Contents
Special Exhibition GalleriesFeatured Exhibitions in the Permanent GallerySeasonal Exhibition at the Botanical Garden of Everyday Life

Special Exhibition Galleries

I Love Antiques!: Cultural Magazines Showing Pictorial Records Made by Antiquarians in Early Modern Times

Date : 2023.3.7(Tue) - 2023.5.7(Sun)

This exhibition, which focuses on the early modern period, shows how historical materials were interpreted and classified, and describes the networks among antiquarians who shared information on antiques, based on research carried out on the Reitōkaku-shūkochō, a collection of old drawings and written records about old containers and tools. This source was compiled by three generations of the Yoshida family, who were wealthy merchants in Kobe, from the 18th to the 19th century. The exhibition also looks at, from a broader perspective, how various items were collected, classified, and preserved.

What is an Onmyōji?: Fortunetelling, Good-luck Spells, and Almanac-Making

Date : 2023.10.3(Tue) - 2023.12.10(Sun)

What were the onmyōji? Based on the latest research results, extensive records and materials, we will trace the profile of these ‘technical officers in charge of divination’. Picking up on the differences in each period, we will shed light on the actual life and work of the onmyōji, who from ancient times up to the beginning of modernity, were deeply involved in making and disseminating almanacs and calendars. This first ever full-scale exhibition of the Nara Koyomi-shi Yoshikawa-ke Shiryō collection of materials on the Nara Calendar Masters of the Yoshikawa Family will dig deep into the fascinating ways and world of the onmyōji and their almanacs and calendars.

The Museum Collection: Color and Quality

Date : 2024.3.12(Tue) - 2024.5.6(Mon)

This exhibition makes the “colors” of materials stored at the Museum its topic. Focusing on materials with particularly characteristic colors and quality, we will select, and exhibit and explain them from historical, archaeological, ethnological, and natural scientific perspectives to outline how the people in Japan look at and think about colors. Be it colors as a symbol of authority or the techniques that artisans developed to bring forth color – expanding from the keyword “color”, we want to draw on a wide range of viewpoints on the pieces of museum’s collections.

Featured Exhibitions in the Permanent Gallery

[Gallery 4] Otherworldly Gods Among Us: The Fortunes and Calamities They Bring

Date : 2023.1.17(Tue) - 2023.5.14(Sun)

[Gallery 3] The Official Duties and Lives of Medieval Court Nobles: The World of Records and Documents of the Hirohashi Family

Date : 2023.3.7(Tue) - 2023.5.7(Sun)

[Gallery 3] Picture Scrolls of Yōkai (strange creatures) in the Edo period

Date : 2023.8.1(Tue) - 2023.9.3(Sun)

[Gallery 4] Shikoku Pilgrimages: Journeys to Cultural Heritage Sites

Date : 2023.9.26(Tue) - 2024.2.25(Sun)

[Gallery 1] The Antiquity Raised by Japan’s North: The Okhotsk and Satsumon Cultures

Date : 2023.11.14(Tue) - 2024.2.12(Mon)

[Gallery 3] Newly Discovered Nomura Collection

Date : 2024.1.5(Fri) - 2024.2.4(Sun)

Seasonal Exhibition at the Botanical Garden of Everyday Life

*Blooming periods may vary due to weather.

Traditional Primroses

Date : 2023.4.11(Tue) - 2023.4.30(Sun)

Enjoy the beautiful traditional primroses displayed in tiers.

Traditional Japanese Morning Glories

Date : 2023.8.9(Wed) - 2023.9.10(Sun)

Be amazed by mutant Japanese morning glories from the Edo Period.
*The garden opens from 8:30 a.m. on August 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, and 20.

Traditional Antique Chrysanthemum

Date : 2023.10.31(Tue) - 2023.11.26(Sun)

Be impressed by the splendor of chrysanthemums, including the Edo chrysanthemum.

Winter Flowers: Camellia Sasanqua

Date : 2023.11.28(Tue) - 2024.1.28(Sun)

An introduction to the world of Camellia Sasanqua.