The Top 5 Museums To Visit In Kanagawa

content: Kanagawa is an area with rich history a short trip from Tokyo, why not stop by to learn more about this fascinating area and Japan as a whole.

Summary

Kanagawa is an area with rich history a short trip from Tokyo, why not stop by to learn more about this fascinating area and Japan as a whole. With its rich history and culture Kanagawa has a variety of interesting museums to visit in Spring, Summer, Autumn or Winter. From history museums, to art museums and Open-Air Folk Museums!

Top 5 Museums In Kanagawa

museum_kanagawa via www.photo-ac.comFrom the Kanagawa Prefectural Museum of Cultural History to the Museum of Modern Art the complete list of the best museums to visit on your trip to Kanagawa. Kanagawa is located in the Kanto region of Japan, which is in the south eastern corner of Honshu the main island of Japan. Sandwiched between Tokyo to the east and Mount Fuji to the west Kanagawa is an area of rich history and an easy area to visit during your trip to Japan.

1. Kanagawa Prefectural Museum of Cultural History

museum_kanagawa via album.hamacco.netIf you are looking to balance out the modern big city life of Yokohama with some culture and history then look no further than the Kanagawa Prefectural Museum of Cultural History. Centrally located next to the famous Minato Mirai 21 it was originally opened in 1967 as the Kanagawa Prefectural Museum. Even the building itself is historical being the former headquarters of the Yokohama Specie Bank. Built in 1904 and designated as an Important Cultural Property and a National Historic Site in 1995.
The Museum is organized with 6 main sections, starting from prehistoric times to late Meiji-era Kanagawa. The section on the opening of Yokohama port, and Japan to foreign trade, is particularly interesting. There is a free English audio guide app which you can download for free on your smart phone or tablet. This will allow you to enjoy the exhibits more and the narrators of the audio guide are actually all High school students in Kanagawa.

Kanagawa Prefectural Museum of Cultural History
http://ch.kanagawa-museum.jp/english

2. Hakone Open-Air Museum

The Hakone Open-Air Museum is located in a lush 17-acre garden (70,000 square meters) not far from Mt. Fuji. Founded in 1969 and Japan’s first outdoor, open air art museum the Hakone Open-Air Museum estimated to have 120 pieces on permanent display. With views of the Hakone mountains this stunning natural setting is the perfect gallery for art lovers to enjoy a leisurely stroll and examine the sculptures up close to contemplate the story behind the art. If it happens to rain while you are visiting there are 5 indoor exhibitions including the Picasso Pavilion with rotating displays from and more than 300 Picasso pieces in this world class collection.
Enjoyable at any time of year, in spring the blooming flowers transform the museum into a riot of color. Summer sun bathes all the sculptures in its light; contrasting and highlighting their features. In autumn, the Koyo (changing color of the leaves) blanket the ground in different shades of yellow, orange and rich reds in true Japanese style. Finally, in winter the season calls the visitors for quiet reflection of the various works of art.The Hakone Night Museum, running from the beginning of December to the beginning of January, is particularly beautiful as the sculptures and surroundings are lit up for a breathtaking display. However, there are various events held at the Hakone Open-Air Museum throughout the year, please refer to their website for information about what events are going on during your visit.

Hakone Open-Air Museum
http://www.hakone-oam.or.jp/

3. Kanagawa Prefectural Museum Of Natural History

The Natural History Museum used to be part of the general Kanagawa Prefectural Museum however as it grew in size it split off in 1995 to become a museum on its own. It now displays over 10,000 pieces ranging from real specimens of skeletons of towering dinosaurs or meteors down to tiny insect. There is something to keep every adult and child alike fascinated and entertained.

Kanagawa Prefectural Museum of Natural History
http://nh.kanagawa-museum.jp/index_en.html

4. Kanagawa Museum Of Modern Art

Kanagawa Museum of Modern Art has two building, one in Hayama and an annex in Kamakura. Since it opened in 1951 as the first public modern art museum in Japan, it has played a leading role in promoting and showcasing art in Japan. The museum holds about 14,000 items including Western and Japanese paintings, sculptures, woodblock prints, photography and handcrafts – one of the best collections among public art museums in Japan.

Kanagawa Museum of Modern Art
http://www.moma.pref.kanagawa.jp/en/

5. Kamakura Museum Of National Treasures

museum_kanagawa The Kamakura Museum of National Treasures was founded in 1928 after the Great Earthquake of 1923. The museum possesses over 4,800 items from the Kamakura area including paintings, sculptures and industrial art objects. Large parts of the collection were created in the 12th to the 16th century and some were imported from China at around this time. Its collection has a great significance for the studies of the Japanese medieval period.

Kamakura Museum of National Treasures
http://www.city.kamakura.kanagawa.jp/kokuhoukan/

Travel To The Past At The Japan Open Air Folk Museum

museum_kanagawa via trip.hiwadasan.com

What Is Japan Open Air Folk Museum?

The Japan Open-Air Folk House Museum was established in 1967 to preserve the valuable and unique historical buildings. There are now 25 old Japanese folk houses such as farm houses and merchant houses from across Japan. Carefully and painstakingly disassembled then transported to Kanagawa, to be reassembled carefully as representations of life in various parts of Japan hundreds of years ago. museum_kanagawa via trip.hiwadasan.com

What To See

Most of the Folk Houses have thatched roofs and with the wooded surroundings and the meandering path between them it creates a pleasant environment to step back in time. The Folk Museum has an exhibition hall displaying the traditional architecture, design and construction of the houses, house building tools, and also the farming tools and various implements of everyday life. museum_kanagawa via trip.hiwadasan.com

Events And Workshops

Events are held regularly throughout the year including traditional festivals, various straw crafts and other traditional craft workshops. folk storytelling and Japanese Kabuki play or puppet shows are also carried out. Please check the website for what events will be going on during your visit.
Admission is 500 yen or 300 yen for concessions and there is a comprehensive 74-page English guide book available for 1,540 yen. However, the best way to fully experience the Open Air Folk Museum would be with a professional guided tour.

Information

Access To The Open-Air Folk Museum

From Shinjuku Station Take the train Odakyu line (towards Odawara), it is 21 minutes on the express train and get off at Mukogaoka-Yuen station. It is then a 15-minute walk to the Open-Air Folk Museum.

Japan Open Air Folk Museum
Address: 7-1-1 Masugata, Tama Ward, Kawasaki, Kanagawa 214-0032
Tel: +81 44-922-2181
Website: http://english.nihonminkaen.jp/