Frequently Asked Questions

Kyushu National Museum, or Kyuhaku for short, is the fourth national museum in Japan after Tokyo, Kyoto, and Nara National Museum. Our focus is on mapping the formation of Japanese culture within the context of Asia’s history in our exhibition content. Aside from curatorial work, we also conduct restoration work and scientific research to help preserve cultural properties. We plan a variety of educational programs to make each visit fun and enjoyable for our audience.

A：Our address is 4-7-2 Ishizaka, Dazaifu City, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan 818-0118.

We are open from 9:30 to 17:00, and last entry is at 16:30.
The museum has extended opening hours on some Fridays and Saturdays as part of Kyuhaku After Five. On these days, the museum closes at 20:00, with last entry at 19:30. Currently, Kyuhaku After Five happens during Special Exhibitions.

Kyushu National Museum is usually closed on Mondays. If a public holiday or substitute holiday falls on a Monday, the museum will be open that Monday and closed the following working day.
Please refer to our Hours and Admission page for more details, as well as the museum’s yearly schedule.

Yes. Please refer to the table below for the types of parking available.

Yes. Please refer to the map below for directions to the platform lift at the entrance of the museum. To use this lift, please press the interphone next to it and wait for our staff to assist you.

Locality Map

Our admission fees vary depending on which exhibition you would like to see at the museum. Please refer to the information below for more details.

Cultural Exchange Exhibition

Adults: 700 yen
University students: 350 yen (please present valid student identification documents upon request).

Special Exhibition

Entry fees into the Special Exhibition Hall depend on the particular exhibition being hosted at any given time. Please refer to our Special Exhibition page for more details. Special Exhibition ticket holders are entitled to one free entry into the Cultural Exchange Exhibition.

Free admission

The following people are eligible for free admission into some exhibitions in the museum. Please bring the relevant documentation as indicated in the table below.

Yes. Please refer to the details below.

Buying same-day tickets with electronic money

You can use the types of e-money listed below at the first-floor ticket machines located outside the museum during Special Exhibition periods. Please note that group tickets and discounted tickets cannot be purchased using this method.

Forms of electronic money accepted

WAON, nanaco*, iD*, Edy*, Kitaca, Suica, PASMO, TOICA, manaca, ICOCA, nimoca, Hayakaken, SUGOKA, QUICPay
*“nanaco” is a registered trademark of the Seven Card Service Co. Ltd. “iD” is a registered trademark of the NTT Docomo Co. Ltd. “Edy” (Rakuten Edy) is a registered trademark of Rakuten Group’s prepaid e-money service.

Making purchases with credit cards

You can pay by credit card at the ticket counters and the Museum Shop. Please note that credit card purchases are limited to one single transaction, and that exhibition catalogue purchases are limited to cash payments only.

• The following credit cards are accepted at ticket counters.
  
  
• The following credit cards are accepted at the Museum Shop.
  
  

Yes. Please refer to the following table for more details.

Online ticket sales for Special Exhibitions are available on a case-by-case basis. Please visit our dedicated exhibition pages for more details specific to each Special Exhibition.

Please note that tickets purchased via asoview! are only available for the permanent Cultural Exchange Exhibition. Visitors who wish to see the Special Exhibition should purchase tickets directly from the ticketing counter at the museum, or visit the relevant online ticketing service(s) as detailed on the Special Exhibition page.

Unfortunately, we are unable to process refunds for tickets that have already been paid for. We seek your understanding and cooperation.

Our permanent Cultural Exchange Exhibition is located on the fourth floor of the museum. It is open year-round save for our designated closure days. The exhibition gallery is centered on the theme, “Ocean Ways, Asian Paths,” and features exhibits related to the history of cultural exchange between Japan and its surrounding countries. Exhibits are rotated frequently, ensuring that visitors are able to view new objects and displays every time they visit.
For more detailed information, please refer to our Cultural Exchange Exhibition page.

Please refer to the following table, as well as our yearly schedule for more details on our free admission days.

The lighting in the exhibition hall, which is usually set at an average of 150 lux, is designed such that our exhibits can be preserved as best as possible while on display. As they are quite fragile, they can only withstand direct light for a limited period of time.
Our floor lights are constantly inspected, reviewed, and adjusted to prevent damage to our artifacts, as well as to provide a pleasant and safe environment for our visitors. We strive to improve the lighting in the exhibition hall by increasing or changing the lighting where necessary based on feedback from our visitors.

Our Cultural Exchange Exhibition Hall is expansive in terms of physical size, as well as range of content. As we would like to encourage our visitors to embark on their own learning journey within the exhibition space, we do not have any fixed routes that visitors must follow. As we also carry out exhibit changes regularly and frequently, having an open concept exhibition space allows our visitors to proceed to their desired portion of the gallery space more freely.

We change part of our exhibits every Monday, when the museum is closed to visitors. These exhibit rotations are conducted to refresh the objects on display, and to fully reflect the extent of cultural exchange between Japan and Asia.

You can find a list of the artifacts on display in our Cultural Exchange Exhibition using this schedule (Japanese only). This list is subject to last-minute changes, and will be updated accordingly. Please refer to the Cultural Exchange Exhibition page for more details. For information about the Special Exhibitions, please refer to our dedicated exhibition schedule page.

Most of the objects displayed in the Cultural Exchange Exhibition (about 800–1000) are original artifacts. Some of our exhibits are reproductions, which help create a stronger narrative flow within the exhibition space. These reproductions were created using materials and methods that match the original as best as possible.

As we change out the exhibits on display on a regular basis, we do not have any fixed centerpieces. However, when we do have National Treasures or Important Cultural Properties on display, they will be listed on our schedule page (Japanese page) under the appropriate theme.

Please visit this page for more information about our Special Exhibition schedule for the year. Please note that admission fees vary per exhibition.

The objects displayed vary depending on the theme of each Special Exhibition. You can find out more about what we have on display on our dedicated Special Exhibition web pages.

Ajippa is a free, interactive exhibition space for visitors of all ages to find out more about world cultures. Musical instruments, traditional crafts, games, and toys help bring visitors a fresh perspective into these cultures. The countries represented in this space have some history of cultural exchange with Japan.

Unfortunately, our restaurant and cafe spaces are not operating at the moment. There are dining options available at Dazaifu station, as well as the path leading up to the Dazaifu Tenmangū Shrine.

You can buy souvenirs from our museum shop, which is located on the first floor. Operating hours are from 9:30 to 17:00.

Please refer to this page for more information on our accessible facilities.

Yes. Baby strollers are allowed into both the third and fourth floor gallery spaces. However, we advise against the use of strollers in the museum during crowded periods.

Yes. You may take photos in the permanent Cultural Exchange Exhibition Hall on the fourth floor, as well as in the Entrance Hall and Ajippa (Interactive Exhibition Gallery) on the first floor. Photography rules for Special Exhibitions vary on an exhibition-by-exhibition basis. Please refer to this page for more information on our photography guidelines.

Yes, on the first floor, between the cloakroom and the Museum Hall. Visitors who wish to use the nursing room should approach our staff at the Information Counter. Please note that we may not allow men to enter the nursing room when there are multiple users inside.

Yes. There are diaper‐changing stations in all female bathrooms and accessible toilets. Accessible toilets are usable by people of all genders.

Please approach our staff at the Information Counter on the first floor to borrow a wheelchair. We also have baby strollers and walking canes available, should you need them. Please note that you can only use these items within the museum, and are not allowed to remove them from the premises.

Yes. It is located on the first floor, next to the seminar rooms.

You may only make or take calls in areas outside of the exhibition halls, such as in the rest areas and the lobbies. Please also set your phones to silent mode while in the museum.

Yes. You may connect to our free Wi-Fi network while in the lobbies of the first, third, and fourth floors.

Our visitors spend an average of two hours in the exhibition halls.

Our off-peak hours are generally from 15:30–17:00 every day, although this may vary in each exhibition hall depending on what we have on display at any given period of time. Please note that admission ends 30 minutes before closing time.

You may only re-enter the Cultural Exchange Exhibition Hall. Please present your ticket stub to the counter staff upon re-entry.

Yes. Object names and explanations in the Cultural Exchange Exhibition Hall are also available in English, Chinese, and Korean. Object names and selected explanations for Special Exhibitions are also available in the above four languages.

We have leaflets available on our webpage and in the museum in English, Chinese, Korean, French, German, and Spanish. We also have audio guides in English, Chinese, and Korean for the permanent Cultural Exchange Exhibition.

We conduct regular behind-the-scenes tours in Japanese only. Please visit this page for more information.

These categories refer to particular classes of objects, as determined by the Japanese Agency for Cultural Affairs. This system was established following Japan’s Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties in 1950.

Important Cultural Properties refer to tangible objects with important historic or artistic value, and can include buildings, paintings, sculptures, crafts, books, scripture, archival documents, archaeology materials, and historic materials. National Treasures are objects with exceptionally high historical, cultural, or scholastic value.

Please visit this page to learn more about the National Treasures and Important Cultural Properties currently owned by Kyushu National Museum.