Turning Japanese: Nagoya (Part 3-Meiji-mura)

Meiji-mura

Meiji-mura is known as one of Japan's best museums. It's an expansive site with more than 60 buildings originally constructed during the Meiji era (1868-1912). Not all of the buildings were constructed in Japan, but all have some significant meaning to the country. I wandered around for a good two hours. Most of the buildings were unique in some way and I was even allowed to tour the insides of some (without my shoes of course). The whole aura of the place was that of a past life. A steam engine and old school trolleys carried tourists throughout the park. I didn't get to ride either of those, but I still had a good time. It was a little nerve wracking trying to find the museum, but I managed to to board the right train out of Nagoya to the rural town of Inuyama. English signs are prevalent in Tokyo and Nagoya, but outside of the city limits English was definitely scarce. I made it though! Since this is a completely outdoor museum, I was allowed to take many pictures. Anyway, instead of boring you with more words, I will show you my adventure through the iPad lens.

I got to feed this duck! They had stale bread for sale for a dollar so I went wild with the native water fowl.

This is an old elementary school.

I have no idea what this is or what it was used for...

but it did have a cool picture of a gate inside.

This used to be a communications post. All the telephone lines and switchboards and things were routed through this place. The inside was filled with a bunch of neat old phones! I've always wanted a rotary phone...

Most of the buildings were staged to look like the originals.

This entire building was a lab! Dr. Shibasaburo Kitasato founded the Kitasato Institute for the study of infectious diseases. He studied bacteriology under Dr. Robert Koch in Germany, and modeled this building after the German baroque style in 1915. It wasn't as creepy on the inside as I had expected.

Original lab equipment and sinks!

These next houses just looked awesome, so I took some pics.

Here's an original red brick maze. Usually the museum allows guests inside, but I guess they knew I was coming.

I was just going to walk by this house until I saw the American flag. I couldn't just ignore my country! It turns out this house was built in Seattle for an American family in 1907. A Japanese family later purchased the house to use as a gathering place to pray for the souls of the first-generation immigrants after the war. It's pretty cool they continue to fly the American flag in front of the house.

Of all of the old buildings in this museum, this was by far the creepiest. I didn't know what it used to be at first, but I got chills immediately when I stepped through the door. The corridor was impossibly long and the floorboards creaked ominously as I tried to tip toe my way down the hall. It turned out to be an old hospital. Eek! Ugh, it was as if I could tell people had suffered in there. Still, the original equipment was interesting to see. I couldn't handle staying very long, but I'm glad I got to see first hand what the inside of a hospital looked like back then.

This was a barracks for the Sixth Infantry Regiment army of the new Meiji government in 1873. This building originally rested on the Nagoya castle grounds and was used to house the soldiers fighting for the Owari Clan. Army buildings were modeled after French architecture at that time, but I have no idea why. The English on the sign explaining this building was particularly poor.

This was a hospital used by the army and citizens of Nagoya Castle at the same time as the barracks above. The inside wasn't nearly as creepy as the other hospital, but there were some strange drawing of organs on the walls.

This little church was built in Hawaii in 1889. It was originally used as a place of worship for Japanese immigrants but later turned into an assembly hall for those same immigrants. The rush of Japanese immigrants to Hawaii began in 1868 and ended around 1907 though a strong Japanese presence continues in Hawaii to this day.

Awesome steam locomotive and bridge!

Inside the conductor's cabin...

The post office!

This church was absolutely gorgeous inside and out. People can still get book the place for a marriage ceremony.

This is part of an old prison. You would think this would be creepier than the hospital, but it was actually much more inviting. Perhaps that had something to do with the fake prisoners and their fake smiles...