The Aizu Folk Museum, located in Inawashiro Town, Fukushima Prefecture, is a museum that introduces the history and culture of the Aizu region. Here, the former Sasaki Family Residence and the former Baba Family Residence, two representative private houses of the Aizu region in the kurikuriya chumon-zukuri style, have been moved to a new location. Both houses were built between the late Edo period and Meiji period, and both are designated as national important cultural properties.
The museum exhibits old Aizu lifestyle and cultural assets, mainly farming tools from the Aizu region, as well as stone tools, Inawashiro Lake fishing tools, and kikori tools. Of particular note are the old tools and furniture that remain from the private homes of the time in the Nakamon-zukuri Residence. Visitors can walk around the storehouse, kitchen, and bedrooms in the Nakamon-zukuri Residence and get a glimpse of the lifestyle of the time.
There is also an exhibition on the history of Aizu in the museum. The history of the turbulent period from the end of the Tokugawa Shogunate to the Meiji Restoration, as well as the Aizu clan's samurai after the Meiji Restoration are on display. These exhibits allow visitors to learn about the lives and ways of thinking of the Aizu feudal lords of the time.
The Aizu Folk Museum, where visitors can learn about the history and culture of the Aizu region, is attractive in that it preserves representative cultural heritage of the Aizu region. Old tools and furniture make the museum an interesting place to learn about the lifestyle of the time. The museum is also valuable for learning about the lifestyle and culture of the local people.
