National Museum of Ethnology, Ethnographic museum in Expo '70 Commemorative Park, Suita, Japan
The National Museum of Ethnology is an ethnographic museum within Expo '70 Commemorative Park in Suita, housing artifacts from Asia, Africa, Oceania and the Americas. The collections display tools, clothing, masks and ritual objects from different parts of the world in thematically organized exhibition rooms.
Anthropologists Tadao Umesao and Seiichi Izumi founded the institution in 1974 after the World Exposition brought international attention to the park. The doors opened in November 1977 with the intention of making cultural testimonies from around the world accessible.
The name refers to the systematic documentation of different ways of life and everyday practices worldwide. Visitors today can trace how people in various regions live, eat and organize their celebrations.
Opening hours run from 10:00 to 17:00 with final admission at 16:30, while the building stays closed on Wednesdays and around New Year. The circuit takes between two and four hours depending on interest, as the rooms offer detailed explanations and many objects.
The Videotheque system allows visitors to watch documentary films about ceremonies, performances and everyday scenes from around the world. These films can be selected by region or theme and offer insights into ways of life that objects alone cannot easily capture.
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