May 22, 2020
Museums in Kansai Offering Virtual Tours
It’s frustrating to know that there are numerous things to see outside when you’re stuck indoors. The good news is you can now visit multiple museums throughout Kansai without leaving your home by taking a free virtual tour.
Kobe City Museum
Discover archaeological artifacts, artwork, historic documents, and maps all at Kobe City Museum. This is one of the sites that offer a “museum view.” It works much like Google street view in allowing you to walk around the museum virtually.
Kyoto National Museum
One of the three most important museums in the country is Kyoto National Museum. The government opened the museum in 1897 with the mission to protect cultural relics in Japan during the Meiji period when there was a movement to westernize the country. On a virtual tour, you can check out various online exhibitions of paintings, sculptures, ceramics, calligraphy, textiles, and more.
Kobe Fashion Museum
Kobe Fashion Museum was the first museum in Japan to be dedicated to fashion. On a virtual tour, you can explore the top trends in the clothing of the 20th century in Japan and Europe. The museum places a particular emphasis on contemporary fashion in Kobe.
Kyoto Distillery
Take a tour of Kyoto Distillery to see how gin is produced. The tour takes place on the warehouse floor allowing you to see the entire distillation procedure. There are also interactive features to provide you with more information. If you have a VR headset, you can even take a 3D tour.
Kyoto Prefectural Domoto-Insho Museum of Fine Art
At Kyoto Prefectural Domoto-Insho Museum of Fine Art, you can see the works of Insho Domoto — one of the greatest Japanese artists. The various collections show his development from traditional Japanese style to abstract paintings. Part of the experience of visiting the museums is seeing the architecture, which Insho Domoto himself designed. With a virtual tour, you’ll feel as if you’re walking around the interior.
Kyoto Costume Institute
With a focus on Western clothing, the Kyoto Costume Institute has garments from throughout history. There is in-depth information about each article of clothing including a look at the influence of Japanese art and culture.
The Museum of Oriental Ceramics
At the Museum of Oriental Ceramics in Osaka, you’ll find ceramic pieces from China and Korea as well as some from Japan. The virtual tour is a great introduction, but it shows only a snippet of the full collection.
Sagawa Art Museum
The beautiful pottery, clay, and ceramic artifacts at Sagawa Art Museum in Moriyama are mostly used in traditional tea ceremonies. The majority of the pieces are from just three Japanese artists: Ikuo Hirayama, Churyo Sato, and Raku Kichizaemon XV.
Mie Prefectural Art Museum
On a virtual tour of the Mie Prefectural Art Museum, you can view oil paintings, portraits, and other works of art that have a connection to Mie Prefecture. There are also some pieces by Spanish artists as Mie Prefecture is the sister state of Valencia.
If you find any of the virtual tours particularly inspiring pay the museum a visit in person when Kansai opens back up. This will give you the chance to see your favorite exhibits in real life.
Justin Hanus editor
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