Yatsushiro Municipal Museum

Yatsushiro Municipal Museum is a city museum in Japan featuring a glass pavilion with a steel canopy and horizontal half-cylinder roof designed by architect Toyo Ito. The building houses exhibition spaces displaying local crafts, artifacts from ancient tombs, and materials from the nearby castle site.

The museum houses extensive collections from the Matsui family who ruled Yatsushiro Castle, along with artifacts from ancient tomb sites in the area. These collections document the region's long history of governance and settlement spanning multiple centuries.

The museum displays local craft traditions like Yatsushiro pottery and traditional Miyaji washi paper manufacturing, both still practiced in the region today. Visitors can see how these handmade techniques remain part of the area's identity and daily cultural life.

The museum is easily accessible on foot and offers parking nearby for visitors arriving by car. Plan enough time to explore the extensive collections, as the exhibitions contain detailed displays that reward careful observation.

The building integrates creatively into the landscape through an elevated earth mound that makes it appear as a single-story structure despite its substantial interior volume. This design approach creates a surprising visual harmony with the surrounding terrain.

Location: Yatsushiro

Architects: Itō Toyoo

Official opening: October 1991

Address: 熊本県八代市西松江城町12-35

Website: http://city.yatsushiro.kumamoto.jp/museum

GPS coordinates: 32.50826,130.59659

Latest update: December 12, 2025 14:23