(Recent Museum Visit) 
The full report is available by clicking the following Title
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– Looking over the Japan’s railway development and its historic wonderland
♣ Significance of JR Railway Museum in Omiya
This is my visit report on
JR Railway Museum in
Omiya, Saitama Prefecture. A while ago I got a chance to visit there with my friend. The museum is well known for the outstanding collection of historic locomotives and trains and invites many railway fans. Most are actually operated ones from the early stage to the present, including many type of Shinkanse trains. They are looked like panorama view of “Development railroad history of Japan.” The museum is also functioned as a place where shows up railway technology and its impact to the social infrastructure brought by development of the railways. The museum was established in October 2007 by the relocation of the “Transportation Museum” in Kanda,
Tokyo, after the major renovation and the expansion of scale.
In the exhibition, many precious trains, such as Japan’s first run steam locomotives, the
“Goryosha” (Imperial Coach) used by emperors, various Shinkansen vehicles, and many others.
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Introducing Shows the Hitachi technology and a founder Odaira
There is a unique facility named
“Odaira Memorial Museum” in Hitachi City, Ibaraki
Prefecture to commemorate
Namihei Odaira, a founder of
Hitachi Ltd. The museum was established in 1955 to acknowledge his great contribution to Hitachi development. In late November, I had a chance to visit this museum. Although the visit itself was restricted under the corona pandemic, the staff kindly guided me to this valuable facility. The Museum is
extensively tracing the Odaira’s personal life and work in Hitachi, as well as development process of company Hitachi as a whole. Odaira is well known as a creative engineer who built the electric motor for the first time in Japan and as great entrepreneur led the Hitachi’s longtime advancement of electric technology. The museum exhibition vividly describes how the electric technology had been cultivated by Odaira and how his manufacturing spirit was formed during the infant period of Japanese electric industries.
― Looking for the roots of Japanese telecommunication and its technology development
Having keen interest to the recent development of information network , I
visited the
“NTT History Center of Technology” (Museum) recently in
Mitaka, Tokyo last month. The museum was established in 2000 aiming to show the current technology an its development process in Japan. Now it displays a number of historical materials and equipment related to the telecommunication services and technology.
The exhibition consists of
“Tracing Development History” and
“Searching Technology” corner, and the both are explaining how Japan has developed telecommunications, telephone services, and information equipment from the initial period until now. In particular, it focuses on the social impact in early days of telegraph and telephone systems, along with describing tele-graph/-phone mechanisms, technical background and functions of electronic
devices. The museum is proud of quite rich treasury collection and sophisticated explanation on the technology background. The following is my visit record at that time. However, due to the time constrain and my limited knowledge, I couldn’t look much in the technology detail and mainly focused on the social background occurred in the historic process of Japan’s telecommunications .
— Amazing subway network in Metropolitan Tokyo and its development
Tokyo’s subway passengers are now swelling to more than 10 million a
day that is almost the same with the population of Tokyo. And the routes count over 13 lines with more than 130 stations. This might be noted for unprecedented scale in the world. The subway now became an indispensable commuting means and crucial public transportation for the people in Tokyo area. How these scales of subway network has been created and formed in history? With
this question, I visited
Tokyo Metro’s “Subway Museum” in Tokyo this month.
The museum is located just adjacent place to
Kasai Station on the
Tozai Subway Line. The museum which was founded in 1994 to introduce the development history of subway system in Japan, especially in Tokyo region. Now there now many real trains and railway equipment are exhibited aiming to publicize the activities of subway
network of past and present. For example, the technology advancement of railway vehicle and drive systems, excavation technology in the underground construction work, and railway running operation and management. In the exhibition, real vehicles, moving devices, interactive models and various diorama are abundantly used. New subway operation and equipment methods, as well as previous history on the subway can be learned through the direct observation there. The following is a rough introduction to the museum and development process subway network in Tokyo.
Exhibit Firefight practice in Japan from the past to the present
There’s a unique museum publicizing Japan’s firefighting
history in
Yotsuya-Shinjuku, Tokyo. It is called the
“Fire Museum.” I visited this museum recently. It is known well that large fire incidents have repeatedly assaulted Japan’s big cities and plagued Japanese people’s life many times in history.
Japan’s housing condition is quite prone to serious fire incident because of 
prevailing wooden buildings. So when
looking at Edo and Tokyo town in the past, big fires many times burned down the entire cities claiming hundreds of thousands populations. A lot of measures have been taken to the problem in Japan, particularly in the metropolitan Edo and Tokyo for minimizing damages in the past. The museum deals with these fire and firefighting history, and it tries to show what kind of disaster prevention measures have been
taken so far, what kind of
firefighting system has established. A great number of exhibits are displayed to indicate this historic evidence in the museum by showing real vehicles and equipment, dioramas, photographs and pictures, etc. It would be one of the best facilities to probe the history of firefighting and disaster prevention measures in Japan, especially in Tokyo area.
— Wonderful world music journey in the Hamamatsu Museum
While traveling to Hamamatsu City of Shizuoka Prefecture, I had a chance to
visit the
“Hamamatsu Museum of Musical Instruments” The Museum is famed for the collection of treasury historical music instruments. The facility exhibits more than 1500 instruments from all over the world from Europe, Asia, Middle East, Africa, and Oceania with giving a good description on the history and features. It’s fun to be able to look into these world instruments, including various traditional folk instruments, not only Western modern instruments all together
. The collection of Japanese instruments is also impressive. The piano collection is particularly significant as Hamamatsu, where the museum located, is renowned for a major production site of piano in the world.
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Describing the dramatic history of aviation industries in Japan and world
Last month, I went on
to an aircraft museum in Tokorozawa, Tokyo,
named
“Tokorozawa Aviation Museum”. It is because I heard many historic aircraft are exhibited there. The museum was said to be established in 1993 on the
Aviation Park Tokorozawa in commemoration of the Japan’s first flight conducted there. In the museum we can see a number of countable real and replica airplanes that Japan has been developing or introducing until now.
It would be an ideal place for reviewing the history of aircraft industry in Japan. The museum provides the extensive explanations on the evolution of world flight technology, the background of Japanese aircraft development, as well as the previous function of Tokorozawa airfield. Flight simulator and playground etc. are also provided there so as the people can actively learn on the
real action of flights. It is really interesting facility to offer the outlook of real aircrafts, such as,
“Henri Falman “ that conducted the first flight in Japan,
“Type 91 fighter” designated as an aviation heritage, the first post-war domestic jet aircraft “
T-1B training aircraft”, the first passenger aircraft
“YS-11” exhibited at the Park side, and so on.
Looking into the evolution of Nissan’s automotive engines and the footprint of the company
Nissan seems to be facing a sort of management challenges lately, but
it’s sure to be playing a significant role in the Japanese automobile industry. In particular, Nissan is regarded to lead the advancement of automobile technology industry in history. In this mind, I visited the Nissan’s
“Engine Museum” in Yokohama recently because I’ve heard there’s an unique museum showing the technological
challenges of automobile, especially on their engines. There are many historical automobile engines exhibited in the museum with extensive commentary on their technology development process, as well as on the company history. And there installed many photographs and panels which
indicates the technology foundation and development of Nissan Motors. Then, the visitors can easily trace the company’s turbulent footprints that had experienced countless technological challenges along with long history of the company. The exhibition seems to be quite instructive to understand the historical development of Japan’s automobile industry as a whole not only for the Nissan itself.
–Shows remarkable description of Isuzu’s historic evolution and technology development–
Last month, I went to Motors Museum
“Hino Plaza” last , then
now I decided to visit
Isuzu Motors in
Fujisawa city, Kanagawa this time, since I’v heard there’s unique facility called
“ISUZU Plaza” exhibiting historical auto products that was opened just two years ago in 2017. The Plaza is functioning well as a automobile museum in explaining
the history of automobile and the related technology. That is displaying the most Isuzu’s vehicles they have produced since its beginning, including Isuzu’s latest brand trucks and buses, in addition to the history
of Isuzu Motors itself, as well as its engines of Isuzu. The museum also exhibit its assembly processes of working vehicles and technology background. I’ve got impression that is a quite useful museum to examine the development of Japanese working commercial vehicle industry alongside with Hino’s Plaza..
-Explore to the Hino’s commercial vehicles and their technology
Hino Motors, along with
Isuzu Motors, is one of the leading
commercial vehicle manufacturers in Japan. And it now holds a large market share in the truck and bus sector in the world. This Hino has opened the
Hino Auto Plaza (Kodaira City, Tokyo) in
1997 as a specialized museum for exhibition of trucks and buses. I visited there in August with having some concern. The museum tries to show the company’s business and technology development in the exhibition with looking back the
Hino’s 100-year history which has producing various historic trucks and buses.
– Museum is showing amazing collection of silk and textile products in history
I happen to have a good chance to visit the
Nature and Science Museum (
Tokyo 
University of Agriculture and Technology, Tuat) in Koganei city, Tokyo in the early August. The Museum is very proud of long history being able to back to 1880s as it had started as a
Silkworm Testing Institute under Meiji government. And afterward the facility was transformed to the present Museum in 1997 under the university of Tuat which was founded as the A
gricultural Academy in Meiji
period.
Under this background, the Museum has been ardently worked on collecting historical textile objects long time since the Meiji period, and tried to exhibit them to the public, including weaving machines, sericulture facilities, worm seed samples, various textile equipment, and now added a number of exhibits related to the recent chemical fiber
technology products as well. It would be an excellent facility for the people who have interested in the textile industries, particularly regarding silk industry. The background was the recognition that
the silk and silk products have been one of Japan’s most important export products and been playing a significant role in modernizing Japanese industry.
- Explore the roots of machine industries in Japan as seen in the Museum collection
Last month I visited the
“Industrial Technology Museum” in
Saitama
prefecture in
the Nippon Institute of Technology which is widely known for its practical and advanced engineering education. In the museum, a variety of machine tools and historical machinery since the Meiji Period are preserved and exhibited that had been greatly contributing to the development of Japanese mechanical industry. And in
addition, it displays the latest industrial machinery such as advanced NC equipment, engines, energy-saving and gas turbines too. It is also interesting that the figures of old town machining factory in Meiji is reproduced to able to see the real situation of basic machine industry in Japan at that time as a foundation. I felt that it’s a prominent facility to able to learn the history of mechanical industrial development history. Among the whole collection, more than 270 items of preserved machines and facilities were designated in 2018 for the
“Mechanical Heritage” as precious industrial heritages.
- looking into the history of Japan’s space exploration by visit Space Center-
Recently, one of the great information was brought to Japanese
space exploration history. This is a news coverage on the successful landing on of
“Hayabusa-2” on the asteroid
“Ryugyu” and taking up a sample soil from there. It is really astonishing technology that performed a pinpointed touch down on the planet that’s one billion km away in the
universe. With this inspiring news, I have tried to visit the Tsukuba Space Development Center again this time. This is the description on this experience.
The Center is known to exhibit various memorial satellites, space station, rockets, and other objects which have been launched in the successive generation. It might be an ideal spot for inspecting the Japanese challenges to space exploration until now. I’ve traced here the figure of challenges to the space development in Japan along with describing my experience on this Center in this article.
Showing Toyota’s historical challenge and its current technology of Toyota Vehicles
Exploring the secret of Toyota initiative of textile initiatives
When the meeting being held last year in Nagoya, I
have visited the
Toyota Museum of Industrial and Technology. Because I’ve been long interested in the role of automobile industries in Japan and Toyota’s unique position of technology development and businesses in it. Regarding the automobile industries, it looks lots of hot issues are popularly discussed these days, like future of automotive industry, environmental measures, technological shifting to electric vehicles, safety and autonomous driving cars, and so on. In this circumstance,
visiting the
Museum was really good chance to get some clues
for me about the technology issues of automobile industry as a whole and its development history in Japan.
Suzuki’s business development from weaving to bike and towards automobile
I had chance to visit Hamamatsu recently. There we could realize that
major world-class motorcycle manufacturers, like
Honda, Suzuki and
Yamaha, were all born and developed around this industrial zone in Shizuoka prefecture. Among them,
Suzuki is quite strong in the motorbikes and lightweight vehicles business and
holds quite big share in Asia. Then, I decided to visit the
“Suzuki History Museum” in this occasion. The Museum exhibited many motorcycles and lightweight-cars which were produced by Suzuki while describing the evolution of its manufacturing there.
— Insight of the printing history with amazing exhibits
I’ve heard there’s a unique private museum on rare printing materials in near Tsukiji, Tokyo which is established by a printing company “Mizuno Pritech. ” So recently I visited there. The museum has exhibited a lot of historic printing machines and valuable printed products.
There many Japanese and European historic printing works are observed, including the old European typographic books
since
Gutenberg, in addition to Japan’s ancient and medieval book prints, wood-curved products in
Edo period, first letterpress prints in
Meiji period.
Beside printing goods, the museum exhibits valuable hand-press machines too. I’m really impressed on the quality and volume of exhibits in the museum though it’s never a big facility. I’ve tried to describe the feature of collection and its cultural significance here.
Showing amazing collection of bags and their diversity in the world
Bags are essential goods for travel and expedition for long.
So people tried to device a variety of tools for their social necessity since ancient times. Many items are used in this purpose, such as holding bags and sacks, box-shaped carrying equipment, handing purses, shoulder basket, large-scale woven containers, beside many other backpacks, suitcases, carrying goods. In this sense, the museum is quite
knowledgeable for learning about history of carrying tools and their diversity because it is showing many exhibits classified by time and region in the world. I had a nice chance to visit this museum the other day and could learn much about bags. Such as, old Japanese bringing tools, European traveling equipment in 18th and 9th century, contemporary brand bags, etc. The museum also introduces the company history of Japan’s suitcase maker “ACE”. It was an enjoyable experience for me too.
– Explores development of printing world and society in history –
The
Toppan’s Printing Museum is located in the
Koishi-kawa in 
Bunkyo Ward, Tokyo. The Museum is famed for displaying the elaborate historic features of publishing culture in the world as well as Japan. Last month I could visit the Museum.
In the museum, a wide range of exhibits describing printing culture and technology that
influenced to human activities and its cultural advancement, such as development of the style of characters and drawing pictures, the way of printing technology. Many examples of historic evidence of printing from the ancient
world to the present are exhibited, including Chinese text scripts, Japanese woodblock prints, in addition to the Western typographic printings works from Gutenberg, modern printing modes of Japan, etc.
— Looking into the artistic endeavor of Noritake’s ceramic business —
Japanese porcelain has been an important export item even before
the Edo era. However, Western ceramic tableware was a completely new field, so it was the Meiji period to begin with producing them for the first time in Japan. Noritake (former name · Japanese Ceramics) was a company which promoted this challenging business. This Noritake has recently established the
“Noritake no Mori” Green Park 
for commemorating its 100th anniversary. This park was set up at the memorial place where its first factory was constructed. In the Park, there are some museums and facilities found which display the Noritake’s development story, historic products, working process, and intriguing matters.
– Explored the life and works of a “Pearl King” Mikimoto Yukichi
In the Pearl Island, there is Mikimoto’s “Memorial Hall” besides
the “Pearl Museum”. This Hall is showing the amazing works of
Mikimoto Kokichi who has developed Japanese pearl industry.
Kokichi is noted as an innovative entrepreneur producing cultured pearls for the first time in the world. In the Hall, the biographical story of Mikimoto Kokichi’s life and work is elaborately described, such as how he began
the pearl business in his young age, and how he challenged and succeeded to produce “cultured pearl” in facing many difficulties and hardships. You’ll find a plenty of exhibits about Kokichi’s business life which is displayed by numerous photos, real products, memorials and documents, commentary panel and others.
— Explore the secret of pearl jewelry world and Mikimoto’s pearl revolution
I had a chance to visit the
“Mikomoto Pearl Museum” in “Pearl Island” of
Toba, in Mie Prefecture this year. The Pearl Island is a famous place where Mr. Mikimoto had successfully developed “cultured” pearls for the first time in the world, and the island is now one of the tourist attractions
in the Ise Shima National Park too. The Pearl Museum shows us amazing pearl world by providing exhibits of real pearls and elaborate explanation regarding nature of pearls, way of breeding of pearl, making process of pearl’s jewelry, and other information related to pearls. It was a quite knowledgeable
museum to see the history of pearls, and how man-made culture pearl was born and developed in this area. In addition, I had an occasion to visit the
“Mikimoto Kokichi Memorial Hall” which shows the development story of “cultured pearl” of Mikimoto Co. and its founder Mikimoto’s biography. I was quite interesting visit, so I’d like to report it here.
— Museum shows how Japanese maritime industry was formed and developed
Recently I had chance to visit the “NYK Maritime Museum of
History” in Yokohama and Mitsubishi Historic Museum in Tokyo. These Museums clearly show the development story of shipping industry in Japan from the Meiji period to now and the evolution by Mitsubishi Group.
By visiting two museums, I felt to be able to understand slightly how Japanese maritime and shipping industries were formed and advanced as well as the history of Mitsubishi Business Group “Zaibatsu”.
— Explore the water management and technology in Edo and Meiji period
Without the completion of elaborated waterworks in the Edo city, which
had surpassed one million population in 19th century, wouldn’t be impossible to sustain their prosperous people’s life in that period. The
“Waterworks History Museum” of Tokyo conveys such
a message and describes the history how this waterworks was constructed and benefited to our social activity, as well as it informs their development effort and wisdom to construct them. So I visited this historic museum to know the background of waterworks in Tokyo recently. This is the record of my visit.
– Explore the roots of writing and painting tools in history —
There’s interesting museum displaying stationery instruments in
Asakusa-bashi, Tokyo, so I visited there recently in my curiosity. Name of this museum is
“Japan Stationary Museum”, where the variety of historic goods for the business and educational use are
collected and exhibited in global scale. This facility is proud of huge collection of ancient writing tools and its historic documents, such as variety of Chinese and Japanese brushes and ink-stones, precious pencils old and new, fountain pens, and others.
A museum for deepening knowledge about paper’s culture
Invention of paper and its development have greatly benefited to the
society in its lifestyle and cultivated the new frontier of cultural evolution in history. There’s a museum to make us feel like that. The “
Paper Museum” in the Ohji district, Tokyo which established in 1998 is that. I encountered the fortune vising this museum lately.
This museum was describing the global history of paper with its socio-cultural impact, and evolution of Japan’s
“Washi” paper and other interesting subjects, including current trends of recent paper industry in Japan, features of papers used in our daily use. Here’s the my impression of visit.
Footage of Technology Challenge in the 19 century of Japan and its destiny
Last year, I’ve participated in a grand tour of the former ‘Yokosuka
Ironworks site in Yokohama. Currently the Yokosuka port are mostly devoted to the military facilities like SDFJ and US Navy base and dominantly designated as offsite area. But the former dock sites and harbor facilities of the “Yokosuka Ironworks” can be observable from the Yokosuka’s coastal park beyond over the sea. And the “Verny Memorial Museum” and other monuments are facilitated to record the history of the Yokosuka Ironworks in the park. Among them, the museum now exhibits
of machinery and equipment which were used in the Yokosuka Ironworks to commemorate their historical activities.
They show the footage how Japan had been engaged in challenging work to master the modern technology in coping up with Western power at the end of the Tokugawa period and afterward. This is a visit record at this time.
— Amazing Inuyama Castle and Karakuri Art
I got visited Inuyama city in Aichi Prefecture lately. The city
is famous in a national treasure “Inuyama Castle” built in the 16th century, and to retain historical townscape of Edo period, as well as to organize tradition of the old ritual festivals. So I could observe these historical sites and see some memorial heritages and
museums in the city. Among them, the most impressive facility was the “Doll Pavilion” which exhibited the “Karakuri” dolls which is showing the superiority of Japanese craftsmanship in doll makings. It was a short time, but it was quite experience to observe the “Karakuri” exhibition there. Below is an impression of my visit.
Contact full page here!!
– Shows the Social Modernization and Development Industries in Meiji period, Japan–.
There’s a unique theme park which is called
“Meiji Mura Village” in
Inuyama city near Nagoya 
. The purpose of Establishment of the park is to restore and display valuable historic building and facilities in the compound.. Last year I had a chance to visit this Park while traveling around Nagoya.
These historic buildings visualize how Japan diligently learned the Western architecture and how fast developed its technology since Meiji period. This writing is my observation of Meiji Village at this time of visit.
– Find the culmination of weaving technology of art
Kawashima Textile (currently
Kawashima Selkon Textiles) is a
legendary
Nishijin textile companies in Kyoto. This Kawashima established an artistic museum in 1990s, named
“Textile Museum”, to explore the new form of weaving technology and to disseminate Japanese traditional textile-making craftsmanship in the world. The Museum now exhibits various historical fabric works in Japan as
well as variety of textile products around the world. Especially, the exhibition of fine artistic woven textiles are glorious. I had a chance to stop by this museum and could observe its wonderful collections while traveling in Kyoto. I found there amazing fusion of modern textile industry and traditional artistic woven works which crystalized into the aesthetics world. This is a description of this visit.
Explore the roots of Shimazu which cradled a Nobel laureate engineer
The Shimazu Co. is a legendary science equipment manufacturer in
Kyoto, and famous to rear a Nobel laureate engineer. This Shimazu set up the
Shimadzu Foundation Memorial Hall in 1975 commemorating its 100th anniversary.
I had a chance to visit this museum while
traveling in Kyoto last month. The museum has provided many valuable exhibits of epoch-making products of company and memorable pictures with interesting episodes, particularly, focusing the stories about its founding period. I’ve enjoyed very much of visiting. This is a short description at this time.
- –Explore the history of monetary affairs and economic life of Japan
During this summer I revisited the
“Money Museum” of
Bank of Japan 
(BOJ) in, Nihonbashi, Tokyo after a long time. The museum is a major learning facility on the Japan’s currency and monetary issues. It was established by Bank of Japan in 1985 to publicize its financial role and the development of monetary problems. In the museum,
the historical evolvement of Japanese monetary policies is shown by various real coins and currencies from ancient times to the present.
The museum also illustrates the dynamic flow of the Japanese unique currency movement with specific charts, documents and commentary panels, not only the display of money and coins.The following description is my impression of this visit.
— Encounter the roots of Postal service in Japan
I’ve just visited the
“Postal Museum” in
Kitasenju, Tokyo, near the T
okyo Sky
Tree Town recently. The museum extensively shows the situation of postal services of old and new in Japan. The modern postal system was regarded as a core infrastructure for mutual communication in our current society. In the case of Japan, the postal system was first launched
in 1871 by adopting the Western modern postal system. Since then, the postal service is developing many types of services in this years. This visit was quite an useful for me to know about the history of communication and social infrastructure of the our society, such as the exchange letters and documents, dissemination and promotion of people’s mutual communication. This is the description on my impression of the visit. See full text…..
—- Hot Spot showing Camera History
The Fujifilm Co., which known as a film and camera maker, set up a
“Photo
History Museum” in the company’s showroom of
Roppongi, Tokyo. I happened to visit this museum in the last summer. The museum looks relatively small, but it provides an unique spot with talking about the camera history as well as showing series of Fujifilm’s flagship
cameras, particularly on the
Fujica models. The museum displays various pictures and photos indicating global development of the photograph technology. It also provides photo exhibition corner named
“Fujifilm Fort Salon” for the photo contest.
This article is an impression of my visit there.
Explore the root of Japan’s modern making and the history of Kamaishi
I came to visit the
“Iron History Museum” in Kamaishi just after
“Hashino Iron Mine”, the World Heritage. This museum exhibits abundant materials regarding history of Kamaishi’s ironworks, along with useful information on the
Hashino & Ohashi blast furnaces.
The collection includes many materials relating to the iron-making methods from the old traditional way, the modern iron-works by the blast furnace, the trace of
Oshima Takato who contributed to the development of iron
technology, beside the history of the
Tanaka Iron Works which led the initial iron-making industries in Kamaishi and Japan. And it would be significant that the museum introduces the historical situation of iron industry in Kamaishi, as well as the states in Japan a whole.
Below is the impression of this time of visit.
It would be great pleasure if you look it through with the previous record
“Visit Hashino Iron Mine.” https://igsforum.com/Kamaishi-Hashino）
I took a short trip to
Kamaishi,
Iwate Prefecture, to observe the
Hashino 
Iron Mining heritage site which has designated as a
World Industrial Heritage. The objective was to see the history of the
Kamaishi Steelworks (currently the
Nippon Steel Sumikin Kamaishi plant), and examine the origin of iron making site where the first blast furnace was built in Japan at the end of the Edo period, and to explore the root of development of iron and steel industries leading the industrial modernization of Japan in Meiji period.
It was a short trip, but I saw various valuable relics of the first modern blast
furnaces at Hashino, and I could understand a bit how the iron making technology was advanced from the traditional
“Tatara iron making” to the modern ones in history.Here’s the summary of my observation on the current situation of the “Hashino” and a short comment on the historical movement of iron industry in the
Kamaishi region.
— Showcase of Challenging Technology of Mitsubishi HI today
三菱みなとみらい技術館訪問 ―三菱重工の技術挑戦をみるー
I just visited the
“Mitsubishi Minatomirai Industrial Museum”
(MMI Museum) located in Yokohama recently. The Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) is the Japan’s oldest engineering technology company which has been leading and promoting Japanese heavy industries for long time. Now the MHI established the
MM Museum in 1994 in Yokohama for the purpose to advertise the technology achievements and goals of company along with the Technology Development Center in
the
Minatomirai district of Yokohama.
At the Museum they introduce the company’s major leading projects rigorously conducting today, such as environmental energy, deep sea exploration, aircraft, space and rockets equipment, transportation systems, and so on by presenting real products, models, simulation devices in systematic way.
♥ see MHI Museum site: http://www.mhi.co.jp/museum/
I visited
“Ishikawajima Archive”（石川島資料館） just after observing the IHI’s
” i-Muse” museum
. This archive was established by
IHI on the purpose to introduce IHI’s development since its beginning and the local history of
Ishikawajima region from the Edo era to the present. It was titled as
-Area development from Ishikawajima ship yard to IHI business. The museum site is located in the corner of
“River City 21” complex along the
Sumida River where’s transformed to the residential area after IHI moved to the newly reclaimed island Toyosu, Tokyo.
It’s never a big facility, but the exhibits are rich and attractive which convey well the
appearance of the evolving society of Ishikawajima area, as well as a history of shipbuilding industry development in Japan. This short description is my impression of visit.
Exhibit IHI works on shipbuilding to space equipment
I visit this “
i-Muse” of
IHI (formerly
Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy 
Industries) in the head office at Toyosu, Tokyo.
IHI is proud of 150 year history since 1876, and now it holds a large share in the shipbuilding, heavy machinery, social and industrial infrastructure in Japan. The “i-Muse” is set
up by the IHI to show the company’s technology achievements in 2006. The records and products are exhibited there from the initial
shipbuilding work to the current IHI challenging engineering
works. Then, the museum seems to be a valuable
archive to convey the engineering technology of Japan. This is my visit record at that time.
I visited the port city Shimoda on its way back from Nirayama to Tokyo. Shimoda is
the first city formally opened for Western countries and only place
permitted foreigners living live in Japan. So the Shimoda became the first community experienced the direct cross-cultural contact for the local Japanese.
From this, Shimoda has many historical sites showing
this environment. For example, as
“Kurobune Museum” in the premises of
“Ryosenji” temple, where was the place to conduct
diplomatic negotiations on the
Shomoda Treaty, the Shimoda
“Kaikoku Museum” (opening port memorial museum) are locating, and
“Gyokusenji” temple where the first Consul General Mr. Harris was stayed. I have enjoyed visiting these places on my tour to the South Ize after the visit NRF.
This is my small record at that time of visit. See in detail with full text by click..
( Journey to Nirayama Iron Faunas part 2)
Highlighting Egawa’s contribution to the NRF Furnace and other intelligent works.
I dropped by the old house complex of Egawa clan just after visiting the Nirayama Iron Furnaces. This Egawa’s former residence “Egawa Tei”, was
built in the 15 century, is still remained as it is even after the 600 years or more. So the Residence was prized as a national treasury of Japan.
Meantime, the Egawa clan was a “Daikan”, a
bureaucrat of Tokugawa Shogunate, governing the
whole Izu area, Shizuoka for several generations.
And in this family line, Egawa Hidetatsu had performed peculiar role for the Shogun policy regarding the Edo’s maritime defense, foreign policy, and educational activities around the end of the Tokugawa period.
Recently, this Residence area became to the “Egawa Bunko” archive to exhibits valuable materials to trace the former Egawa clan’s historical life and the political and social contribution of Egawa Hidetatsu.
Please refer the full text describing the “Egawa Tei” Archive
Impressed by the iron engineering challenge in the 19c Edo period
Recently, I visited the Reverberatory Furnaces in
Nirayama, Izu, Shizuoka area. This historic site is one of the Western style iron melting furnaces
which were built for producing iron cannon in the end of the Edo period. This type of furnace construction of was made in the many places such as
Saga, Kagoshima, Yamaguchi and others under the threat
from Western naval fleets. Particularly,
Nirayama’s furnace is important because it shows the real figure of operated iron making process at the time of construction. For this reason, it was designated as the historic treasure of the country and registered as a Unesco’s “World Cultural Heritage” in 2015..
The “Guidance Center” was newly opened at the end of 2016. So we can see many valuable memorial goods and materials, and information on the furnaces. Now many visitors became visiting there to appreciate Reverberatory Furnaces (NRF) as a tourism target.
Seiko Museum ticks the clock watch history nicely in the collection
I visited the Seiko Museum in Sumida ward, Tokyo last year. The
Museum is placed along the Sumida River about 10 minute walk from the Mukoijima Station of Tobu line. The famous “Mukojima Hyakaen Garden”, an authentic Japanese style garden, is located near the museum.
The “Seiko Museum” (formerly called Seiko Clock
Museum) was set up in 1981 as a commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the Seiko Company. And it has done the major refurbishment in April 2012 and transformed to the full-fledged pubic industrial museum at that time.
The main aim of the establishment is said to acknowledge the development history of clock and watches in Japan as well as in the world. So the museum is displaying huge number of various Japanese precious clocks, old and new, worldwide historical clocks, world famous watches beside Seiko’s own watches, as well as Seiko’s company history.
Explore the roots of Japanese Western study “Rangaku” in the 19 century
シーボルト記念館の訪問
The
“Siebold Memorial Museum” is found at the hilly site not far from
Dejima, Nagasaki. The name of Siebold is widely known as a doctor and
scientist who expanded the precious knowledge of Western medical and science to Japan while staying in “Dejima” in the Edo period. He is also famous to introduce first about
Japanese real life to the European world, particularly on the Japanese fauna and flora, folklore, geography and the other subjects.
The Siebold Memorial Museum was built in 1989 as a monumental archive to praise the contribution of Siebold by the
hand of Nagasaki City government. It’s really wonderful place to visit for touching his footprints and contribution to the Japanese society. After visiting Dejima, I visited this “Siebold Memorial Museum”. This is a small description on my visit.
Home Page of “Siebold Memorial Museum”
http://www.city.nagasaki.lg.jp/kanko/820000/828000/p009217.html
Visit Nagasaki-Dejima and Siebold Memorial Museum (part 1)
Recently I visited the
Nagasaki-Dejima to make a survey of the Japan’s foreign relation with Europe in the Edo period and its impact to
Japanese modernization. It is known that Japan had closed diplomatic relationship with the Western countries over 200 years since 1600s, with the exception of Nagasaki-Dejima. However, the Western information and advanced science knowledge were continuously brought into Japan through the route of this small island. That has given a profound influence to the
modernization of Japan afterwards. In recent years, the restoration project of Dejima was undergoing by the Nagasaki city government. When I visited the Dejima, the restoration project was at the final stage. Article here is my visit report of Dejima.
As for the Dejima, the homepages are provide by bilingual way, so the further details are available by the following address:
Historical sites of Miike Coal Mines (part 2)
– Visit the “Omuta Coal Industrial Museum”
(This section is continued section of the Part (1) Miike Coal Mines)
While visiting the historic sites of the Miike Coal Mines, I’ve visited
the Omuta Coal
Industrial Museum. This museum used as one of the guiding facility for the visitors to the historical heritages of Miike coal mines in the northern
Kyushu, since they were registered as a world cultural heritage in July 2015,
The museum is comprehensively exhibiting the historic materials related to the advancement of coal industries, particularly associated with the Miike coal mines. It seemed the museum was established to utilize this facility as a core promotion spot for the
tourism industries around the Omuta area, as well as to remind people about the social background and technology challenges of the coal industry around the area.
In the museum, we can see a lot of learning materials which are displayed in the hall regarding the coal mining measures, products, and the developed technology by historical chart, dioramas and pictures, remodeling scenes, real working tools and equipment.
The contents and visit report were as follows.
大牟田の近代化産業遺産ホームページ https://www.miikecoalmines.jp/outline.html
Historical sites of Miike Coal Mines (1)
— The rise and fall of coal mining industry around Omuta, Kyushu
The “Miike Coal Mine” was established around1899 in Omuta, northern Kyushu area. This mining site had equipped
with modern facilities being unusual at that time, and yielded a massive chunk of coal in order to respond to the huge demand generated by the rapid industrial growth in the middle of Meiji era (1900s). And this mining project is renowned for the contribution a lot to build the foundation of industrial success in the early time of Japan.
With this historical value, the former Miike Coal mines sites
were designated as one of the “World Industrial Heritage” in 2015 by Unesco.
I’ve recently had a chance to visit these Miike coal mines while traveling in Kyushu, such as Miyanohara coal pit, Miike port, railroad track of Miike mines, as well as the “Coal Industry Science Museum in Omuta”.
This is a small record at that time.
Access to the Coal Mines sites
— Look into the logistics world now and past —
There’s a unique museum in Shinagawa, Tokyo which explores the Japanese
transportation systems named the “Museum of Logistics.” There, we could find various historical materials that show the evolution of transport and logistics technology and tools from medieval time to the present time in Japan. I have visited this museum to get
certain images and knowledge about development of transportation systems and technology in Japan. This is a report describing my impression when I visited.
– A Historical Heritages ‘Yahata” as a Landmark of Japan’s Industrial Development-—
八幡製鉄所と東田第一高炉跡などを巡る―
It is said that one of the industrial development strategies after the Meiji restoration in 19c was the building up strong steel industry in Japan among others. The landmark policy was the establishment of the government-run
“Yawata Steel Works” (“Imperial Steel Works”) in 1901.
After that Japan’s steel-making industry has made remarkable progress owing much to the success of Yawata Steel. This contribution was widely recognized in the world, and the sites of the former Yawata Steel were designated as a UNESCO’s
“World Industrial Heritage” in 2015.
So I have visited these sites to try to find history of Yahata Steel there. This small report was made to describe the impression at that time.
千葉県立現代産業技術館を訪問して
♣ Museum Outlook
I visited the “Chiba Museum of Science and Industry” located in the Ichikawa City, Chiba, which is introducing the latest science & technology and the industrial development, particularly in the metropolitan area of
Chiba. The museum was established in 1992. It exhibits various scientific goods and devices related recent achievement of technology in the field of petrochemical, iron & and
steel, and electric industries. It is said that more than five million visitors have already visited since its launching. This report is my short description on my visit. The museum would surely give us a precious opportunity to learn about the origins of current science and technology,
–Touch the Tire’s Engineering Technology and Entrepreneurship
ブリヂストン博物館訪問 - ゴムとタイヤの科学が学べる博物館 —
It is a rarely told but famous story that the global tire maker
“Bridgestone” was born from a small firm
“Shima-Ya” which had been producing Japanese socks
“Tabi” in Kurume, Kyushu in the Meiji period.
This Bridgestone has established the
“Bridgestone TODAY” Museum in March 2001 to promote the company’s products and developed technology in commemoration of its 70 years
anniversary. There huge number of tire related exhibits are displayed In the museum to show their tire products, high-tech tires, rubber technology as well as company’s own history and its R&D efforts.
— Showing Toilet Revolution and its Impact to Social Life
The TOTO Co., a leading manufacturer of sanitary ware, has established a memorial museum named
“TOTO museum” in 2015, as a commemoration of its 100 anniversary event. It was intended to spread the company’s history and products, and its technology. However, the museum is not
only to exhibit the products of TOTO, but purposed to disseminate the knowledge about the sanitary wares in Japan as whole, and it tried to indicate how these sanitary goods have improved the social life of people by the rich
exhibition.
I visited this museum in this summer. The visit was quite satisfactory so as to excellent exhibition and good guidance. I could learn a lot about the evolution and technology of sanitary ware in Japan..Then I wrote a report of visit here to remind my memory.
(日本語エディションは
「九州・小倉のTOTOミュージアムを訪ねる」 でアクセス） and also refer to
Museum web site of ” TOTO Museum” http://www.toto.co.jp/museum/
Walking around the Kyushu/Yamaguchi “Industrial Heritage” (3)
♠ Nagasaki Shipyard — Making Dawn of shipbuilding in Japan
It is widely known that the “Nagasaki
Shipyard ” and its related facilities have played the pivotal role in the development of shipbuilding industries in Japan, and designated as a “World Heritage” to be valued its contribution.Then, I have visited these industrial sites in this summer, particularly Nagasaki Shipyard”Archives” （史料館）sites,to know the foundation of shipbuilding
industry in Kyushu and Japan. Unfortunately, some areas were inaccessible because the Shipyard is still running and couldn’t step in to the certain places. This article is an small notes at this time of visit even though having some limitation.
View More!!!!!!! Full Text is available by click the above title:
このサイトは、筆者が長崎の産業遺跡、特に、三菱重工長崎造船所を訪れたときの記録で、日本の初期の造船技術の吸収と開発の経過を記してみたものである。日本の産業近代化過程で最も重要な部門の一つであった造船業が長崎、また、他の地域で胃らに展開されてきたかを記している。
(日本語エディションは
長崎造船と関連施設訪問の記録訪問 でアクセス）
♠ Visit the “Shoko Shuseikan” and World Heritage in Kagoshima
Walking around the Kyushu/Yamaguchi “Industrial Heritage” (2)
♣ Charm of Kagoshima’s World Industrial Heritage
The
Satsuma’s Daimyo (Feudal lorthed),
Nariakira Shimazu（島津斉彬）, began a great operation regarding modernization of the military and industry, called the
“Shuseikan”（集成館）Project in the
1850s. This Project had pursued the building of industry adopting Western technology, including the Iron casting, large western style shipbuilding, as well as cotton spinning engineering.These
vestiges still remains in the Kagoshima area, and they were registered as the
“World Industrial Heritage” by UNESCO in 2015 as a primary model of Japan’s industrial revolution.These historic sites are scattered around the
“Sengan-En”（仙巌園）Park in the Iso district of Kagoshima City now, for
example, the historic ruins of reverberatory furnace, blast furnace, shipyard, spinning plants, and others. Particularly, the
“Shoko Shuseikan” （尚古集成館）is a most valuable historical archives to illustrate the whole picture of the “Shuseikan Project”. I have visited the “Shoko Shuseikan” archive and other industrial sites this summer. The following ascription is this visit record of that time.
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♣ Touch on the Sony’s Spirit by visiting Archives
ソニー歴史資料館を訪ねる
Sony is well known as an electronic pioneering company representing the postwar Japanese industry which based on the innovative technology. The Sony Archives, located in Shinagawa, Tokyo, is the museum showing the Sony’s significant footprints.
I have visited this Archives with my friend in this summer. The facility was not so big, but it exhibited number of Sony’s memorial products (over 250 specs) in the hall. It seems they showed the challenging history and technology of Sony. It also indicated the landmark and vestiges of the electrical and electronic industry in the post-war Japan as a whole. I felt this Archives was a
valuable facility to be able to examine the Japanese electric industrial development and technology. The following is a small note describing the impression during this visit.
(Note: The pictures in the articles were used in the Sony’s web and brochures, because photograph was not allowed in the archive)
Several historic industrial sites in Hagi area (Yamaguchi Pref.) were registered as the “World Heritage” by UNSCO under the name of
“Meiji Japan’s Industrial Revolution Heritage” in 2015. The reverberatory furnace, old shipyard site,
Shokason-Juku academy
and other two facilities were selected. Then the Hagi city has set up a special facility
“ Hagi World Heritage Visitors Center ‘Manabiya’” and started to advertise the details about the selected heritage sites commemorating of the nomination. This
summer, I had an opportunity to travel to
Hagi and chanced to visit this
“Manabiya” and several heritages sites there. This is a short description memo on this visit. Please look the the full report.
The “Olympus’“Zuikodo Technology History Museum” (Hachioji,
Tokyo) is a precious industrial museum which exhibits the essence of optical technology of Olympus as well as Japanese Optic technology. It was named “Zuikodo” in honor of its original lens “Zuiko” which was developed in 1920s. Recently I have visited this ” Zuikodo” Museum to explore the camera and optic technology world. There many historical and current
advanced optical instruments were displayed, like super microscopes, and high-end endoscopes, beside Olympus
camera collections. The visit was a quite impressive. The following articles are the short memo on this visit impression.
I visited visited the
“Nikon Museum” in this May. The Museum was
established in 2015 in commemoration of the Nikon’s 100th anniversary. In this Museum, We can find lots of optical apparatus ever developed by Nikon, just not only camera’s exhibition.
By this visit people briefly see the Japan’s optical equipment technology in history. This is my record memo at that time.
The TUS Science Museum is well known of the collection of the leading calculator and computing instruments in Japan. The museum was established in 1980s adjoining Tokyo University of Science in Iidabashi, Tokyo. I have visited this museum in April with my friend to explore the roots of computing machines in Japan. This is a visiting report of the museum describing my impression at that time.
See TUS Science Museum HP: URL: https://www.tus.ac.jp/info/setubi/museum/
Japanese camera is boasting a top level technology, and keeps the highest reputation in the world. Particularly, Japanese optical manufacturers such as Canon, Nikon, Konica, Olympus, Ricoh, and others have played a central role in this technology. The report is a record of the Museum visit with some additional data.
“Token Museum” (Japanese Sword Museum) is an unique m
useum to exhibit the many precious swords and ornaments of the national treasury class. We can appreciate excellence of craftsman’s skill as well as the iron processing technology which became the base of later metal processing industry.
The Silk Museum provides the sensible information about a history of silk industry in Japan which has developed as a major export product. The report is a small note of impression of visit with some
additional data on Yokohama.
The Museum exhibits many Toshiba’s advanced technology products, and also introduces a historical electric technology development process in Japan and global. It was a valuable experience to know about sophisticating electric technology in Japan.
UNESCO has registered the old industrial facilities in Kyushu and Yamaguch region to be a “world Industrial Heritage “ in July 2015. This section introduces some Web information on the related issues.
Seiko Museum shows the historical development of clock and watch in Japan and world, as well as indicates the level of a Japanese precision mechanical engineering. The visit gave me rich information about them.
The story of Tomioka Mill, designated to the World Heritage by UNESCO, might be a great symbol of Japanese Industrial Revolution in the 19c Meiji Period. My visit made me remind again how Japan could have emerged as an industrial nation from the early time.
Explore to the digital techno-entrepreneur Kashio. It’s an impressing visit to touch on the digital giant Casio Co. and its innovative products in the electronics. Here’s the small report on the Kasio Toshio as a techno-entrepreneur.
Here, I’ll report on the exhibition of “Automobile Pavilion” in theToyota Industrial Museum, following the last “Textile Pavilion.”. The “Automobile Pavilion” in the museum shows the Toyota’s historical development of technology and its initial business challenge, as well as its current conditions of automobile technology of
Toyota.
As we see the previous observation, Toyota has challenged to product automobiles using accumulated technology and capitals based on the textile machinery business from 1930s. The museum shows how Toyota could successfully transform its business from textile sector to automobile and how it expand its automobile technology and business to the current 
outstanding great position in the historical views and extensive technological analysis.
.
Asia Japan Techno-Museum Forum 