Guide to Visiting Hida Folk Village in Takayama Japan

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Hida Folk Village is a must-visit in Takayama, and a great alternative to crowded Shirakawago. Here you won’t find many people, but you will find incredible historic houses you can tour.

Get a feel for what life was like in the mountain villages of Japan hundreds of years ago, and explore a beautiful open-air museum out in nature.

It’s all a quick 10-minute bus ride from Takayama’s city center.

Before you visit Hida Folk Village in Takayama, here’s everything you should know.

Table of Contents Show

About the Hida Folk Village

Hida Folk Village is an open-air museum, recreating a mountain village of the past. It features traditional historical houses, transported here from all over the Hida region.

The village is picturesquely situated on a hillside in Takayama, surrounding a large pond.

What was an authentic mountain village lifestyle in Japan like in the past? Come to Hida Folk Village to find out.

The best part? No crowds! When I visited, there were only a few other people here, making it feel like we had the village all to ourselves.

Highlights of Things to Do in Hida Folk Village:

Tour historical houses. Gassho-zukuri houses and a few other buildings designated as important cultural properties by the Japanese government reside at Hida Folk Village, among almost 30 historical houses.

Attend seasonal events. The museum recreates seasonal events throughout the year that have been handed down in the Hida region since ancient times.

Try village games and crafts. Demonstrations and hands-on activities such as straw crafting, sashiko (a traditional Japanese embroidery craft) and kumihimo (a traditional Japanese braided craft) are available daily.

Quick Facts about Visiting the Hida Folk Village

Location: 1 Chome-590 Kamiokamotomachi, Takayama, Gifu 506-0055
Cost: 700 yen
Hours: 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Year Established: 1971
Oldest Houses: From the 1600s
How to Learn More: Visit Japanese website or read an English pamphlet (PDF).

a traditional japanese house with a rice field in front of it and blue sky above it — Nishioka’s House

History of Hida Folk Village

Traditional Japanese houses abandoned

In the mid-1900s, many historic houses in the Hida mountain region of Japan were abandoned as people left for the cities. New technology, such as washing machines, fridges, and TVs, made life easier and people wanted to better their lives elsewhere.

Efforts to preserve historical houses

Takayama citizens, however, recognized the importance of saving and preserving the historic homes, so about 30 houses were moved, one by one, to what is now known as Hida Folk Village.

Hida Folk Village established in the 1970s

The first house moved was Wakayama’s house, the origin of Hida Folk Village, in the 1970s.

While moving the houses, it became apparent that it was needed to not only preserve the structures but also the rich customs and traditions of the villages, handed down from generations ago.

Preserving ancient village culture today

The open-air museum aims to make the culture of the Hida region come alive by growing rice and vegetables, and showing local folk crafts and traditional annual events to visitors.

Take a stroll through a recreated traditional Japanese village, and learn first-hand what life was like for residents hundreds of years ago.

a pond surrounded by a fence, autumn trees, traditional Japanese houses, and a mountain behind it — Goami Pond, Hida Folk Village

Map

a map depicting all of the houses in the Hida Folk Village — Map

Houses and Exhibits You Can’t Miss in Hida Folk Village

There are almost 30 houses and structures in Hida Folk Village. You may not have the time to visit every single one, but here are a few that you definitely can’t miss.

Nishioka’s House for upstairs view of the wheel-shaped rice field, silkworm exhibit and beautiful gassho-zukuri style exterior
Water mill near the Goami Pond
Tanaka’s House because it was an old farmhouse and has a water well with rope bucket pulley system
Taguchi’s House because it was the village head’s residence for generations and site of meetings
Arai’s House for its weaving exhibit
Wakayama’s House as it was the first house brought to Hida Folk Village
Maeda’s House as it was the house of a very wealthy farmer

Nishioka’s House

This is one of the most beautiful and photogenic houses in the village because of its gassho-zukuri architecture, referring to its steep angled roofs that help with snow.

(The Japanese word “gassho” means palms of the hands placed together, like in the Buddhist prayer, and “zukuri” means building. The architecture is so named because it looks like praying hands.)

This house also allows you to go upstairs to view exhibits on silk-making and get a closer look at these iconic roofs. Out the window, you get an amazing view of the wheel-shaped rice field from above.

Note that you’ll be required to take off your shoes before walking upstairs or on the wooden floors of any of the houses. (Pro tip: Wear slip-in shoes. I wore this pair of slip-in sneakers from Skechers my entire trip to Japan, and taking off shoes before entering traditional places was a breeze.)

an upstairs window in a traditional Japanese house — Nishioka’s House

view of a circular rice field from above — Nishioka’s House

Goami Pond

Goami Pond was built in 1931. The pond, which covers 3,300 square meters with a depth of 5 meters, was once used as a reservoir to supply water to rice paddies in the area.

In the past, children swam in the pond in the summer and ice skated on it in the winter.

Goami Pond is designated as a Special Scenic Area by Gifu Prefecture.

girl standing near fence in front of a pond with traditional japanese houses on the other side of the pond — Goami Pond

a pond surrounded by a fence with autumn trees, traditional Japanese houses, and a mountain behind it — Goami Pond

Tanaka’s House

Tanaka’s House is a typical farmhouse in which residents lived a difficult life.

Until the 1750s, the life of farmers was so hard that their houses only had earthen floor. And the earthen floor area was made huge to use as a working space in the autumn and winter months when the sun set early, according to the sign within the structure.

Outside of Tanaka’s House is an interesting water well with a rope pulley system. You can try your hand at retrieving water with a bucket, making it interactive.

a well in front of an old traditional Japanese farmhouse — Tanaka’s House

Tuguchi’s House

The owner of Tuguchi’s House was the head of the village for generations. Meetings were often held here, so several of the rooms were designed to make one big room by sliding the doors open.

It’s a larger, more distinguished house, and it’s an interesting one to tour.

Arai’s House

Arai’s House was built in the latter half of the 1700s. It features a weaving exhibit that you can check out.

Be sure to also examine the roof. It has large rafters to support the roof during heavy snowfall, which was common in its region.

Wakayama’s House

Wakayama’s House was the first house brought to Hida Folk Village. It is considered an important cultural property, and it’s a gassho-zukuri structure, as well.

“The ground floor was built by carpenters and the upper floors were constructed by the village people. It took all the village people four days to make the thatched roof, which is said to last for 40-60 years.

The fire in the hearth is always lighted, not only because it reproduces the atmosphere of the old days, but also because the smoke is very important for preserving the house in a good state. The smoke protects it from harmful insects, keeps the ropes tight, and gives the house moderate moisture,” according to the sign within the building.

Maeda’s House

Maeda’s House was built in the northern part of Takayama in 1899.

“In those days, farmers generally built their houses by themselves; however, the owner of this house who was a very wealthy farmer had it built by the carpenter of Takayama. This large house has 6 rooms and all doors of these rooms can be removed, allowing it to be made larger or smaller as the occasion demanded,” according to the sign within the building.

a close up of a straw roof on a traditional Japanese house — Hida Folk Village

stairs leading upstairs inside a traditional Japanese house — Nishioka’s House

an upstairs floor made up of wooden bars with space in between, inside a traditional Japanese house — Nishioka’s House

How Long to Spend in Hida Folk Village

Plan to spend about 1-2 hours in Hida Folk Village. The time will pass so quickly, you won’t believe it.

Best Seasons to Visit Hida Folk Village

Spring. In the spring months, you’ll find many blooming flowers, even cherry blossoms. In May, rice is planted in the rice fields.

Summer. Summer months have warmer temperatures, but it is a mild mountain climate. Not as many visitors. Lots of greenery.

Autumn. You’ll find autumn leaves in Hida Folk Village from late September to November. I visited in early December and found there to be still some autumn trees left, and no snow yet.

Winter. Winter months bring a lot of snow to Hida Folk Village, but it appears to be a beautiful sight. Winter is the most popular time for visitors to Takayama who come for the local hot springs and the snow.

girl standing between two trees with traditional japanese houses behind her

How to get to the Hida Folk Village from Takayama Station

If you don’t have a car, don’t worry. It’s very easy to get to Hida Folk Village by bus.

Start at the Takayama Nohi Bus Center.

Wait at terminal 1, which goes to Hida Folk Village, and it says so on the sign. There are English signs that list where the buses go in each terminal, so you’ll know you’re in the right place.

How long is the ride? The ride is 10 minutes from the bus station to Hida Folk Village.

How often does the bus depart? The bus route is called the Sarubobo bus line, and it leaves every 30 minutes.

Cost: The bus ride costs only 100 yen. It’d be best to have exact change on you.

Do you have to buy tickets? No pre-booking is required. Simply hand a 100-yen coin to the bus driver upon departure from the bus.

girl walking toward a traditional Japanese house in Hida Folk Village — Nishioka’s House

Where to Stay in Takayama Japan

While visiting Takayama, I recommend staying in a ryokan.

What is a ryokan? A ryokan is a traditional Japanese inn, one of the oldest forms of hospitality, dating back to the 8th century. You’ll find traditional Japanese decor like tatami mats and Japanese futon beds as well as omotenashi hospitality and kaiseki multi-course meals.

I highly recommend staying in a ryokan because it offers you an opportunity to experience a traditional Japanese lifestyle. This is even more crucial when visiting a place like Takayama, which is steeped in history and custom.

My top ryokan pick is Hanaougi Bettei Iiyama, and you can read my full review of this ryokan in Takayama, which I absolutely loved.

a Japanese garden with a stone lantern and bonsai tree outside a ryokan — Hanaougi Bettei Iiyama

What to Pack for Your Trip to Japan

Comfortable and convenient footwear

You’ll likely walk a lot while visiting Japan, so a good pair of walking shoes is a must. However, one additional recommendation is make sure your sneakers are slip-in.

Why wear slip-in sneakers?

Many traditional places in Japan, including houses within the Hida Folk Village, require guests to remove shoes before entering. Shoes with a lot of laces are hard to get off. But slip-ins? A breeze.

Slip-in sneakers — I wore this pair of slip-in sneakers from Skechers my entire trip to Japan, and it was so convenient! I didn’t even have to sit down to take off my shoes, like everyone else did. My shoes just slipped right off. I also felt comfortable in these shoes despite walking 20,000 steps every single day.
Ankle socks — Be sure to wear ankle-covering socks with your shoes so you don’t get blisters with all that walking. I wore these Hanes ankle socks every day of my trip to Japan and didn’t get a single blister.

Favorite travel essentials

I really recommend these compression packing cubes. They’re very thick and durable and allow you to pack more than you expect.
I also love this travel backpack that opens like a suitcase, fits almost as much as a carry-on, and has tons of pockets as well as a strap to attach to your luggage handle. It makes traveling so much easier and more organized.
I bring this AirFly receiver for AirPods with me on long-haul flights, so I can connect to the plane’s video screen with my own AirPods.
I no longer hop on a flight without wearing my Sockwell compression socks because they really do help relieve/prevent leg cramps from sitting so long in one place. I have the lotus pattern, but there are other patterns to choose from, such as this cat pattern or this flower pattern. See all sock patterns in the Sockwell storefront.
For Americans, I recommend getting the Capital One Venture X credit card to relax and eat free food in select airport lounges. I’ve had my Capital One Venture X credit card for a few years now, and accessing airport lounges is my absolute favorite perk of the card. Every lounge is different, but most have a buffet available where you can eat and drink to your heart’s content. The annual fee of this card is high, but it evens out with the $300 annual travel credit and 10,000 anniversary miles you get (on top of lounge access and free TSA PreCheck or Global Entry)!