Don't knock Kawasaki They also have the Kanamara Matsuri "Penis Festival". Too late for this year though.

Nihon minka en.

Still very high up on my list of favourite places to visit whilst in Tokyo.
http://www.nihonminkaen.jp/minka_e.php

Cool and refreshing on a hot day.

One thing I liked about Kawasaki was that it was easier to find a hole-in-the-wall for cheap saba shioyaki and various types of miso shiro.

Those types of places are a bit tacky for me...though I'd be tempted to visit if each of those 住宅 offered snacks from their home regions.

Kawasaki is actually one of my favorite places to stay in Tokyo. Maybe the first-time visitor to Tokyo might be better off staying in one of the more tourist-oriented hotels in places like Shibuya, Shinjuku or Tokyo Station area. But for a repeat visitor, Kawasaki is awesome.

Extremely convenient in all aspects, without being crazy like Shinjuku, Shibuya or Tokyo Stations. Lazona mall, Azalea underground mall, LeFront mall, Atre depart, every chain store/shop imaginable, hundreds of restaurants... all directly connected within 5min-walk radius from the Station without ever needing to go outside on a rainy day or hot summer day. Nikko Hotel is cheap and clean and is part of this connected complex. And transport-wise, Kawasaki is fast to get to most places in Tokyo-Yokohama corridor.

Nihon minka en... tacky?

If they started offering regional specialities to suit each of the houses, yes, that would be a good way to start the process of getting it there.

Very, very obvious you've never been. It isn't like the open air Edo Tokyo Architectural Museum (not that I would call this museum tacky either), it's much more intimate and special than that. Has more of the feel of a social club for those who are passionate about folklore, crafts and traditional masonry and carpentry, there must be an army of intensely interested and motivated volunteers who keep this place maintained and running. The koto/cello/keyboard concert led by Rin Nakashima in one of the houses - blisteringly hot day yet the performance was caressed by cool breezes and punctuated by birdsong - one of the most serene performances I've ever been to, my daughter was spellbound. Our golden week visit was particularly special as there were more mingei enthusiasts there than usual to share their expertise, the park was the busiest I've ever seen but it was very far from crowded.
First thing my daughter did on her return was pull out her Japanese folk tale books and stories, she seemed really pleased that the scenarios they are set in were something she could better relate to.

If you want tacky, go to the takoyaki museum and the adjacent Ye olde Edo reconstruction out in Decks, Odaiba (shudder).

And I thought this was the only reason to visit Kawasaki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanamara_Matsuri

It is tacky in the way that I'd rather see where they - and other examples of vernacular architecture - hail from, as opposed to visit a theme park of sorts.

Sure, this type of place makes it much easier to get a feel/become interested in going to other parts of Japan, and saying this might contradict my enthusiasm for antenna shops, but I'd rather explore somewhere, in this case Kawasaki, for local diversions.

Oh, and as you guessed I haven't visit it yet.

When you start issuing tickets for your time machine, please note that I'd like to be first in line.

Nuff said.

You're both missing the point.

For example, since this still exists, I'd rather visit the region where that style hails from than just a "culture park" in Kawasaki.

Nearly half the houses at the Nihon minka en are from Kawasaki and the local area, yet you have declared that there is nothing to see in this part of Japan.

You obviously know a way to see these Kanagawa minka in the same way that one can see the gassho zukuri houses in Shirakawa go, and this is why I asked about your time machine.

Kawasaki: Chiba without the charm. What an infernal dump that place is. I say it with confidence, as I used to live there a long long time ago when I couldn't afford anything better.

How can you even have a point when you haven't bothered to do the most rudimentary research into the thing you're criticizing? Seriously, I'd rather debate the issue with my kitchen table (thanks, Barney!).

"Nuff said" sort of hits the nail on the head.

I don't know how long ago "long long time ago" is, but the area around Kawasaki Station has completely changed since 15-20yrs ago. You should go check it out.

It is no less of a kusoana. Maybe even more so now. I kind of preferred the crumbly old sordid look around the station, as opposed to the new shiny, sordid and even more depressing look now. Can't put lipstick on a pig.