Following Tokyo National Museum, Kyoto National Museum, and Nara National Museum, Kyushu National Museum is recently established for the first time in 108 years as the fourth national museum in Japan. Set in the hills lying behind Dazaifu Shrine, the vast, eye-catching building that opened on October 16, 2005 features a roof that conjures up rolling hills and double skin glass walls.
Unlike the other national museums which mainly exhibit art, Kyushu National Museum could be called “the historical museum”. Given Kyushu’s close ties with Asia, the museum was conceptualized as one that “illustrates the shaping of Japanese culture from a historical Asian perspective”, and displays the formation of Japanese culture from the Paleolithic Era to the end of the Tokugawa Era (the late 1860’s).
In addition to Kano Masanobu’s painting “Zhou Maoshu Appreciating Lotuses”, the museum houses a large number of national important cultural assets; special displays are also periodically open to the public. Visitors can experience Asian culture in the “Ajippa” area located on the first floor free of charge!