KOBE CITY MUSEUM
The Kobe City Museum was established in the autumn of 1982 by merging the previously existing Municipal Museum of Namban Art and the Archaeological Museum. The museum building, designed by Sakurai Kotaro and completed in 1935, repurposes the Kobe branch of the former Yokohama Specie Bank (currently Mitsubishi UFJ Bank). It was registered as a Tangible Cultural Property in 1998.
The museum focuses on collecting and preserving artifacts centering on the key themes of "International Cultural Exchange" and "Interaction between Eastern and Western Culture and its Changes." The collection includes archaeological and historical items such as the Sakuragaoka Bronze Bells and Bronze Halberds（National Treasure）, artworks including Namban art collected by Ikenaga Hajime and the Biidoro Shiryoko Collection of Dr. Tanahashi Junji, as well as old maps mainly collected by Namba Matsutaro and Akioka Takejiro.
The museum hosts two permanent exhibitions: ”History of Kobe”, introducing the region's local history, and “Collection Room”, which showcases artifacts from the museum's collection displayed by themes. Large-scale Special exhibitions featuring masterpieces from both inside and outside Japan are also regularly held.
The museum organizes hands-on workshops and events, with some specifically designed for international visitors. Make sure to check them out.
※Please visit the museum's website for more details.
Main works
Sakuragaoka Bronze Bells and Bronze Halberds（National Treasure）
The "Sakuragaoka Bronze Bells and Bronze Halberds" consist of three bronze bells with a flowing water pattern (Bell 1 to Bell 3) and eleven bronze bells with a crossed band pattern (Bell 4 to Bell 14), along with seven bronze halberds of the "Osaka Bay type." These bronze bells are believed to have been used in agricultural rituals during the Yayoi period. The patterns of Sakuragaoka Bronze Bells No.4 and No.5 provide important clues to the lifestyle of people in the Yayoi period.
Portrait of St. Francis Xavier（Designated Important Cultural Property）
St. Francis Xavier (1506-52) first introduced Christianity to Japan in 1549, marking the beginning of actual interactions between Japan and the West. After Xavier left Japan, it is said that there were about 300,000 Christians in Japan at its peak. Although the faith was officially banned by the Tokugawa shogunate in the early 17th century, it continued secretly among the Hidden Christians. When Xavier was canonized in 1622, news of his sainthood reached the Christians in Japan, leading to the production of worship paintings. This portrait was secretly passed down in Sendaiji, a village in the ancient province of Settsu (current Ibaraki City, Osaka Prefecture), and eventually brought to Kobe.
- Kano Naizen, Namban Screens（Designated Important Cultural Property）
- Kano Yoshinobu, Battle Scenes of Genji and Heishi at Ichi-no-tani and Yashima
- Map of Hyogo port
- Yoshu Chikanobu, Society Ball
- Plan of The Foreign Settlement of Kobe
- Inscription by Kokei Sochin, Portrait of Oda Nobunaga（Designated Important Cultural Property）
- Four Large Cities in the World / Map of the World（Designated Important Cultural Property）
- Ferdinand Verbiest, Konyo Zenzu (Map of the World)
