Having just stepped out of the most excellent Studio Ghibli Structures Exhibition ( see this older post ), I took a short break and then wandered into the premises of the Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum.

The museum is dedicated to the preservation and reconstruction of numerous buildings that are of significant cultural and historical importance to the heritage of Japan. The expansive museum grounds are home to about 30 such buildings.

(above & below) A fully functional communal bath ( sento ), decorated with a grand Mount Fuji mural. E Honda’s stage design in the Street Fighter 2 game comes to mind.

(above) Some of the buildings are meticulously furbished with exhibits as they would appear during the time of their existence, like this early Showa period stationary store. It’s like stepping into a time machine.

A museum that is off the beaten track, but worth a visit especially if you have an interest for historical Japanese architecture. The Studio Ghibli Structures exhibition held at this venue will end on the 14th of Dec 2014. See this older post.

Update 11/12/14 – Due to popular demand the Ghibli Strutures Exhibition has been extended to the 15th of March 2015 ! Don’t miss this amazing exhibition if you’re visiting Tokyo.

Official museum website here.