Beni Museum, Art museum in Minami-Aoyama, Japan
Beni Museum displays the creation of traditional Japanese red lipstick through exhibits showing the process from extracting safflower petals to the finished product. The museum also houses historical tools and personal items that illustrate the craftsmanship involved in this specialized cosmetic production.
The museum was established in 2003 by a company that began operations in 1825 and kept alive beni production techniques from the Edo period. This continuous lineage demonstrates how one small craft tradition survived and was passed down over nearly 200 years.
Traditional beni makeup held special meaning in Japanese society as a sign of refinement and care for one's appearance. The museum shows how this cosmetic product became woven into everyday life and personal identity across different time periods.
The museum is housed in an easily accessible commercial building and offers visitors the chance to try the red lipstick firsthand. The space is compact and simple to navigate, making it possible to explore everything without spending hours there.
The museum preserves the making of a special red color that requires roughly 1000 safflower petals processed through careful handwork. This intense relationship between raw material and finished cosmetic reveals why this product held such value historically.
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