The National Museum of Ethnology (Minpaku)

Professor Toshio Asakura, Director of the Department of Cultural Research, guiding us the highlights of various exhibition spaces

The National Museum of Ethnology (Minpaku) boasts an impressive façade, representing traditional Japanese architectural beauty and standing in perfect harmony with the Expo Park, and is a place where visitors can experience the many societies and cultures of ethnic communities of the world. Here approximately 80 researchers, both Japanese and international, are doing research on various regions of the world from perspectives of ethnology and cultural anthropology.

Sample materials as well as audio and visual materials are collected and exhibited to enhance understanding on the lifestyles and ways of thinking of ethnic communities living in various parts of the world.Graduate school courses are provided to train creative researchers. It is indeed an epoch-making museum, with a vast floor space of approximately 51,000 m2, and is filled with intellectual materials and ideas.

The Museum hall is divided into 9 spaces representing the 9 regions of the world including Oceania, the Americas and Europe, where exhibitions are arranged to enable visitors to make an around-the-world trip by understanding the interrelationships between their own cultures and other cultures of various regions in the world. The exhibitions focus on household goods including food, clothing and residence to enable visitors to understand lifestyles in various regions of the world.

Exhibitions are also in place to enable visitors to overview various ethnic cultures of the world by focusing upon specific genres such as music and languages.

A variety of exhibits offers intellectually stimulating experiences. For instance, at the Videotheque, ceremonies, performing arts and lifestyles of peoples around the world are introduced through projected images. The Study Corner allows visitors to get information on ethnic cultures in the world through books and CDs. The contents of the exhibit are so rich that you could enjoy them all day long.

From: Brand-New Osaka vol.1 (2006.11.)