Meiji-mura: A glance at Western Civilization in Japan

Just like many countries in the Eastern side of the globe, Japan once faced the risk of colonization by Western powers. It was, however, during the Meiji Era that Japan transformed from an isolated feudal society into a modern, industrialized nation and a (emerging) world power. Though Japan was never formally colonized by any Western power, and is in fact a colonizer itself, Japan is greatly influenced by Western scientific and technological ideas. This has been a part of the nation's modernization. 

(2020: Taken inside the Shimbashi Factory of the Japan National Railways (The Machinery Hall) It was originally located in Ohi-chou Shinagawa-ku Tokyo and was built in 1868.)

Aside from scientific and technological ideas adopted from the West, the Meiji Era is full of evidence proving that Japan absorbed and assimilated Western philosophical, political, religious, and aesthetic culture.

(2019: Tendo Arch Bridge . Originally located in Tendoh, Yamagata-pref. It was built in 1887.)

(I love the Gothic interior style St.Paul's Church . It was originally located in Iohjima-chou Nishisonogi-gun, Nagasaki-prefecture and was built in 1879.)

A tour to Meiji-mura (Meiji Village) is a wonderful opportunity to see the beauty of an era that marked the end of Edo period and the emergence of Japan as a great power. The Meiji village is located in Inuyama shi, Aichi Prefecture. It seats on a hillside, facing Lake Iruka, on a vast land area covering about a million square meter. It is an architectural museum currently housing over sixty Meiji infrastructures. These buildings were brought from different parts of Japan and rebuilt here. 

(Steam Locomotive NO. 1 of the Bisai Railways. Manufactured in 1897 in the United States. This was the first locomotive train in service between Yatomi and Shin-Ichinomiya in Aichi Prefecture.)

My first visit to the village was during the Autumn of 2019. It was just an unplanned drop by but gave me an idea on how to enjoy the place better when I go back. Be aware that the museum cannot be enjoyed for a few minutes. To fully appreciate the place, I would recommend allotting time, walking, and checking the buildings from inside.

Knowing there would not be much of a crowd, I gave it a shot and went back yesterday. The place is more astonishing with almost no one around. But, I guess I just went at the right time.

Videos

For more information on how to access the village, check out and visit the museum's English page: https://www.meijimura.com/english

Merely memorizing historical facts can come as a bore to some of us. But, understanding history and the wonderful stories of the past can help us keep an open mind and make us see the beauty in the things around us.