Spread out across seven hectares in a secluded place in the mountains, this open-air museum features reconstructed and preserved old homesteads and historic buildings from the Kitakami River basin area. The museum is home to ten thatched houses and 18 historic buildings, including an old schoolhouse that retains its appearance from the early 20th century. Set in beautiful countryside with plants and flowers that change with the seasons, this is a spot that evokes nostalgic images of times gone by.

The former Kurosawajiri Girls’ High School building is now used as a folk museum. Visitors are recommended to start at this museum and learn about the lifestyles of the people who once lived in this region through the various tools and implements on display, before setting out to explore the grounds.

The thatched houses in the museum grounds can also be viewed from the inside too. Visitors are free to look, touch and experience the lifestyles of the people who used to live in these houses. The former Sugano residence is particularly impressive and is designated as a nationally important cultural property.

In spring the Kitakami Tenshochi Cherry Blossom Festival is held nearby and a popular route at this time of year is to first visit the nostalgic museum before going on to enjoy cherry blossom viewing.