Vocational Museum, Vocational museum in Kansai Science City, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan

The Vocational Museum, known in Japanese as Watashi no Shigoto-kan, occupied a large glass-clad building in the Kansai Science City, straddling Kizugawa, Kyoto Prefecture, and Seika, Kyoto Prefecture. Its 35,000 m² of floor space held five zones, from a job-exploration area with a train-driving simulator to hands-on craft workshops such as Kyo-yaki pottery and Nishijin weaving. The facade shown here bears the name and two cartoon figures above the entrance.

The facility was planned from 1989 under the former Ministry of Labour, and the government settled on a construction plan in 1992. It opened as a Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare project in Kansai Science City, straddling Kizugawa, Kyoto Prefecture, and Seika, Kyoto Prefecture. It closed on 31 March 2010; since 2014 the building has housed the Keihanna Open Innovation Center (KICK).

The facility's name was chosen by public competition in January 2001, before it opened. Its hands-on zone let visitors try crafts tied to the Kansai region, among them Kyo-yaki and Shimizu pottery, Kyo-yuzen dyeing, Nishijin weaving, Osaka woodwork, Nara tea utensils and Nara brushes, each led by instructors.

The museum closed on 31 March 2010; the building now operates as the Keihanna Open Innovation Center (KICK). It stands in the Keihanna Science City, spanning Seika Town and Kizugawa City in Kyoto Prefecture. By car, exit the Keinawa Expressway at Seika-Gakken IC; by train, take a Nara Kotsu bus from Hosono or Shin-Hosono Station to Koen-Higashi-dori (about 7 minutes).

The museum features replicas of actual workplaces where you can try medical procedures or industrial manufacturing tasks. These realistic setups let you experience real job environments in a safe way.