Shikoku Mura

An open-air architectural museum at the foot of Yashima, displaying about thirty traditional buildings collected from across the four prefectures of Shikoku and rebuilt on a wooded hillside site. Farmhouses, a kabuki theatre, a soy sauce brewery, a lighthouse keeper's cottage, a sugar mill — most are accessible inside, all are clearly labelled, and the layout is set up as a long walking loop that takes about ninety minutes.

The English signage is good, and a recently added gallery designed by the architect Tadao Ando shows changing exhibitions of folk art. Closed Wednesdays; substantial entrance fee but excellent value for the time you spend inside.

things to do sight museum
A story
The vine bridge in the museum grounds is a working replica of the famous Iya Valley bridges — woven from actual kiwi vines, replaced every three years, and just sturdy enough to terrify visitors when the wind picks up. It is one of only a handful of these bridges still made by traditional methods.

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