Kyushu National Museum

The Nihongo|Kyushu National Museum|九州国立博物館|Kyūshū Kokuritsu Hakubutsukan opened on October 16, 2005 in Dazaifu near Fukuoka -- the first new national museum in Japan in over 100 years, and the first to elevate the focus on history over art.Japan National Tourist Organization: [http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/arrange/attractions/facilities/museums/83dn3a000000egbw.html Museum "focuses on history."] ] The distinct modern impression created by the architectural facade is mirrored in the Museum's use of technological innovations which are put to good in making the museum's collections accessible to the public. For example, the museum's extremely high resolution video system, with the latest image processing and color management software, serves both in documenting the objects in the museum's collection and also in expanding access beyond the limits of a large, but finite exhibition space. [NHK: [http://www.nhk.or.jp/strl/publica/bt/en/to0025.pdf "Super Hi-Vision Becomes a Permanent Exhibit at the Kyushu National Museum" (p. 2),] "Broadcast Technology," no.25, Winter 2006; Masaoka, Kenichiro "et al." (2006). [http://ietfec.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/refs/E89-A/11/2938 "Image Quality Management for the Super Hi-Vision System at the Kyushu National Museum" (abstract),] "IEICE Transactions on Fundamentals of Electronics, Communications and Computer Sciences." E89-A: 2938-2944.]

The striking wood and glass building in the hills, it hosts important collections of Japanese artifacts, particularly ceramics, related to the history of Kyūshū.

It hosts temporary exhibitions on the third floor, while the permanent collections are on the fourth floor. The collections cover the history of Kyūshū from prehistory to the Meiji era with particular emphasis on the rich history of cultural exchange between Kyūshū and neighboring China and Korea.

Unlike most museums in Japan, which contract out conservation work, the Kyushu National Museum has an extensive on-site suite of conservation labs and associated staff, serving as the major conservation center for all of western Japan [Kyushu National Museum. "Asiage" (アジアージュー「海の道、アジアの路」). Tokyo: Tokyo Shoseki, 2005. p74.] .

History

The museum's special focus carries with it "a new perspective on Japanese cultural formation in the context of Asian history." [see above] ]

Timeline

The growth and development of today's museum has been an evolving process:

* 1994 -- Agency for Cultural Affairs (ACA) creates "Committee to Investigate the Establishment of a New Type of Museum."IAI National Museum. (2005). [http://www.nich.go.jp/nendo/eibungaiyou17.pdf Institutional overview, PFDF/p. 16.] ]
* 1995 -- Dazaifu is named as site of new "Kyushu National Museum." [see above] ]
* 1997 -- "Basic Statement of Policy for the Kyushu National Museum" is completed. [see above] ]
* 1998 -- "Basic Plan for the Kyushu National Museum" is completed. [see above] ]
* 1999 -- "Basic Construction Design"　is completed. [see above] ]
* 1999 -- "Regular Exhibition Plan" is completed. [see above] ]
* 2000 -- "Design for Implementing Construction" is completed. [see above] ]
* 2000 -- "Basic Exhibition Design" is completed. [see above] ]
* 2001 -- "Construction Phase" is begun -- 1st part of a 3-year plan. [see above] ]
* 2002 -- "Implementation of Exhibition Design" is completed. [see above] ]
* 2003 -- "Construction Phase" is completed. [see above] ]
* 2003 -- "Exhibition Phase" is begun -- (1st part of a 2-year plan). [see above] ]
* 2004 -- Work on the building is completed. [see above] ]
* 2005 -- Museum is officially opened as the "Kyushu National Museum" of the "Independent Administrative Institution National Museum" (IAI National Museum). [see above] ]
* 2007 -- IAI National Museum is merged into Independent Administrative Institution National Institutes for Cultural Heritage (NICH), combining the four national museums with the former National Institutes for Cultural Preservation at Tokyo and Nara [IAI National Institutes for Cultural Heritage. (2007). [http://www.tnm.jp/jp/organization/pdf/NICH_gaiyou_jpn_eng_2007.pdf Outline, PDF/p. 5.] ]

Notes

References

* Masaoka, Kenichiro, Masahiro Kawakita , Masayuki Sugawara , Masaru Kanazawa , Kenji ohzeki , and Yuji Nojiri. (2006). [http://ietfec.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/refs/E89-A/11/2938 "Image Quality Management for the Super Hi-Vision System at the Kyushu National Museum" (abstract),] "IEICE (The Institute of Electronics, Information and Communication Engineers) Transactions on Fundamentals of Electronics, Communications and Computer Sciences." E89-A: 2938-2944.

ee also

* List of Independent Administrative Institutions (Japan)

External links

* [http://www.kyuhaku.com/pr/pdf/english.pdf Brochure of the Kyushu National Museum]