Moeginomura, Yamanashi

A "village" of shops, cafes and a music box museum scattered through a natural garden at 1,200m on the Kiyosato plateau below Yatsugatake, with a merry-go-round in the woods.

Wooden chalet-style building surrounded by a natural garden at Moeginomura, Kiyosato — Photo: 663highland (opens in a new tab), CC BY-SA 4.0 (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons

Steep-roofed house among lush garden plants at Moeginomura, Kiyosato — Photo: 663highland (opens in a new tab), CC BY-SA 4.0 (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons

A highland village that began with one coffee shop

Moeginomura is a cluster of shops, restaurants, a hotel and museums on the Kiyosato plateau in Hokuto, Yamanashi Prefecture. The buildings are scattered through woodland about 1,200m above sea level at the southern foot of the Yatsugatake mountains, and it is a lovely place to wander in every season.

It all started in 1971 with ROCK, the first coffee shop in Kiyosato. Its founder, Joji Funaki, opened it as a place where young people could gather and talk about their dreams. In 1978 the hotel Hut Walden opened, named after Walden; or, Life in the Woods by the American writer Thoreau. In 1997 ROCK became a restaurant with its own brewery; it burned down in a fire in 2016 and was rebuilt in 2017.

The music box museum and the merry-go-round in the woods

The Hall of Halls is a museum with about 250 antique music boxes, self-playing instruments and automata from Switzerland, Germany, the United States and elsewhere. Among them is the Limonaire 1900, a large self-playing organ made in France for the 1900 Paris Exposition, and every day there are concerts where you can hear the instruments actually play, with commentary from a curator.

On a small hill in the village square stands the "merry-go-round in the woods", bought from the United States in 1993. In America merry-go-rounds are found not only in amusement parks but also in ordinary parks, and this one was placed here as a spot that brings people and nature together.

The natural garden and summer ballet in the open air

The natural garden (a garden that makes the most of nature's own look), which spreads across the whole village, has more than 700 kinds of plants. You can follow the garden paths while dropping into a homeware shop, a hand-weaving workshop where you can have a go, shops selling local food and wine, a teddy bear shop and more.

Every summer for about two weeks, the Kiyosato Field Ballet is held on an open-air stage built in the village. Begun in 1990, it is said to be the only outdoor ballet in Japan staged as a long continuous run, and in 2026 the 37th edition ran from 28 July to 9 August.

Getting there

It is about a 10-minute walk from Kiyosato Station on the JR Koumi Line. By car, head north on National Route 141 from Sudama IC (interchange) on the Chuo Expressway; it takes about 20-30 minutes. There is a car park.

Each shop and museum has its own opening hours and closing days, and these change with the seasons. Check the official website before you go.

Tips

ROCK is known for its local beer, Yatsugatake Beer Touchdown, and its signature curry. It is a good place to eat after a wander.
The concerts at the music box museum take place several times a day at set times. Checking the times as soon as you arrive makes it easier to plan your visit.

Sources

Updated 30 September 2026. Opening hours and prices change, so check the official site before you go.

Moeginomura