When we were there, only Permanent Exhibition was available. Whilst it's good to put some context to the city, but sadly most of the descriptions weren't translated so we had to guess or phone translate. The Old Bank Building however was beautiful but was actually free so the ticket kind of deemed not worth. Good to visit anyway.
"A small, free-entry exhibition packed with interesting displays and fun digital interactive elements.
Wonderful Museum tucked away in the main central area of Kyoto. We visited an exhibition at the time focusing on Japanese cuisine, and how it developed and changed over time though trade and cultural influences. Gallery space was large, open and very extensive. Definitely worth checking out what’s on and visiting 👍
The museum is small. The regular exhibition showcases the history and artefacts of Kyoto. It also shows the old movies shot in the city. The free gallery shows kimono art this time. One can have a quick tour for less than an hour. The front looks small and old ( originally an old bank building ) but there is an adjacent building that is new that houses the exhibitions.
I left the museum more confused than anything else. The beautiful old building is completely empty, unused, despite its great potential. The main building, the modern part, is very, very large... and it feels empty. The entrance fee is cheap, but at the same time, I wouldn't have paid more for only two or three rooms with so little content. I learned a few things, thanks to Google Translate since everything is in Japanese. What was shown was fine, but where are the artefacts? I wouldn't call a museum a place that shows more projections of artwork than actual art pieces in "flesh-and-blood". They did have a temporary exhibition on top of the permanent one but it was about the new season of an anime that just came out, and I was looking to learn about japanese/Kyoto's history.
I left almost convinced that I had missed a good part of the museum, but I asked two staff members and apparently not. The ground floor is also very confusing, with scattered shops and empty spaces... It's a real shame, there is a lot of potential for such a museum in a country and a city with such a rich history.
The texts should also be translated, or at least have some audios in English that summarize them. Museums should be accessible to everyone as long as people are respectful of the place.
I'm still giving it 3 stars because the staff was very welcoming, a lady from the staff took the time to explain certain parts to me in English, thank you very much to her.
