Kobe City Museum

The Kobe City Museum (神戸市立博物館), housed in the elegant neoclassical building of the former Kobe branch of the Yokohama Specie Bank, offers a compelling journey through Japan’s cultural and historical evolution. Opened in 1982, the museum combines the collections of the former Kobe Archaeological Museum and the Namban Art Museum, creating a space where ancient artifacts and fine art reveal stories of discovery, trade, and transformation. One of the standout highlights is the Namban Art collection, which features vivid folding screens and paintings from the 16th and 17th centuries that depict the arrival of Portuguese traders and missionaries. These works provide a rare glimpse into Japan’s first encounters with the West and the resulting cultural fusion that defined the Namban (“Southern Barbarian”) era.

Beyond Namban art, the museum’s permanent exhibitions explore Japan’s external connections across centuries. Intricately drawn maps and early cartographic records show how Japan perceived itself in the world, while imported ceramics, lacquerware, and textiles from China and Korea reflect a long history of regional trade. The museum also chronicles Kobe’s modernization following the opening of its port to foreign commerce in the 19th century, showcasing Western goods, photographs, and urban planning materials that shaped the city’s identity as a gateway between Japan and the wider world. Temporary exhibitions rotate throughout the year, offering new perspectives with each visit.