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

Michinoku Folk Village located in Kitakami City !

What is Michinoku Folk Village?

Kitakami city, centered around JR Kitakami Station, is located across the Kitakami River from there. Located on a hill adjacent to Tenshochi, a famous cherry blossom viewing is the Michinoku Folk Village , an open-air museum of old buildings relocated from various parts of Iwate Prefecture

The site is home to the Kitakami City Museum and the Kitakami City Buried Cultural Properties Center, and also includes a 70,000 square meter area of ​​hills and valleys where old buildings from the Edo to Meiji periods have been systematically relocated and reconstructed to recreate a "village" that can be said to be the original landscape of Japan.

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 home was a merchant's house that sold daily necessities and ran an inn for peddlers during the Meiji and Taisho eras. It was founded towards 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 family home was a mansion of an upper-class farmer who lived in a village on the Date domain during the Kyoho era and was relocated from Nagahora, Kuchiuchi-cho, Kitakami City.

Based on a comparison with the "Ogunshikimoku," which lists the housing regulations for the Date domain, it is believed to have belonged to a taiganiri (a village chief with an even higher rank than the village chiefs)

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

the Yakuimon Gate at the entrance, there is said to be a ridgepole (a plaque attached to a high point inside a building, such as a ridgepole or beam, as a record or commemoration of the building's construction or repair) from 1720.

Former Hoshikawa Family Residence

The former Hoshikawa family residence is an old building that likely dates back to the end of the Edo period and was relocated from Kitadenpoji, Yahaba-cho, Shiwa-gun (formerly the Nanbu domain).

The building is constructed in the famous curved-roof style , a characteristic of the Nanbu region, and the area where horses were raised 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 Tochiuchi, Tsuchibuchi-cho, Tono City (formerly the Nanbu domain), is the home of a famous mountain ascetic (shugendo) who is introduced in the "Tales of Tono" , who lived in the area of ​​Hiishi." It was first built around the mid-Edo period.

This house is also a typical example of the Nanbu Magari-ya style , and as it was the home of a mountain ascetic, there is a prayer room in the back room that only the master could enter, and records show that Oshirasama was enshrined on the altar.

Former Sugawara Family Residence (Heavy Snow Farm)

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

In the Nanbu domain, there are many houses in the "uchiumaya" where the stables and living quarters are combined "nao-go-ya" style house, and the eaves "funae-zukuri" to make the house durable enough to withstand the weight of snow, showing the ingenuity unique to a region with heavy snowfall.

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

up the Michinoku Folk Village grounds the former Sendai Domain Terasaka Guardhouse , you will find the Nanbu Domain and Date Domain Boundary Tomb (Mazawa Hassaku Tomb), which marks the boundary between the Nanbu Domain of the Morioka Domain and the Date Domain of the Sendai Domain. The large and small boundary tombs, built in 1642 after discussions between the Nanbu and Date families, stretch east from the summit of Mt. Komagatake in the Ou Mountains, stretching for approximately 130 km to Toni 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 said that it is extremely rare for a border mound like this to still exist, and because it is an important historical site in the country's administrative history, it has been designated as a "National Historic Site."

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

also houses a folk museum, which was relocated and restored from 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 folk museum also houses the Kitakami City Fire Department Museum

Here, materials related to firefighting in the Kitakami region from the Meiji to Showa periods are on display. As they are professional tools, I was very interested as I had never seen anything like them before! The old fire engines and pumpers are worth a look.

summary

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

It's about 3km from JR Kitakami Station and can be reached in less than 10 minutes by car, so it's very accessible. It's a tourist spot packed with things to see, so it's hard to believe it's free, so if you have the chance to visit Kitakami City, it's definitely a place you should check 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