Kyoto City Museum Search

Meet the history of Kyoto through excavated earthenware and other ancient relics

Even before Emperor Kanmu moved the imperial capital to the area currently known as Kyoto in 794, it had been inhabited by people with culture. This museum offers archaeology fans, children, and the general public an easy-to-understand exhibition of archaeological materials excavated in the city from various eras. Every year, the first floor features two themed special exhibitions and one joint exhibition planned together with universities or other institutions in the city, as well as timely “newsflash” displays and special displays. The second floor is dedicated to the permanent exhibition, whose highlights include a timeline panel to which real samples of earthenware are attached to show the history of changes in pottery for everyday use in the Heian period; some 1,000 archaeological artifacts classified according to the period, such as the Kofun, Heian, or Momoyama period; merchandise traded with China and Korea; artifacts excavated on the former site of the Buraku-den Hall (an important cultural property), which was the central facility of the Heian Imperial Palace; and the remains of a Jomon-period dwelling. The museum also has a hands-on exhibition section, where you can actually touch, handle, and closely observe large jars, earthenware pieces, temple tiles, and other items. The museum building, which is registered as a tangible cultural property of Kyoto City, was originally Nishijin Textile Museum, built in 1914. It has been a focus of attention as a rare vintage building.