Museum / Science Museum Spots in Nara Area

  • Nara National Museum
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    4.5
    484 Reviews
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Nara Pref. Narashi Noboriojichou 50
    This is a museum which opened in Nara City in 1895. The “Nara Buddhist Sculpture Hall (in the main building)” which was designed by the court architect, Katayama Tokuma is a Western-style architectural structure from the Meiji period and has been designated as an Important Cultural Property. There are four exhibition halls in the museum, with the museum’s collection focusing on Japanese Buddhist art from the Asuka period up until the Kamakura period. In addition, a great number of National Treasures and Important Cultural Properties are among the artifacts held and exhibited at the museum. The museum is famous for opening an exhibition of “Shosoin-ten” (Exhibition of Shosoin Treasures) in Autumn every year.

    My friends and I spent about 2 and a half hours here, reading about each statue and piece we came across. There’s plenty of historic pieces to keep you busy that long!

  • Naramachi Mechanical Toy Museum
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    4.0
    77 Reviews
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Nara Pref. Narashi Inyouchou 7
    Located inside a traditional Naramachi townhouse, this hands-on museum allows guests to touch and play with toys from yesteryear. The museum's permanent exhibits feature reproductions of mechanical toys from the Edo and later periods which guests can play with. It also hosts events including seminars where participants can try their hand at making toys.

    We had a great time here!! Ive read so many good reviews and decided to take a walk to the place with our children (12 and 10 yo). The place is filled with traditional/ancient Japanese toys. You...

  • Kashihara City Museum of Insects
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    3.5
    21 Reviews
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Nara Kashihara-shi Minamiyamacho 624
    A museum in Minamiyama-cho, Kashihara City. On display are insect and fossil specimens and in the butterfly greenhouse you can observe butterflies from the Yaeyama region of Okinawa. Besides regular themed exhibitions, special events including observation parties are held to help you learn all about insects.

    はっきり言ってかなり一般向けでは無いので、虫が嫌いな方はおススメ出来ません。 標本は少し古いのか色の発色が良く無いものもありましたが、生きてる昆虫に関しては中々良かったです。他に周りたい所があったのです一時間程しか滞在できませんでしたが、虫好きだと結構長くいられます。 生きた珍しい蝶々が沢山見られるのでかなりレアな場所です。個人的にはかなり楽しめましたが、珍しいゴキブリも展示してあるので、やはり...

  • Daijo-in Temple Garden Heritage Center
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    4.0
    29 Reviews
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Nara Pref. Narashi Takabatakechou 1083-1
    This Heritage Center is a museum in the Garden of the Former Daijo-in Temple, which is located along National Route 169 in Takabatake-cho in the city of Nara. It contains materials connected with Daijo-in Temple, which was founded in 1087 and abandoned during the anti-Buddhist movement in the early Meiji Period (the middle of the nineteenth century). Open to the public free of charge, this museum displays a reconstructed model of what the temple looked like. A teahouse and conference rooms are available to rent.

    奈良ホテルに宿泊し、無料チケットを頂いたので、朝散歩に出かけました。徒歩5分でホテルの坂道を下った所に着きます。冬なので、茶色の芝生が広がり、白梅が咲いていました。お掃除の方に「お花がないのでね。あちらの建物にどうぞ。」と言われそちらへ。写真展をやっており、茶室丸窓からも一幅の絵画のような赤い太鼓橋と、池とお庭が見えました。奈良観光の参考になるパンフレットもいくつか置いてありました。

  • Katsuragi City Sumo Museum Kehayaza
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    3.5
    14 Reviews
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Nara Pref. Katsuragishi Taima 83-1
    This is a museum along Prefectural Route 160 in Taima, Katsuragi City. They display materials related to Taima no Kehaya, the founder of sumo wrestling. Inside the museum there is also a Dohyo (Sumo wrestling ring) of identical size to those used in official Sumo tournaments, and since visitors are free to climb up onto the ring, it is a popular place for Sumo fans.

    The history and philosophy of Sumo is fully explained, before two sumo wrestlers engage in the “best of three” bouts. Then a bold volunteer from our group accepted the offer to challenge one of the...

  • Tenri University Sankokan Museum
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    4.0
    22 Reviews
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Nara Tenri-shi Morimedocho 250
    A museum along the Minami-Oji Road in Morimedo-cho, Tenri City. Their collection includes nearly 300,000 pieces related to everyday culture and classic works of art from around the world. Their permanent exhibition includes part of the collected centered around the twin themes of World Culture and World Antique Art. They also hold special exhibitions, themed exhibitions, lectures, and workshops.

    Tenri Sankokan About a 20-minute walk from Tenri Station is the Tenri Sankokan, a museum where we can meet the cultures of the world and ancient art. When you enter the museum, a colossal stone head...

  • Kashihara Municipal Children's Museum of Science
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    4.0
    8 Reviews
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Nara Kashihara-shi Osacho 11-5 Kashihara Manyo Hall B1
    "A participatory science facility where visitors can learn the basics of science with physical activity while playing. The science museum, where Newton and Galileo greet you just as you enter, has about 10 different experience zones, including the ""How forces work"" Zone and the ""How electricity and magnets work"" Zone. In the experimental workshop in the center of the floor, visitors can experience and observe experiments conducted by science teachers, such as hydrogen-fueled rocket and liquid nitrogen experiments."

    子供たちが、科学について学べる施設のようです。少し時間が余ったので入りましたが、家族連れには良さそうな内容でした。

  • Tenri Municipal Kurozuka Kofun Museum
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    4.0
    17 Reviews
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Nara Pref. Tenrishi Yanagimotochou 1118-2
    This museum is situated in Yanagimoto Town, Tenri City, Nara Prefecture. It is focused on the “Kurozuka Kofun”, keyhole-shaped tomb, from which a number of artifacts were excavated, including the 33-sided “Sankakuen shinjukyo” bronze mirror excavated in 1998, which has the most sides of any bronze mirror discovered in Japan. Inside, you’ll find a replica of the tomb’s pit rock chamber as well as replicas of the artifacts. There are also many materials and panel displays on the Kofun period, the Kurozuka Kofun, and the excavations. The view of the rock chamber from the second-floor stairwell is breathtaking.

    There are so many kofun tombs in this area, so this museum made it a lot easier to understand what they are all about. The life-size reproduction of the burial chamber allows us to see what the...

  • Ikaruga Cultural Property Utilization Center
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    4.0
    16 Reviews
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Nara Pref. Ikomagunikarugachou Houryujinishi 1-11-14
    This is a cultural property examination and research center located in Horyuji-nishi 1-chome, Ikaruga Town. It spreads information regarding the preservation and display of cultural properties, and promotes the study of the Fujinoki Tumulus and Ikaruga's history through images and exhibits of Fujinoki Tumulus burial accessory replicas.

    凄いお宝を持つ藤ノ木古墳の資料館だと思っていたのに小さい。とにかく小さい。たまたま秋季特別展で出土品は三点しかなかったにしても、レプリカでいいからもっと出土品を味わいたかった。本物は国立とかハイレベルな博物館に持って行かれちゃったのだろうが、レプリカでいいからもっと見せて欲しかった。周りのコスモスは11/09でもいっぱい花が咲いていて良い感じ。

  • Hakomoto-kan Konya
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    4.0
    15 Reviews
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Nara Pref. Yamatokoriyamashi Konyamachi 19-1
    A hands-on experience-based tourism facility located in Yamatokoriyama City, Nara Prefecture where visitors can enjoy traditional indigo dying and goldfish crafts. Situated inside an old townhome which was used to operate an indigo dying business starting in the Edo period. The facility’s fat exposed beams and lattice doors create a charming atmosphere. Hakomoto-kan’s indigo dying classes (reservation only) give participants the chance to use chopsticks, clothespins, film cases, and other at-hand tools to create a unique dyed good. The facility’s collection of goldfish-themed crafts, artwork, and everyday life items spans some 1,000 pieces. A rotating selection of these items is always placed on display for visitors to enjoy viewing.

    We had a wonderful experience learning techniques for dyeing with real indigo at this beautiful old indigo workshop. We had a private lesson for just the two of us with a lovely teacher who, although...

  • Takayama Chikurin'en
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    3.5
    14 Reviews
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Nara Ikoma-shi Takayamacho 3440
    "Encircled by the Ikoma Mountains, famous nationwide as a quasi-national park, Ikoma City in Nara Prefecture is known to many as a tourism destination due to this spectacular scenery as well as its abundant shrines, temples, and historic sites. This beautiful park is located on the northern extremity of Ikoma. Open to the general public, facilities include a museum with an exhibition room, Japanese room, and training room; and the Chikubuan tearoom. The park also offers a variety of activities and classes, and holds live demonstrations of Takayama tea whisk production. In addition, the park holds the nighttime Takayama Takeakari ""bamboo illumination"" event in early October which delights visitors with mysterious and magical scenery."

    If you are interested in Japanese craft-making, then this place is for you. If you are interested in strolling through gardens, then this place is for you. If you are interested in museums of...

  • Nara Prefectural Museum of Folklore
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    4.0
    12 Reviews
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Nara Yamatokoriyama-shi Yatacho 545 Yamato Folk customs Park
    A museum in Yamato Folklore Park in Yata-cho, Yamatokooriyama City. Their collection includes daily tools and everyday articles from the Nara region. In addition to their permanent exhibitions covering pre-industrialized rice, tea, and forestry tools as well as what it was like to live during that period, they also hold special exhibitions and workshops.

    村や町から移築された実際の民家が、広い公園の中に展示されている。公園には梅林、菜の花畑、桜、水仙などなど、季節の花々もたくさん見られる。犬の散歩をする人の姿もちらほら。楽しくて和める。博物館の入館料は200円。公園、駐車場は無料。

  • The Museum, Archaeological Institute of Kashihara, Nara Prefecture
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Nara Pref. Kashiharashi Unebichou 50-2
    This museum displays actual materials dug up by the Archaeological Institute of Kashihara, Nara Prefecture as part of its excavation and research ancient ruins. Focusing on items excavated in Nara Prefecture, visitors can catch a glimpse of the history of Nara from the Paleolithic era to the Muromachi period. Particularly famous pieces in the museum’s collection include Japan’s largest cylindrical Haniwa statue, an Important Cultural Property excavated from the Mt. Mesuri Tumulus; and a gilt bronze horse harness excavated from the Fujinoki Tomb and a designated National Treasure. Original merchandise such as Haniwa key chains, can be purchased in the museum shop.
  • Yanagisawa Bunko
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    3.5
    13 Reviews
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Nara Pref. Yamatokoriyamashi Jounaichou 2-18
    Yanagisawa Bunko is a library dedicated to local history located near to the Koriyama Castle Ruins in Jonai Town, Yamatokoriyama City. The library is home to a collection of materials donated by the Yanagisawa family who served as lord of Koriyama for generations, and books on the local area. As well as housing old texts like paintings, writings and poetry by successive lords, and artifacts pertaining to the duties and administration of the clan, the library holds exhibitions three times a year.

    郡山城天守台のそばにあります。関連展示をしています。有料です。建物自体、特に張り出しが立派で歴史を感じます。隣には柳澤神社。柳澤氏とは将軍綱吉の側用人との事です。

  • Karako-Kagi Archaeological Museum
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    4.0
    6 Reviews
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Nara Shiki-gun Tawaramotocho Sakate 233-1 Tawaramoto Aogaki Lifelong learning Center 2F
    The Karako-Kagi archeological site occupies an important position in the study of ancient Yayoi period culture. Occupying 42 hectares, it is the largest such site in the Kinki region and excavations have been ongoing since it was first discovered over a century ago. This museum displays a portion of the vast quantities of archeological artefacts found at the site.

    Aber der Weg ist beschwehrlich und nicht wirklich einfach ohne Wanderung an Straßen oder Busverkerhr zu erreichen.

  • Sakurai City Center for Archaeological Operations
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    3.0
    6 Reviews
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Nara Pref. Sakuraishi Shiba 58-2
    This public facility is in Sakurai City, Nara Prefecture, said to be the place where the Yamato Court originated and home to many historical cultural artifacts. Research findings and exhibitions on various items excavated from within Sakurai City are kept and displayed here. The permanent exhibits focus on items excavated in 1971 onward and introduce the history of the Sakurai region from the Paleolithic period to the Asuka and Nara periods. Exhibits focused on special topics and research themes are hosted in collaboration with various museums and archives as well.

    2018年に2月に訪問した時は、古墳時代の外来土器の展示をしていました。ユニークな形の土器も色々あり、こんなに綺麗に保存されていると、驚かされたものもありました。出展数は少ないですが、見学料200円なので、価値はありました。

  • Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties Exhibition Room of Fujiwara Imperial Site
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    4.0
    4 Reviews
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Nara Pref. Kashiharashi Kinomotochou 94-1
    The Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties Exhibition Room of Fujiwara Imperial Site, which is open the public, displays the findings of surveys and research conducted by the institute. Its focus is primarily on findings regarding Fujiwara-kyo, one of Japan's ancient imperial capitals, as well as Fujiwara Palace. It contains easy-to-understand exhibits on how Fujiwara-kyo was built, what it was like, how it transformed into a farming village after the capital moved to Heijo-kyo (Nara), and how it was excavated after being buried underground for centuries. The facility also features outdoor exhibits for guests to enjoy.

    藤原宮跡と大和三山の一つ香久山の間にある藤原京に関する資料館です。発掘された土器やミニチュアの建物、当時の人々の食事などが展示されています。館内はそう広く有りませんが、無料で学ぶことが出来ます。

  • Suiheisha History Museum
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    4.5
    3 Reviews
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Nara Pref. Goseshi Kashihara 235-2
    This museum on the history of the Suiheisha (All-Japan Society for Legal Equality) was built in Kashihara, Gose City, the site of the society's founding and the spiritual home of the human rights movement in Japan. It serves as a base for the dissemination of information on human rights towards a goal of eliminating all kinds of discrimination. The museum's first floor features an information board of local sites related to human rights. There, visitors can learn about the origins and activism of the Suiheisha. The second floor is the museum's main exhibit hall, which hosts a number of special exhibits.

    部落差別の撤廃という切なる願いを求めて設立された水平社の歴史を中心に、広く人間の多様性にまで触れる内容が世代を超えて理解し易く展示されています。水平社創立百年と併せて2022年にリニューアルされたとのことで真新しい感じでした。正に今叫ばれるSDGsやダイバーシティの観点で先端を行く博物館とも言えると感じました。

  • Kusuri no Yakata Uda City History and Culture Museum
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    4.0
    1 Reviews
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Nara Pref. Udashi Oudakami 2003
    A museum housed inside the former residence of the Hosokawa family, which operated a medicinal wholesaler passed down for generations from 1806. The museum is located in Ouda, Uda City, Nara Prefecture. The building, standing along a former highway route, was built in the late Edo period; the sign for the former company’s medicine brand, Tenju-maru, still stands atop the building, and the structure still looks the same as when the area once flourished as a production location for medicines. Inside, the museum presents historical materials connected to the Hosokawa family and the local area. The building was also once the home of the mother’s side of the family of the founder of Fujisawa Pharmaceutical (which eventually merged with Yamanouchi Pharmaceutical to create Astellas Pharma), and the museum thus also exhibits materials related to Fujisawa Pharmaceutical.

    宇陀道の駅から北に歩いて5分 森野吉野葛本舗の3軒先に 薬の館がある 古めかしい江戸時代を思わせる店構え 大きなうだつに 屋根の中央に唐破風「天寿丸」の看板これを目印に 入ってみると懇切丁寧に係りの方が説明をしていただける。 藤沢薬品(今は、アステラス製薬)の創設者の実家 上り框から帳場や奥の打ち合わせや庭や薬の保管した蔵 江戸時代からの日本の薬メーカへの変遷などみれます。 江戸の家そのままに土間...

  • Excavation Site Exhibition Hall
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Nara Pref. Narashi Sakichou 1138
    This new exhibition hall was added to the Nara Palace Site Museum during renovations which were completed in 2010. The facility allows visitors to see features discovered during the archeological excavation of Nara Palace as they were found. It also provides easy to understand commentary about the Nara Palace Ruins through exhibits including reconstructed models of the Former Imperial Audience Hall (Dai-ichiji Daikokuden) and Inner Palace (Dairi). Seeing traces of the ancient capital like the Well of the Office of Sake Brewing (Mikinotsukasa) and the South Wall of the Office of the Imperial Household (Kunaisho) is sure to stir your spirit of adventure.

Nara Areas

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With a reputation almost as stellar as that of Kyoto, Nara is a must-visit for those searching for the remains of "traditional Japan." The largely green Nara city holds the majority of the prefecture’s treasures, such as the iconic Todai-ji Temple, in which a 15-meter tall Great Buddha sits, and Nara Park, where deer flock to befriend passersby. While mountains are by no means hard to come by in this area, for hiking with a reward, head to the Kii Mountains’ Yoshino district in spring, when the hillsides put on an impressive display of white and pink cherry blossoms.

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