[Photo from welcome.city.sapporo.jp]

The Historical Village of Hokkaido is an outdoor museum located inside Nopporo Shinrin Koen Prefectural Natural Park. It was built on the 100th anniversary of the foundation of Hokkaido. It recreates the industries, lifestyles, and cultures of Hokkaido’s frontier period in three chronological periods: Meiji, Taisho, and early Showa eras. The village is divided into four sections: city area, farm village, fishing village, and mountain village. As soon as you step into the village, you’ll feel as if you’re in Hokkaido of a hundred years ago.

We recommend taking the horse-drawn trolley in the summer and the horse-drawn sled in the winter to tour the village. The village also offers workshops on traditional toy making and straw crafts, which allow participants to become familiar with frontier era culture. The “winter life experience” program is a great opportunity to learn about the harsh winter living conditions of the frontier era.