Chikatsu Asuka Museum

Chikatsu Asuka Museum

Chikatsu Asuka Museum
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4.0
4.0 of 5 bubbles27 reviews
Excellent
7
Very good
15
Average
5
Poor
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Keith_K_S_Y
Singapore, Singapore28 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2017 • Couples
I wanted to go to a museum in osaka that was really special, the chikatsu asuka museum and the national museum of ethnology were the two I shortlisted.

I actually decided on the museum of ethnology, but I realised the day before that it was closed (it closes every wednesday). So I made my way to chikatsu asuka instead (btw it closes every monday).

It took about 1.5hrs to travel from shin-osaka to the museum. However, googlemaps only showed directions to kishi station (take the semi-express train on the kintetsu-minamiosaka line instead of the local train, just wait at the same platform for the semi-express to arrive). I asked the kishi station staff for directions, I took the no.3 kongo bus (see the pic I uploaded for directions). It stops at the hannan neopolis, the last stop. Finally, walk about 5-10 mins through the park to the museum.

Ask for the english audio guide which takes about 1 hour to complete, and enjoy the history lesson on the koufun era (5-7th century) in japan. Also explore the building and the library to learn about the architect that designed the place.
Written March 8, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

PVtalker
Rolling Hills Estates, CA44 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2012 • Friends
You have to be a determined 'collector' of Tadao Ando architect sites to get here and see all that is offered. If you are, this will be a worthwhile journey. The nearest station is Kishi, on the Kintetsu Nagano line, approximately 30-40 minutes south of central Osaka. From Kishi station, a local bus will deposit you on a rural road, at the foot of a hill about a quarter mile from the entrance to the museum. (A taxi from Kishi can make the trip faster and more directly to the museum proper). The museum building is deliberately 'buried' in the hillside at the site. It is a thoughtful and sensitive response to the 100 plus burial sites from the 3rd to the 7th Century which were found and explored here. Be aware that very little material is available in any language other than Japanese at the museum. If the visitor has some knowledge of dolmen/tumulus burial mounds and archeological methods, the displays will be revealing. Without such information, the well executed displays within the museum proper might be baffling. Care has been taken to make a dignified and respectful memorial here which does not conflict with or disrupt the rural setting or the surrounding burial sites. A walking trail leads from the main museum building to many of the burial.sites. A small cafe is included in the museum building.
Written April 21, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

reinh10
Zurich, Switzerland10 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2015 • Couples
This is a must if you are interested in the old Asuka and Kofun period, although you must reserve at least half a day as the museum is far outside Osaka and not easy to reach. The museum is organisied by cultural periods, starting with the Asuka period beginnings and then leading into the room where they display a large model of burial mounds site. Ask for the english leaflet and the english audio guide- it is for free and guides you perfectly through the exhibits. To get to the museum take the Kintetsu Nagano line from Abenobashi station or Tondobayashi station to Kishi. The museum description says you should take the Kongo Bus to Hannan, but there are many Kongo busses and unless you know Hannan in Japanese it is difficult to find the right bus in particular as nothing is written in English. Alternatively you might take the taxi from Kishi to the museum and return by bus (return is easy as the museum is the final stop of the bus and the railway station is the other end of the line). Web site http://www.chikatsu-asuka.jp
Written April 18, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Eric161200
Amsterdam36 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2017 • Solo
The building is a very fine example of the work of Tadao Ando, winner of the Pritzker Price. The museum focuses on the origines of the culture of Japan, with an interessant story about the influence of immigrants from Korea and China.
You can see a lot of beautiful archilogical findings from graves of the 3rd-6th century.

I wanted to see the building and enjoyed it very much. Build in the form of the kufon, the graveculture you can find in the surroundings.
The exhibition is a nice surprice. The english audiotour a must, it explains the concept and the artifacts.
Written November 26, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Chetna1973
Hyderabad, India270 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2016 • Friends
We visited the Chikatsu Asuka Museum as part of our architectural tour and by a hired bus (since the directions to the site seemed baffling to figure out on our own).

Having seen a lot of Ando san's works already in Japan we were impressed but not bowled over. It certainly has a lot of charm simply by being inaccessible and akin to a hidden treasure, and the subject of the tumulus are greatly interesting to history buffs.

But purely on the basis of its architecture and the fact that its so difficult to reach, I would recommend architecture enthusiasts to give it a miss unless they are on a Tadao Ando san's pilgrimage.
Written April 29, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

navraggio
Edinburgh, UK72 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2015 • Solo
This is a marvellous museum that I came to for the Ando architecture, and left with an appreciation for the remarkable contents.

Getting there is a schelp. I followed google maps from Osaka which took me to Kaminotaishi Station (c. 1 hour from Osaka downtown) and then a taxi ride. But the proper route is to go to Kishi and then get a bus (or taxi). In any event...

...the building is a masterpiece of large scale Ando architecture. Austere, yet deeply sensitive to its purpose and the landscape.Functionally superb and not distracting. Spell binding and completely worth it, assuming you have the time to devote.

As for the museum, other posters have noted that everything is in Japanese. Not quite true. The trick ***which you must must do**** is to ask for the English audio guide. For some reason this is not advertised or offered, but they hand them out for free if you ask and this transforms the experience. There are 20 or so very pithy audio-lectures on aspects of the museum. Incredibly helpful.

The cafe is crap (by Japanese food standards), the shop likewise (by European or N American museum standards) and as noted, access is troublesome (I got a lift back to Kishi from a sympathetic local) but this is a total gem. A mega gem. A Koh-i-noor. A marvellous place that almost no one, Japanese or otherwise, ever gets to see.
Written February 27, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

curioswitch
Tokyo Prefecture, Japan34 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2021
Osaka pref. Chikatsu Asuka Museum / 大阪府立近つ飛鳥博物館
Beautiful Spot! There are details in the official website. I recommend you to have a look.
Written February 8, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Alexander B
Hong Kong, China7 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2019 • Couples
Obviously a stunning building being the work of architect Tadao Ando. However, the museum itself was well worth visiting. It isn't large but what there was was very interesting and well-maintained. Check the bus times to for the Kongo bus to save any unnecessary waiting around.
Written January 29, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

enruit
The Hague, The Netherlands318 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2011
Extravagant building to house a special period of the history of Japan. Informative exhibition with information in English on leaflets, the English audio tour is NOT available. That is a pity, but the leaflet is informative and the exhibition is excellent. Combine it with a walk in the surrounding with all the old remains of graves and dwellings of > 1500 years old. The keyholes are kofuns which itself are closed to the public because of some kind of imperial blood in it, that is a pity!
Written September 19, 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Chikatsu Asuka Museum - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2025)

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