About Us
The Nagasaki Museum of History and Culture opened on November 3, 2005, in the forest surrounding Nagasaki’s Suwa Shrine.
The Museum is situated on the historical grounds of the former Nagasaki Magistrate’s Tateyama Office. A section of this important Edo period site has been meticulously reconstructed and is open to the public. The reconstruction was guided by extensive historical research, utilizing Edo period maps and excavated artifacts.
The exhibition area is divided into two main zones: the “Historical and Cultural Zone” and “The Japanese Government of Nagasaki Zone”. The Historical and Cultural Zone delves into the rich history of overseas exchanges in early-modern Nagasaki. It presents a multi-faceted exploration of Nagasaki’s vibrant past, from the Age of Exploration to exchanges with Korea, China and the Netherlands, the Nagasaki trade, until the end of the Edo period and the Meiji era. The Japanese Government of Nagasaki Zone features the reconstructed Nagasaki Magistrate’s Tateyama Office, and offers an insightful look into the historical role of the Office in an easy-to-understand manner. Exhibits include the “Hankachō”, a collection of judicial decisions from the Edo period, artifacts related to the Hidden Christians, and skits that reenact actual trials once held in the Oshirasu, the court of law of the Edo period.
The Museum is affectionately nicknamed “Rekibun” in Japanese, rather than the more common “Rekihaku”. This choice emphasizes Nagasaki’s rich history (“rekishi”) of overseas exchanges and unique culture (“bunka”).
Experience the unique history and culture of Nagasaki at Rekibun.
Director’s Greeting
To be a Grate Museum connecting Nagasaki and the world
Dr.Eiji Mizushima
Director General
Hello everyone!
From this April, I took over after Mr. Ohori, the former Director General of the Museum. Let me greet you with this site.
Although Nagasaki Museum of History and Culture has celebrated its 12th anniversary last November 2017, comparing to human growth, is it about the time we graduated from elementary school. Intellectually and physically, growing and gradually going up to the next stage, when we receive higher education, expectations from the local area become bigger and bigger, at the same time the eye from society becomes strict. As we are committed to succeeding many legacies built by Former Director General Ohori and in order to respond properly to the requests from the local community, we appreciate your continued guidance and encouragement.
I myself had been working for the museum as a researcher from the opening in 2005 and I had a few Nagasaki meetings a year, but I still can not deny that I am still under study. It is the feeling that I just entered elementary school. It is a fresh feeling, but also a bit uneasy. I hope to understand the problems that the community is having and the facts of Nagasaki as soon as possible, to develop the museum as a whole with all the staff together of this museum, to grow into a global museum suitable for the international city Nagasaki.
Well, for that, it is necessary to make the significance of existence of the museum unchallenged. Here, if we only mention three points about the management of museums, international exchange, and new academic fields in the academic field;
1) Focus international public relations and increase publicity 《Media Partnership》
– Promote multilingualization to increase the number of visitors
2) Connecting the world of unknown 《World Connection》
– As a new international exchange destination, we will establish a cooperative relationship with Italy and Portugal, which are related to Nagasaki
3) Highlight the theme and research area that did not hit the day 《Academic Highlight》
– Strengthen research functions and develop exhibition themes from a new perspective
Also, regarding the preservation and utilization of the World Heritage in Nagasaki, I would like to contribute to the development of the region by clarifying the role and responsibility the Nagasaki Museum of History and Culture should fulfill while coordinating with the stakeholders. I look forward to your continued support in the future.