Oita Fragrance Museum, Fragrance museum in Kannawa district, Beppu, Japan.
The Oita Fragrance Museum is an exhibition with around 3,600 objects exploring the history and culture of scent and perfume, including bottles, incense burners, and distillation tools from different time periods. The collection shows how people from various cultures have integrated fragrance into their lives and what techniques they developed for creating and using scents.
The museum was founded by bringing together an earlier private collection and opening it as a new venue to mark an important university anniversary. This effort made valuable holdings accessible to the public for the first time.
The museum shows how scent has shaped daily life across Japan and around the world, with displays revealing local incense-making traditions and how people in different regions incorporate fragrances into their homes and routines. You'll see how these practices influence the way items are presented, reflecting the role of smell in personal and social moments.
The museum is located in the Kannawa area and is easy to reach on foot or by public transportation. Plan for at least two to three hours to comfortably explore the collection and participate in the activities offered around the garden areas.
Visitors might overlook that the garden includes a natural hot spring footbath fed by the area's thermal waters, allowing people to soak while surrounded by plants and herbs. This unusual mix of museum and mineral spring experience sets it apart from typical exhibition spaces.
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