Kobe City Museum 神戸市立博物館

Opened in 1982, the Kobe City Museum is one of the city's most respected and loved art and history destinations.

You can access the museum by train.

Thanks to its central location, the Kobe City Museum is a 10-minute walk from both Motomachi and Sannomiya stations, and a five-minute walk from Meriken Park.

The collection boasts approximately 70,000 items, including 21 items from one national treasure and 76 items from seven important cultural properties. In the collection room, the items are organized and displayed by themes.

The museum features a fascinating collection of maps and geographical artifacts from different areas and eras throughout Japan and traces the country's international history.

Stretching from the beginning of early foreign trade with China and Korea to the broader international connections Kobe made following the opening of its port in the 19th century, the exhibits here provide a comprehensive history of the city's economic evolution.

The Namban art section of the museum features one of the biggest collections of Namban art in the world—a Japanese art style that appeared in the 16th and 17th centuries when Japan began making contact with Western traders and missionaries.

Visually recording the events of the period, Namban art is a reflection of a time of significant cultural change for both the people of Japan and the Western explorers who arrived during that time.