The Nihon Minka-en Field Trip

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The flowered gateway roof entrance near the Sasaki house.

Houses speak volumes about the climate, the culture and the people who lived within their walls for those who know how to listen. The second field trip of the 4th Grade Bunka month was a trip to Nihon Minka-en. This open air Japanese folk house museum is filled with transplanted pre-Meiji era buildings from mostly the Kanto Plain area. All the classes were sub- divided up into small groups under the watchful eye of a parent chaperone. Each group was given a specific house to report about according to its original location, building materials, interior, furnishings and tools; and grounds. 4-F and 4-C, who are currently involved in a Tokaido Road simulation together, went by clan to do the reports and write the opening paragraphs of their Japanese mystery stories, which made use of their assigned buildings as the setting. Please click on the pictures below to see the 4-F reflections on what they saw and on these underlined words if you wish to view a fine reference site for Japanese architectural features. 

Site constructed by Bridgette Fincher