete with smoking fire and wooden beamed high ceilings covered by a thatched roof, it makes for a wonderful step back in time and a great place to warm yourself and drink some traditional tea in readiness for more exploration of the cute village and surrounds. Be prepared to smell like a bushfire afterwards though since they didn't build chimneys back then 🤣
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Éamon M. 9 months ago on Google
    If you visit it within the last two hours, when most tourists have left, it's definitely a 5-star attraction that can make your day. Eerily beautiful in the late afternoon and you can stop for a break at multiple places. Lots of spots where you can take a scenic photo
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Rocky P. 1 year ago on Google
    Be there towards late afternoon in October. The sunset is beautiful, and you practically have the place to yourself.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Nix T. 1 month ago on Google • 71 reviews New
    much smaller than it looks on the map but an absolutely lovely walk through s preserved area. lots of buildings to dip into and read about and beautiful scenic views.

  • 4/5 Calvin C. 1 month ago on Google • 64 reviews New
    My favorite place in Shirakawa. This was an oasis of peace in an overcrowded village with several houses you can visit. 4 stars because the folk village in Takayama is better but I am still glad I went. 600 Yen.

  • 5/5 JooZoo W. 1 month ago on Google • 52 reviews New
    I didn’t truly enter some of the exhibit in the houses because, need to remove shoes. Just so hassle and because all places were covered with snow and wet and dirty mud at same time. Guess I prefer not. However, it was less crowded and you can enjoy better compare to the main village. So for those want to take better pictures, maybe spend some money if you are on your own to the museum. There’s places for you to sit down and have a good view of the place and enjoy the scenery. If you go to house 17, there sells ice cream of different flavours. I have chosen the sake flavoured ice cream. It is run by an old lady. The taste is good. They have other unique flavours too. Give it a try. If you have many people you can try more flavours.

  • 5/5 Maya F. 3 months ago on Google • 16 reviews New
    There's a small fee to enter this area. You can walk around and enter the structures. It feels quieter and more peaceful here compared to the rest of Shirakawa-go on the other side of the river. Didn't see any cars around here too, so it felt a bit more "nature-y."

  • 5/5 Snehankit P. 2 months ago on Google • 10 reviews New
    If you're looking to get away from the crowd, this is it! I enjoyed this place more than the actual village. Spend at least an hour here and explore different routes.

  • 4/5 dewly G. 2 years ago on Google
    Mini Shirakawa-go style housing outdoor museum. Old houses with old farming and cotton making tools display. Relay in the Footbath in the middle. Quick 100-yen sliding ride- pretty fun. A dessert cafe on the top is not too bad though portions are bit small.

  • 5/5 Yock Song L. 9 months ago on Google
    Certainly worth a visit to learn more about the different houses and function it served.

  • 5/5 Shinboner 1 year ago on Google
    This open-air museum is definitely worth the visit, as some of the buildings you can go inside and experience it as it was meant to be, I love the logistical layout of these buildings as it seems that there was a lot of thought went into the design to maximise the temperature and space utilization.

  • 5/5 Liliana Ortiz B. 10 months ago on Google
    Of course it’s the same as in the village but without tourist and also peaceful enough to be able to capture the uniqueness of these villages and discover how the houses are made and how people lives in them. No English (or other languages) explained besides the little brochure at the entrance. It was ok though for me.

  • 5/5 Naomi R. 10 months ago on Google
    Highly recommended, very interesting to see the different houses. The place is also very lovingly out together with houses placed along the paths in the green and a waterfall at the front part.

  • 5/5 Keith B. 10 months ago on Google
    Very interesting building built 400 years ago. Wonderful friendly hosts who explain the silk worm business that once flourished there. Demonstrated their traditional folk music and instruments. Very nice hosts!!!

  • 5/5 Pwarich Chacharnat P. 1 year ago on Google
    20221220 STay Here with MOM and DAD and PeaBIG

  • 5/5 Jian G. 5 years ago on Google
    Very scenic and lovely little village, by going into some of the houses, one can really feel and history and stories from all those generations that lived there. Good for photography. Dress warmly.

  • 5/5 Gabriela Nino de R. 5 years ago on Google
    Delicious and affordable soba dishes. The restaurant is located very close of the open air museum Gassho-zukuri Minka-en. When we were there it was not crowded, maybe because we ate lunch late. I got the inari soba and my husband got the kobe beef soba, both on them cold. There are also a hot soba options on the menu. I recommend to try the local sake, it was very good and goes well with the cold soba.

  • 5/5 Andreas L. 3 years ago on Google
    Very nice museum in the most pintoresque village in the Japanese alps. Lots of cute details and views into history. Most houses can be visited from the inside. Very worth a visit.


Call +81 5769-6-1231 Open on Google Maps

Amenities


  • Accessibility
    • ✓️ Wheelchair accessible restroom
    • ✓️ Wheelchair accessible parking lot

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