Nagoya City Museum
Nagoya City Museum: read a guide to Nagoya City Museum which presents the history and culture of the Nagoya area as well as puts on special exhibitions from around the world.
Nagoya City Museum 名古屋市博物館
Exhibits
The Nagoya City Museum in Nagoya is housed in a large building with adjacent garden close to Sakurayama subway station. The Nagoya City Museum opened in 1997 to present the history and culture of the Nagoya area.
Nagoya City Museum, Nagoya
Nagoya City Museum showcases the history and culture of the Nagoya area
The Nagoya City Museum has three floors with the ticket office and reception area located on the first floor, along with the museum shop and a gallery for special exhibitions, a thematic gallery and lecture room.
The second floor has a permanent exhibition of the Owari district (the western part of Aichi Prefecture) beginning with archaeological remains from the Paleolithic Age continuing with exhibits up to the present-day.
There are displays from the Jomon and Yayoi periods of Japanese history, including the oldest boat-shaped, wooden coffin in Japan. Other exhibits including roof tiles and Buddha images from the Nara and Heian periods and a focus on two locally-born warlords Oda Nobunaga (1534-1582) and Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1536-1598), and the subsequent rise to power of the Owari branch of the Tokugawa clan under the third of the great generals, Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543-1616).
There are features on two local castles: Kiyosu Castle and the much larger Nagoya Castle, which superceded it as the base of the Owari lords. The local arts and crafts of the Edo Period when the Nagoya area prospered as an important castle town and the city was the fourth largest city in Japan after Edo (Tokyo), Osaka and Kyoto.
The later transformation of Nagoya into an industrial city from the beginning of the Meiji Period through Taisho and Showa is shown through a collection of household items including radios, bicycles and school textbooks.
There are also exhibits on the Second World War as it affected the city along with Nagoya's colorful festivals (matsuri) and famous Arimatsu shibori tie-dying.
Special exhibitions are held throughout the year including on the third floor of the museum, which has shows of works of art by local citizens.
The Nagoya City Museum has a pleasant Japanese garden at the front with a small children's play area.
Adjacent to the museum is a small restaurant/cafe - Cafe Salutare. Audio guides to the museum are available in various languages.
Nagoya City Museum Japanese Garden
Bowl by the Edo Period master potter Honami Koetsu 1558-1637 © Nagoya City Museum
Nagoya City Museum Access
The Nagoya City Museum is very close to Sakurayama Station on the Sakura-dori Line of the Nagoya subway.
From Nagoya Station it is nine stops. Leave the station from Exit 4. Close to Sakurayama Station are Nagoya City University, Nagoya Municipal University Hospital and Mizuho Library.
The Nagoya City Museum can also be accessed from the Kanayama Bus Terminal at Kanayama Station. Take #14 and get off at the Hakubutsukan stop.
Nagoya City Museum (museum.city.nagoya.jp)
1-27-1 Mizuhotori, Mizuho-ku
Nagoya
Aichi 467-0806
Tel: 052 853 2655
Admission: 300 yen for adults, 200 yen for college and high school students, free for junior high and below; closed Monday or the following day if Monday is a public holiday.
Also closed the 4th Tuesday of every month.
Hours: 9 am-5 pm
