The latest displays at the museum renovated in 2013
Located at Seaside Momochi which is a symbol of Fukuoka along with Fukuoka Tower and Fukuoka Dome, the museum easily introduces the history and lifestyle of Fukuoka that developed as a base for exchange with Asia according to different time periods. It is divided into three types of exhibition rooms: the Permanent Exhibition Room, the Feature Exhibition Room and the Special Exhibition Room. There is also a Touch & Experience Room with playable musical instruments and toys from all Asian nations, along with a café/restaurant and a museum shop. If you bring your smartphone or rent one of the museum’s tablets, you can access commentary on the exhibited items and an artifact database.
The National Treasure of the Gold Seal and the collection of Kanbei Kuroda
The crown jewel of the Permanent Exhibition Room is the Gold Seal, a National Treasure that has even been mentioned in textbooks. Inscribed with the five characters representing Emperor Guangwu of the Han Dynasty, it is a seal carved out of gold that weighs 108 grams and measures 2.3 centimeters. The seal was given by the Han Emperor of China in the year 57 AD to what would become present-day Japan, and later unearthed in Fukuoka. Replicas of the Gold Seal that can be bought at the museum shop are popular. Also in the Permanent Exhibition Room, there is the precious collection of items connected with the Kuroda clan which made Kanbei Kuroda the feudal lord of Fukuoka. On permanent display, there are swords such as the Nihon-go, the famed sword of the Kuroda clan which measures 321.5 cm in total length with a 79.2 cm blade, the Heshikiri Hasebe, the beloved sword of Nobunaga Oda and a National Treasure, and the long sword, Nikko Ichimonji, which is also a National Treasure. At the Feature Exhibition Room, there are themed bimonthly collections, and at the Special Exhibition Room, there are attractive exhibitions introducing the cultures of the world for a limited time.