Hyogo Prefectural Museum of History

兵庫県立歴史博物館Himeji, Hyogo

Museum

What makes this place special?

At a Glance

The Hyogo Prefectural Museum of History is a history museum in Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture, just northeast of Himeji Castle. It stands on the former samurai residence grounds of the castle's middle compound and opened in 1983 in a building designed by Tange Kenzō to evoke a modern castle. Kōko-en, the Himeji City Museum of Art and the Himeji City Zoo are also in the area.

The permanent exhibits trace the history of Hyogo Prefecture from prehistory to modern times. They also present castles across Japan, including Himeji Castle, from the viewpoints of architecture, history and castle towns. The collection of over 200,000 items includes one Important Cultural Property, a Kamakura-period painting on silk of the parinirvana of the Buddha, and several prefectural cultural properties. A children's museum section and a gallery on the festivals of Hyogo are part of the displays.