Iwakuni Chōkokan, History museum in Kikkō Park, Iwakuni, Japan.
Iwakuni Chōkokan is a history museum housed in a building designed by architect Takeo Satō that displays German Neoclassical architecture with fine decorative details. The site includes the main building alongside several storehouses built in different periods, all registered as Tangible Cultural Properties.
The museum was constructed between 1942 and 1945 to house art collections and historical materials that the Kikkawa family, former rulers of Iwakuni, had donated. This establishment grew from a desire to preserve the artistic and historical legacy of these influential regional lords.
The building reflects how the Kikkawa family valued art and history through its careful design and curation of treasures. Walking through the spaces, you sense the personal connection these former lords maintained with objects spanning centuries.
Start by viewing the exterior architecture before exploring the interior spaces to understand how the different structures relate to each other. Take time moving between the main building and the auxiliary structures, as each offers its own perspective on the site.
An auxiliary building from 1931 that originally functioned as the Kikkawa family office retains its status as a Prefectural Tangible Cultural Property. This structure reveals a different side of the family legacy, showing the everyday administrative space of these former rulers.
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