Happy New Year 2019! This year, many foreigners and Japanese people went to visit shrines in kimono. It is very pleasing to see people wearing Japanese cultural costumes. Well, this time, we will introduce you to some spots where you can go out in kimono and look great in interviews after visiting shrines in kimono.

 

This time, we will introduce the Edo Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum in Sakuracho, Koganei City, Tokyo. This facility is located within the Tokyo Metropolitan Koganei Park, and the park is very spacious, making it a great place for families or large groups of friends to have a barbecue, or for children to play on the athletic facilities.

From Kichijoji, take the Chuo Line to Musashi-Koganei Station, then transfer to a bus and you'll arrive in about 5-6 minutes, so it's a very close location.

 

There are various restored buildings in the Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum. The park is so large that it has a West Zone, East Zone, and Center Zone. If you read the inscriptions and listen to the guide's stories to learn about the history of each building, you won't be able to see everything in one day!

In addition to the buildings, there are also outdoor exhibits, so you can enjoy just walking around outside.

The reason why wearing a kimono here is instaworthy is because many of the buildings are old-fashioned houses and Taisho-era architecture! The restored buildings are mainly from the Meiji, Taisho, and Showa periods. You can also enjoy wearing a hakama, not just a kimono.

It's a great place to invite friends and experience the feeling of traveling back in time, or to bring your family and reminisce about old memories and share stories from your childhood, allowing you to connect with your family.

Most of the inside of the building is photography-friendly, so you'll definitely take a lot of photos in one day! There is also a place where you can eat inside the wonderful building.

・Foodie spot "Kura"

→ This restaurant serves handmade udon noodles and daily bento lunches. It is located on the second floor of the storehouse-style rest building on Shitamachi Nakadori in the East Zone. (The first floor is a rest area.)

Although meals are the main focus, coffee and tea snacks such as sasa daifuku are also available for breaks.

*For more details, please check the official website.

・Cafe "Musashino Sabo"

→You can enjoy tea and meals inside and on the terrace of the restored "De Lalande House" in the West Zone. There are about 60 seats, of which about 30 are on the terrace.

Although it is a cafe, they serve meals such as curry rice and hayashi rice, so it is crowded with people even at lunchtime. You can also tour the inside of the building on the second floor, so it is a good idea to enjoy the second floor after finishing your meal.

 

Various events are also held at the Edo Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum. Although these events have already ended, on January 2nd and 3rd admission was free, and on January 5th and 6th admission was 20% off for customers who came in kimono! And on January 14th they will be running a campaign where new adults can enter for free! You can also tour the park in a rickshaw, and take commemorative photos at the photo studio inside the park! Why not take this opportunity to go?

*Please see the official website for more details.

There are many other events held each month, so be sure to check out the official website and see if there are any that interest you.

 

[Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum]

・Address: 3-7-1 Sakuracho, Koganei City, Tokyo 184-0005 (inside Koganei Park)

・Access (Train): Take the JR Chuo Line to Musashi-Koganei Station or Higashi-Koganei Station. Take the Seibu Shinjuku Line to Hana-Koganei Station.

・Access (bus): 1) From JR Chuo Line "Musashi-Koganei Station" take Seibu Bus from platform 2 or 3 and get off at "Koganei Park West Exit". 5 minutes walk.

②From JR Chuo Line "Higashi-Koganei Station" take the CoCo Bus (Koganei City Community Bus) to the Northeast Circulation "Tatemonoen Entrance" stop. It is a 10-minute walk.

3. From "Hanakoganei Station" on the Seibu Shinjuku Line, take the "Minami Hanakoganei" bus stop (along Koganei Kaido) to Musashikoganei Station and get off at "Koganei Park West Exit". It is a 5-minute walk.

 

What did you think? There are many places in Tokyo where you can enjoy wearing a kimono, but I think the best place for taking photos is the Edo Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum. Please try wearing a kimono from VASARA Kichijoji store and go out!