Japan Guide
Kyūshū
Fukuoka-shi Hakubutsukan
The excellent local history museum, Fukuoka-shi Hakubutsukan, occupies an imposing, late-1980s structure of mirrored glass and grey stone. The museum's most famous exhibit is the two-centimetre-square Kin-in gold seal, ornamented with a dumpy, coiled snake. According to its inscription, the seal was presented by China's Han emperor to the King of Na in 57 AD – it was only rediscovered in 1784 in a grave on an island in Hakata Bay. The main exhibition hall, which contains the seal, is divided into seven chronological periods, from the kingdom of Na to the 1950s, with a final section devoted to folk culture. An English-language guidebook provides selective details, or you can borrow headphones for a fuller commentary. The museum is well laid out and enlivened by videos, maps and models, including of the Yamakasa Festival. Opening time: July & Aug Tues– Sat 9.30am–7.30pm, Sun 9.30am–5.30pm; Sept– June Tues– Sun 9.30am–5.30pm