THE HIDA FOLK VILLAGE IS A FAIR WALK FROM Takayama. But a short bus ride. The 1000 yen return fare also includes admission to Hida no Sato, a sprawling open-air museum. There are 30 or so thatched and shingled houses, shrines, workshops and sheds scattered around a small lake and along wooded hillsides.
Thatch Roof House
Most of the buildings have been relocated from other areas of Hida. All have received TLC to keep them in their original condition and provide a glimpse into village life in the mountainous Hida region.
Typical Room Rice-paper Window
Many have a smoldering fire in a sunken ironi hearth, providing a smoky if not welcoming ambiance. Winters in the Japanese Alps are cold and snowy and I can’t image that the tiny fire pit could keep out the chill, what with the rice paper windows.
Logging and Lumbering were brutal jobs
Logging was a major industry. Various kinds of sleds carrying logs were pulled across the snowy hills either by horses wearing woven snow shoes or by loggers themselves. Logs were sawn by hand into boards and shingles for houses. Women engaged in sewing, silk making and weaving and the villages were known for wood carving.
Sachido Stitching Silk Wedding Kimonos
We spent a picturesque morning and somehow evaded the rain promised by the weatherman.
