It’s good to know local history and wild life in the area. Like how it’s like when train station operates at old time. How old village house like and how workers working in forest cutting trees and making paper. Prepare a translator if you don’t understand Japanese for describing. But if you want some deep/different culture experience It’s worth spend few hours at local area like this.

3/2/2025 Here too, no admission fees. Upstairs are available. They exhibit local agricultural equipments/tools. Write your name and some other information before entering for their statistic purposes.

(Date of visit) January 17, Reiwa 8 (Admission) Free (Parking) Available ・The building is old, and the exhibition space is perhaps a bit cramped ・You can see effort put into the displays, but due to the lack of space, it feels crammed ・The old folk house on the grounds is in good condition. It is very well maintained.

I stopped by while visiting Kotokuji Temple, famous for its ginkgo tree. Since it's a small facility I didn't expect much, but it was reasonably well stocked, and I learned that besides raw silk, Musashi-Itsukaichi also produced charcoal and paper. The special exhibition featured "Oise-mairi" (pilgrimage to Ise), and the explanation of how the Ise pilgrimage was quite a grueling trek was interesting. A small old folk house has been relocated onto the grounds, and there was also a display of Shichi-Go-San costumes from the past. A local history museum I recommend.

The old folk house built in 1826 is beautifully preserved, and they kindly explained that even now a fire is lit in the irori hearth every day so that the smoke keeps the house well preserved. The local history museum focuses on Itsukaichi's history, development, notable people, and railway, with very well-organized exhibits and explanations. It's so well stocked you'd hardly believe it's a free facility. The preservation of the exhibits, the breadth of the collection, the photos, and the quality of the explanations are all high; it would be well worth it even if you had to pay admission. You can learn about the history of Itsukaichi, which prospered thanks to timber, charcoal, silkworms, and silk thread, and it's packed with appeal beyond just nature and places to eat. It's full of heritage and history worth preserving, and you can feel that the facility was made with heart. I felt very envious of the people who live here. Apparently starting tomorrow there's the annual grand festival (reitaisai) with large floats.