Message from our Executive Director
Stepping into the future with you, with gratitude for our past 20 years
In 1897, Meiji-era art critic and scholar Okakura Tenshin stressed the importance of establishing a national museum in Kyushu in a newspaper interview. Thanks to the support and enthusiastic campaigns of many, including the local Dazaifu community, Kyushu National Museum opened on October 16, 2005. As the 4th national museum after Tokyo, Nara, and Kyoto, our opening marked the fruition of what has been called “the century-long dream of Kyushu”. Since then, we have welcomed over 19 million visitors through our doors. We are truly grateful for your generosity.
Our museum is located in the ancient capital of Dazaifu. Once known as the “Distant Imperial Court”, this historic seat played a vital role in shaping Japanese history as the government of Kyushu. Throughout history, Kyushu has served as a bridge to the world, with many ideas, objects, and peoples passing through and leaving their mark on Japanese culture. Here at Kyuhaku, we honor this history as a museum founded on the philosophy of mapping the formation of Japanese culture within the context of Asia’s history.
The main attraction of our museum is our Cultural Exchange Exhibition Hall, subtitled “Ocean Ways, Asian Paths”. Along with our themed Feature Exhibitions, exhibits are constantly rotated to provide fresh delights and perspectives every visit. In our carefully curated Special Exhibitions, we hope to introduce our visitors to priceless cultural artifacts from both within and beyond Japan, for an experience truly unique to Kyuhaku. We are also proud to introduce our interactive exhibition gallery Ajippa on Floor 1, where visitors of all ages can get up close and personal with Asian and European cultures for a fun and engaging session at no cost.
Our splendid exhibitions are supported by our team’s robust efforts in the fields of cultural exchange, research work, and the restoration and conservation of cultural properties. We invite you to Kyuhaku for a chance to travel back in time and enjoy the unfolding drama of Japan’s history of cultural exchange with Asia and Europe.
As 2025 marks the 20th anniversary of our opening, we are excited to announce a variety of commemorative events planned over the next 15 months, until March 2026. We would like to express our gratitude to everyone who has helped us along the way, from the inception of the museum plans to the present day. We hope to continue receiving your kind attention and warm support as we strive towards becoming a welcoming place for all.
Tomita Jun
Executive Director
Kyushu National Museum
Tomita Jun was born in 1960. On 20 October 2023, he assumed his current role as
Executive Director of Kyushu National Museum, where he had once served as
Executive Vice Director.
Mr. Tomita developed his career at Tokyo National Museum, where he held the
following posts: Researcher and Senior Manager of Chinese Art in the Division of
East Asian Art; Senior Manager of Collections in the Division of Cultural
Properties; Supervisor of the Divisions of Planning, Collections Management and
Curatorial Research; and Director of the Departments of Curatorial Planning and
Curatorial Research.
As Executive Vice Director at Tokyo National Museum, Mr. Tomita was appointed
Research Coordinator at the National Institutes for Cultural Heritage, an
Independent Administrative Institution of the Agency for Cultural Affairs,
Government of Japan.