20 Museums in Kyoto worth your time

Kitamura Museum: a private collection of antique art and tea ceremony items, worth visiting for its cultural properties.

What it is

• A registered museum in Kyoto Prefecture.
• Opened in 1977, designed by Hirotaka Tomiie.
• Houses the collection of Kinjiro Kitamura.
• Focuses on antique art and tea ceremony utensils.

What to see

• Collection includes 33 National Important Cultural Properties.
• Adjacent Shikunshien garden is open in spring and autumn.
• Shikunshien has two Important Cultural Property stone lanterns.
• Shikunshien has one Important Cultural Property stone pagoda.

When to go

• Visit the Shikunshien garden in spring and autumn.

Getting there

• 10-minute walk from Demachiyanagi Station.
• 20-minute walk from Imadegawa Station.

Official site

www.kitamura-museum.com

Read more about Kitamura Museum

See historic railway artifacts and a steam locomotive at this museum.

What it is

• A railway preservation facility established in 1998.
• Founded by the Shinmachi Shopping Street Business Cooperative.
• Displays items used by the Hokutan Railway.
• Building 1 reopened in 2023 as Fukuchiyama Railway Museum Fukureru.

What to see

• Building 1, originally the Mitsumaru Department Store from 1933.
• About 500 railway materials are exhibited.
• A third driving wheel of the C57 type 93 steam locomotive.
• Building 2 houses a preserved C58 type 56 steam locomotive.

When to go

• The new facility opened on August 26, 2023.

Getting there

• The new facility is in Fukuchiyama Castle Park.

Read more about Fukuchiyama Railway Museum Poppoland

Explore Gunze's silk and textile history in a renovated warehouse, celebrating its local origins.

What it is

• A museum in Ayabe City, Kyoto Prefecture.
• Established in 1996 for Gunze's 100th anniversary.
• Gunze was founded in Ayabe City in 1896.

What to see

• Former silk reeling warehouse from the early Taisho era.
• Exhibits of knitwear, socks, and silk products.
• Kuwa-no-en with 500 varieties and 2000 mulberry trees.
• Gunze Memorial Hall covers sericulture and company history.
• Memorial Hall building was originally the head office.
• Gunze Historical Archives stores historical collections.

Getting there

• Ayabe Station on the JR San'in Main Line.
• Ayabe IC on the Maizuru-Wakasa Expressway.

Official site

www.gunze.co.jp

Read more about Gunze Museum

See art by Monet and Mingei masters in a historic villa and modern annexes.

What it is

• A registered museum in Oyamazaki Town, Kyoto Prefecture.
• Opened in 1996, it changed its name on July 1, 2023.
• Houses collections by Tamesaburo Yamamoto.
• Exhibits works related to the Mingei movement.

What to see

• Main building is a three-story British Tudor style villa.
• Villa designed by businessman Shotaro Kaga.
• Main building is a registered tangible cultural property.
• Underground museum and Yamate-kan designed by Tadao Ando.
• Collection includes paintings by Claude Monet.

Getting there

• 10-minute walk from Yamazaki Station.
• 10-minute walk from Oyamazaki Station.

Address

〒618-0071　京都府乙訓郡大山崎町銭原5-3 Map

Official site

www.asahigroup-oyamazaki.com

Read more about Asahi Group Oyamazaki Villa Museum of Art

Yūrinkan Museum is a private Kyoto museum of ancient Chinese art, worth visiting for its rare collection.

What it is

• A private museum in Kyoto, Japan.
• Specializes in ancient Chinese art.
• Established in 1926 by Fujii Zensuke.
• Managed by the Fujii Saiseikai Foundation.

What to see

• Three-story building with an octagonal hall on the roof.
• Building is a registered cultural property of Kyoto City.
• Collection includes one National Treasure.
• Collection includes nine Important Cultural Properties.
• Bronzes, Buddhist statues, paintings, and ceramics.
• A cheating undergarment used in imperial examinations.

When to go

• Open on the first and third Sundays of the month.

Official site

www.yurinkan-museum.jp

Read more about Yūrinkan Museum

Explore Kyoto's cultural heritage and Hyakunin Isshu poetry in this modern museum.

What it is

• Museum promoting Kyoto's arts and culture.
• Operated by Ogura Hyakunin Isshu Culture Foundation.
• Reopened November 1, 2018, after renovation.
• Formerly the Hyakunin Isshu Museum Shigure-den.

What to see

• First floor: permanent and special exhibition spaces.
• Second floor: 120-tatami mat gallery for special exhibitions.
• Permanent exhibition displays 100 Kasen dolls.
• Explanations of Hyakunin Isshu history.

When to go

• Four special exhibitions are held annually.

Getting there

• Located near Togetsukyo Bridge in Arashiyama.

Read more about Saga Arashiyama Museum of Arts and Culture

This museum, in a 1909 brewery, shows sake production history and Gekkeikan's evolution since 1637.

What it is

• Sake museum in a converted brewery building.
• Opened in 1982, built in 1909.
• Presents history of sake production in Fushimi.
• Traces Gekkeikan’s history from 1637.

What to see

• Replica of a Taishō era sake shop entrance.
• Huge vintage wooden sake tubs in courtyard.
• Fermentation room with open-topped vats.
• Sake-making tools from before industrialization.
• Evolution of sake bottles and advertising materials.
• Rare bottle labeled “Made in Occupied Japan”.

When to go

• Sake is produced year-round in the Uchigura.

Address

〒612-8660　京都府京都市伏見区南浜町247 Map

Official site

www.gekkeikan.co.jp

Read more about Gekkeikan Ōkura Sake Museum

Explore Kyoto's history through documents and art at this combined library, archive, and museum.

What it is

• A cultural facility combining library, archives, and museum functions.
• Opened in 1963 in Sakyo Ward, Kyoto City.
• Collected books, ancient documents, and art related to Kyoto Prefecture.
• Relocated to the Kyoto Institute, Library and Archives in 2016.

What to see

• Approximately 320,000 general books.
• Administrative documents from Kyoto Prefecture's establishment.
• Toji Hyakugo Monjo, a National Treasure.
• Kawashima Family Documents, an Important Cultural Property.
• Kyoto Prefectural Administrative Documents, an Important Cultural Property.

Address

1-29 Shimogamo Hankicho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-0823 Map

Official site

www.pref.kyoto.jp

Read more about Kyoto Prefectural Library and Archives

This museum displays excavated artifacts from Kyoto's history, from the Stone Age to the twentieth century.

What it is

• Main museum in Kyoto about the city's history.
• Displays artifacts from Stone Age to 20th century.
• Building dates from 1914, designed by Motono Seigo.
• Converted to archaeological museum in 1979.

What to see

• Vast collection of pottery, stone, and metal utensils.
• Remains of ancient dwellings and wooden tools.
• Permanent exhibition on the second floor.
• Special exhibitions on the first floor.
• Building is a registered Tangible Cultural Property.

When to go

• At least three special exhibitions every year.

Address

京都府京都市上京区今出川通大宮東入元伊佐町265-1 Map

Official site

www.kyoto-arc.or.jp

Read more about Kyoto City Archaeological Museum

Jōtenkaku Museum showcases art and treasures from historic Kyoto temples, worth visiting for its cultural properties.

What it is

• Museum within Shōkoku-ji temple grounds, Kyoto.
• Opened in 1984 for Shōkoku-ji's 600th anniversary.
• Houses cultural properties from Shōkoku-ji and related temples.
• Name comes from Shōkoku-ji's formal name.

What to see

• Collection includes two National Treasures.
• Many Important Cultural Properties are on display.
• Artworks from Mannō Museum, donated in 2004.
• Exhibits from Rokusho-ji (Kinkaku-ji) and Jishō-ji (Ginkaku-ji).

Getting there

• 8-minute walk from Imadegawa Station.

Read more about Jōtenkaku Museum

A science center in Kyoto with a planetarium, offering engaging exhibits for all ages.

What it is

• A science museum in Kyoto's Fushimi Ward.
• A leading example in Japan for science education.
• Used for science education for young students.
• Also used for teacher training.

What to see

• A planetarium.
• A three-story building with an outdoor garden.

When to go

• Annual Science Festival for Youth Kyoto Tournament in November.

Getting there

• 3-minute walk from Seishonen Kagaku Center-mae bus stop.
• About 400m west of Fujinomori Station on Keihan Main Line.

Address

〒612-0031　京都府京都市伏見区深草池ノ内町13 Map

Official site

www.edu.city.kyoto.jp

Read more about Kyoto Municipal Science Center for Youth

Historic warehouse, now a free cultural hall, showcasing Maizuru's past and a friendship medal.

What it is

• A cultural facility in Maizuru City, Kyoto Prefecture.
• Opened in October 1994.
• Building constructed in 1903.
• Originally a warehouse for goods and damaged weapons.

What to see

• First floor has a hall for 200 people.
• Second floor is an exhibition room.
• Exhibits Oye Sueo's friendship medal.
• Designated an Important Cultural Property.

When to go

• Admission is free.
• Closed on Mondays.

Getting there

• 10-minute walk from Higashi-Maizuru Station.

Address

京都県舞鶴市字北吸1039-2 Map

Official site

akarenga-park.com

Read more about Maizuru City Commemoration Hall

See the works of Insho Domoto, a master of Japanese painting, in a building he designed.

What it is

• A museum founded in 1966 by Japanese painter Insho Domoto.
• It was established to display his own artworks.
• The museum and collection were donated to Kyoto Prefecture in 1991.

What to see

• The building's exterior, designed by Insho Domoto.
• Artworks by Japanese painter Insho Domoto.
• Kinkaku-ji Temple is in the vicinity.
• Ryoan-ji Temple is in the vicinity.

Getting there

• Located on Kinukake-no-michi road.
• In front of Ritsumeikan University Kinugasa Campus main gate.

Address

〒603-8355　京都県京都市北区平野上柳町26-3 Map

Official site

insho-domoto.com

Read more about Kyoto Prefectural Insho-Domoto Museum of Fine Arts

Explore Tango's history and culture through 110,000 artifacts, including national treasures, at this regional museum.

What it is

• A museum in Miyazu City, Kyoto Prefecture.
• Also known as Furusato Museum Tango.
• Researches history, archaeology, and folklore of the Tango region.
• Opened on November 7, 1970.

What to see

• Approximately 110,000 items are housed here.
• Includes 10 national treasures and important cultural properties.
• The main building is a two-story concrete structure.
• Old Nagashima Family Residence was relocated here in 1995.
• Stands on the site of Tango Kokubunji Temple ruins.

Address

京都府宮津市字国分小字天王山611-1 Map

Official site

www.kyoto-be.ne.jp

Read more about Kyoto Prefectural Tango Regional Museum

This private museum showcases 10,000 Japanese craft items from the late Edo to Meiji periods.

What it is

• A private art museum in Kyoto.
• Houses about 10,000 Japanese craft items.
• Items are mainly from late Edo to Meiji periods.
• Founded by Masayuki Murata.

What to see

• Collection includes lacquerware and metalwork.
• See ceramics, cloisonné, and wood carvings.
• View ivory carvings and embroidered paintings.
• Works by Kano Natsuo and Unno Shomin are displayed.
• Works by Namikawa Yasuyuki and Shibata Zeshin are here.
• See works by Takamura Koun and Asahi Gyokuzan.

Address

〒605-0862　京都府京都市東山区清水寺門前産寧坂北入清水3-337-1 Map

Official site

sannenzaka-museum.co.jp

Read more about Kiyomizu Sannenzaka Museum

Japan's only brick museum, housed in a historic naval warehouse, showcasing bricks from around the world.

What it is

• Japan's only museum dedicated to bricks.
• Opened in November 1993, operated by Maizuru City.
• Housed in a former Imperial Japanese Navy torpedo warehouse.
• Building completed in 1903, Japan's oldest steel-framed brick structure.

What to see

• Exhibits bricks from historic buildings worldwide.
• A corner reproduces a Hoffmann kiln.
• The building itself is an Important Cultural Property.

Getting there

• Located near Higashi-Maizuru Station.

Official site

akarenga-park.com

Read more about Maizuru World Brick Museum

Explore naval history at this museum, housed in a historic building, with unique artifacts.

What it is

• A museum dedicated to naval history.
• Established on May 27, 1964.
• Uses part of the former Naval Engineering School Auditorium.

What to see

• About 500 items from the Imperial Japanese Navy.
• Exhibits on Admiral Heihachiro Togo.
• Located near Maizuru Red Brick Warehouses.

When to go

• Open Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays.
• Hours are from 10 AM to 3 PM.

Getting there

• 3-minute walk from Zosensho-mae bus stop.

Address

京都県舞鶴市余部下1190 Map

Official site

www.mod.go.jp

Read more about Navy Memorial Museum

Miniature railway model park in Kyoto, with cityscapes and interactive train operation.

What it is

• A miniature railway model park.
• Opened March 1, 2011.
• Established by Sagano Scenic Railway.
• Primarily uses 16-gauge Japanese models.

What to see

• Diorama reproduces Kyoto townscapes and famous temples.
• Front sections of JNR EF66 electric locomotives.
• Planetarium with LED lights.
• Children can borrow Sagano Scenic Railway uniforms and hats.

Getting there

• Adjacent to Saga-Arashiyama Station.
• Adjacent to Torokko Saga Station.

Official site

www.sagano-kanko.co.jp

Read more about Diorama Kyoto Japan

Step back in time at this museum preserving a historic railway station and its trains.

What it is

• A railway museum in Yosano Town, Kyoto Prefecture.
• Operated by the NPO Kaya Railway Preservation Society.
• The museum building is the former Kaya Station building.
• Station building completed on August 1, 1926.

What to see

• The Yosano Town designated tangible cultural property station building.
• Three vehicles from Kaya SL Hiroba.
• C160 steam locomotive from Omiya Traffic Park.

When to go

• Open on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays.

Official site

kayatetsu.web.fc2.com

Read more about Kaya Railway Museum

A gallery founded by local craft and architecture colleges showcasing Kyoto's historic traditional arts and craft techniques.

What it is

• A museum dedicated to showcasing traditional arts and crafts of Kyoto.
• Established in 2003 by the Kyoto Traditional Crafts University.
• Co-founded by the Kyoto College of Architecture to preserve local heritage.
• A facility that received an official visit from the Crown Prince in 2007.

What to see

• Various exhibits featuring traditional Kyoto arts and craft works.
• Displays created by students and masters of the founding craft institutions.

Official site

www.dentoukougei.com

Read more about Gallery of Kyoto Traditional Arts & Crafts