Take a stroll through Japan's original landscape at Michinoku Folk Village, an open-air museum of ancient architecture! [Iwate Prefecture]

Kitakami City, Iwate Prefecture, is a city located in the southwest of the prefecture, and during the Edo period it was a typical agricultural area located on the border between the southern domain of Morioka and the Date domain of Sendai. However, since the Showa period, following the construction of the Tohoku Expressway and the Tohoku Shinkansen, the Akita Expressway has opened, and the city has developed into an important transportation and distribution hub

This time, we'll be introducing "Michinoku Folk Village" located in Kitakami City !

What is Michinoku Folk Village?

Located in the Kitakami city area, centered around JR Kitakami Station, and adjacent to the famous cherry blossom viewing spot "Tenshochi" on the opposite bank of the Kitakami River, is the "Michinoku Folk Village," an open-air museum featuring historical buildings relocated from various parts of Iwate Prefecture

Within the grounds are the Kitakami City Museum and the Kitakami City Buried Cultural Properties Center. Furthermore, the site featuresapproximately 70,000 square meters of hills and valleys, where ancient buildings from the Edo and Meiji periods have been systematically relocated and recreated a "village" that can be considered a quintessential Japanese landscape.

Ancient architecture at Michinoku Folk Village

A total of 10 old buildings from the former Nanbu and Date domains have been relocated to the site from various locations in Iwate Prefecture (as of 2024)

We will introduce some of the buildings in this area

Former Konno family merchant house (reception)

The former Konno family residencewas a merchant house that sold daily necessities and operated as an inn for traveling merchants during the Meiji and Taisho periods. It was founded around the end of the Edo period.

It was relocated from Yanagawa Tateshita (former Date domain) in Esashi Ward, Oshu City, which was developed during the Edo period as a guard post on the Date domain's side to protect the border with the Nanbu domain, and is a designated cultural property of Kitakami City

Located at the entrance to Michinoku Folk Village, it currently serves as a reception area where pamphlets and other materials are available

Former Sugano Family Residence

The former Sugano residenceis a farmhouse belonging to an upper-class family that was located in a village on the Date domain side around the Kyoho era, and was relocated from Nagahora, Kuchinai-cho, Kitakami City.

Based on comparisons with the "Gokū Shikiyōme," a document outlining the housing regulations of the Date domain, it is believed to have belonged to the Ōkimoiri (a village headman who held a higher position than the other village headmen)

As it is the building of the village chief, it is a very large and impressive building

It is said that the Yakui-mon gate at the entrance had a ridge beam inscription from the 5th year of the Kyoho era (1720). (These are inscriptions attached to high places inside the building, such as the ridge beam or rafters, as records or commemorations of the building's construction or repair.)

Former Hoshikawa Family Residence

The former Hoshikawa family residenceis an old building that was relocated from Kitadenpoji, Yahaba-cho, Shiwa-gun (formerly part of the Nanbu domain), and is likely from the late Edo period.

the distinctivecurved roof style, and the area where horses were once kept is now used to raise goats.

Tohoku Rokken Trivia Media NEFT

The "Nambu Magariya" is a unique residence of the Nanbu clan, which was well aware of the importance of horses [Iwate Prefecture]

https://jp.neft.asia/archives/10445

"Magariya" (magariya) are unique, humane dwellings built with stables built within the home for co-living. Many unique magariya (magariya) houses, known as "Nambu magariya," were built in the Edo period north of Kanto, particularly in Iwate Prefecture. "Kyukawamae Shimeya" (former Kawamae Shimeya) was built at the end of the Edo period. "Tono Furusato Village." Image courtesy of Iwate Prefecture Tourism Association. Horses were raised in the warm main house all day, even in the cold and snow of winter. Many old houses with L-shaped thatched roofs remain throughout the Tohoku region. They are called "magariya" (magariya), and the names may vary slightly depending on the region, including "Kagariya," "Kagariya," "Magariya," "Magariya," and "Magariya.".

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Former Kitagawa Family Residence

The former Kitagawa family residence, which was relocated from Tochinai, Tsuchibuchi-cho, Tono City (formerly the Nanbu domain), is the home of a famous mountain ascetic (shugensha) mentioned in "Tono Monogatari" as "Kitagawa Kiyoshi, the assistant mayor of Tsuchibuchi village , lives in the area of ​​Hiseki," and was originally built around the mid-Edo period.

This house is also a typical exampleof the Nanbu-style curved-roof house, and because it was once the home of a mountain ascetic, there is a prayer room in the back where only the owner was allowed, and records show that an Oshirasama (a deity associated with prayer) was enshrined on the altar.

Former Sugawara Family Residence (Heavy Snow Farm)

The former Sugawara family residence , which was relocated from Okutsu, Nishiwaga-cho, Waga-gun (formerly part of the Nanbu domain) , is believed to have been a farmhouse located in a heavy snowfall area nestled in the mountains of the Ou Mountains, and was built in the late Meiji period.

While many houses in the Nanbu region are of the "uchimaya" style, where the stables and living area are integrated , the former Sugawara house is not a "magariya" (curved house) but a "nagoya" (straight house) , and it features ingenious construction methods unique to heavy snowfall areas, such as the "funae-zukuri" (boat-shaped construction) used for the eaves, which helps to withstand the weight of snow.

A rare historical site marking the boundary between the Nanbu and Date domains during the feudal era: the Nanbu Domain and Date Domain Boundary Tomb

If you go up through the grounds of Michinoku Folk Village towards the vicinity of the "Former Sendai Domain Terasaka Guardhouse," you will find the Nanbu-Date Territory Boundary Mound (Mazawa-hasami Mound), which marks the boundary between the Nanbu territory of Morioka Domain and the Date territory of Sendai Domain. Built in 1642 after negotiations between the Nanbu and Date families, these large and small boundary mounds extend eastward from the summit of Mount Komagatake in the Ou Mountains, continuing for approximately 130 km to Touni Bay in Kamaishi City, Iwate Prefecture .

For modern people, for whom the border between Miyagi and Iwate prefectures is a given, it may seem strange to know that this was once a border, but it is a valuable spot where you can experience a part of that history!

It is extremely rare to find a border mound like this still in existence, and because it is an important historical site in the administrative history of the country, it has been designated a "National Historic Site."

A folk museum where you can get a glimpse into the lives of the people of Kitakami

Within the grounds, there is also a folk museum, which is a relocated and restored version of the former Kurosawajiri Girls' High School building that once stood in Kajimachi 1-chome, Kitakami City

This building was built in 1927, so it has a slightly different appearance from other old buildings. Inside, there are exhibits of folk materials that give you an insight into the life of the Kitakami region in the past

The old farm equipment and household items were commonplace, but what really caught my eye was the exhibit on folk beliefs. It was an interesting way to get a sense of the unique character of Kitakami City

The adjacent Kitakami City Fire Museum is also fun

The Kitakami City Fire Department Museum is also located within the Folk Museum

This museum displays materials related to firefighting in the Kitakami region from the Meiji to Showa periods. Since these are tools used by professionals, I was seeing many things for the first time and found them quite fascinating! Theold fire engines and pump trucks,, are well worth seeing.

summary

This time we introduced Michinoku Folk Village in Kitakami City, Iwate Prefecture

Located about 3km from JR Kitakami Station, and less than a 10-minute drive away, it's easily accessible. This tourist spot is packed with attractions that you wouldn't expect to find free, so if you ever have the chance to visit Kitakami City, I highly recommend checking it out!

By the way, the grounds are quite large and it will take quite some time to see everything, so we recommend that you visit with plenty of time to spare

Michinoku Folk Village <Information>

• Name: Michinoku Folk Village
• Address: 62-3, Tachibana 14, Kitakami City, Iwate Prefecture, 024-0043
• Phone number: 0197-72-5067
• Official URL:http://michinoku-fv.net/

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Aoiwa

Traveling around the Tohoku region, I enjoy drinking delicious sake and exploring the local history, traditions, and customs. I write articles based on my interests. I'm currently interested in folk performing arts, local toys, and folk beliefs