Rikuzentakata City Museum

Rikuzentakata City Museum is a modern facility housing archaeological finds from the ancient Mutsu Province and marine specimens. The building offers new educational areas and improved exhibition spaces following extensive renovations.

The museum was founded in 1959 and suffered severe damage during the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. A major rescue effort followed to recover and preserve the damaged collections.

The museum displays traditional crafts and ways of life that people in the region still practice today. Visitors can see fishing tools and household objects that show how families once lived and worked along the coast.

The museum is easily accessible from the train station and features clear signage throughout the exhibition areas. The spaces are well organized so visitors can decide how much time to spend in each section.

The museum director played a key role in saving artifacts during the chaotic days after the tsunami struck. Without these early rescue efforts, the region would have lost much of its documented history.

Location: Rikuzentakata

Inception: 1959

Architects: Hiroshi Naito

Official opening: January 1959

Address: 岩手県陸前高田市高田町字並杉300番地1

Website: https://city.rikuzentakata.iwate.jp/soshiki/kanrika/hakubutsukan

GPS coordinates: 39.01556,141.62806

Latest update: December 14, 2025 12:27