Even though the time machine has not yet been invented, travel to the past has long become a reality. This is helped not so much by historical museums as by entire reconstructed towns, where ancient buildings have been preserved, the street layout has not changed, and the transportation used by residents a century ago is still in operation.

One of these open-air museums is located in the city of Sapporo and is called the Historical Village of Hokkaido. It is a carefully reconstructed old town: on 54 hectares (that is how much the museum occupies), there are more than 150 historic buildings, built in the late 19th-early 20th centuries. And these are not modern buildings but carefully preserved old architecture.

Some of the houses that now form the heritage of the historic village of Hokkaido were dismantled and brought here from other regions and small towns. All this was done to recreate the spirit of the turn of the century as much as possible.

The center of the village of Hokkaido is the luxurious houses of the rich nobility, stores, barbershops, post offices, cafes, schools, and newspaper offices. The streets are lined with the prototypes of future horse-drawn trams. The paths are paved with cobblestones, and almost every house has a miniature garden, reverently cared for by residents of that time.

But as you turn from the center, the picture changes. The buildings are not so dense, and the houses are not so luxurious. Instead of cafes and barbershops, there are production halls, breweries, and stables. Everything is just as it used to be: the city center for beauty, and the outskirts for work.

It's a pleasure to walk around at any time of the year. In warm weather, you can sit on the cozy terraces of summer cafes, and in winter – explore all the open house museums to see what were the layout of the apartments, what furniture was chosen by rich Japanese, and what those who did not have a high income were content with.

The place is amazing! Incredible atmosphere, beautiful houses, and lots of interesting information that you can learn in an exciting interactive format.