Shimadzu Foundation Memorial Museum, Corporate museum in Nakagyō-ku, Japan.
The Shimadzu Foundation Memorial Museum is a two-story wooden building in Nakagyō-ku with five exhibition rooms showing scientific instruments, machines, and technical inventions from the company's long history. Inside are more than 11,000 objects ranging from medical devices to educational tools covering different periods of Japanese technology.
The building served from 1875 to 1920 as home and business place for Genzo Shimadzu and his son during the Meiji period, when Japan was building its modern industries. This era was crucial for the development of Japanese science and technology that continues to influence the world.
The museum shows how Shimadzu shaped Japan's industrialization and how generations of engineers worked here on solutions that changed daily life. Visitors can see how scientific research connected with craftsman tradition.
The museum is near Kyoto Shiyakushomae Station and requires advance booking three business days before your visit. Multilingual audio guides are available for international visitors to help you explore the displays more easily.
The building features traditional stained-glass windows showing cherry blossoms and colors of the Kamogawa River, blending Japanese and Western design. These details show how Shimadzu brought together old and new ideas in everything it did.
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