* Image is for illustrative purposes only.Kanagawa Prefectural Historical Museum
神奈川県立歴史博物館
Overview
Museum Overview and Historic Building
The Kanagawa Prefectural Historical Museum is Kanagawa Prefecture's only comprehensive historical museum, utilizing the former headquarters of the Yokohama Specie Bank, which was completed in 1904 (Meiji 37). The imposing Baroque-style stone building is designated as a National Important Cultural Property, and the museum itself functions as a cultural asset. Located in Bashamichi, Naka Ward, Yokohama, it serves as a facility introducing the history of Yokohama since the opening of the port and the history, culture, and folk traditions of all Kanagawa Prefecture, housing approximately 66,000 items. The historic building dating from 1904 (Meiji 37) stands as a masterpiece of Western architectural style actively adopted by the Meiji government, possessing exceptional value in the urban landscape, and remains beloved by many citizens today as a symbol of Yokohama's modernization.
Sagami Province's Sword Culture and Soshu School
Kanagawa Prefecture's traditional name is Sagami Province (Sagami no Kuni), a region with a long-standing bond to swordmaking. As the base of the Kamakura shogunate, Sagami Province played a central role in the development of the Japanese sword from the Kamakura through Muromachi periods. In particular, the sword-making technique known as the "Soshu School" (Sōshū-den) was perfected by master smiths including Masamune, Yukimitsu, and Sadayoshi from the late Kamakura period through the Nanboku-chō period. Its characteristic style, marked by vigorous hamon patterns and complex jihada, ranks as one of the Five Great Schools of Japanese sword-making (Yamashiro, Yamato, Bizen, Soshu, and Mino) and continues to receive the highest evaluation today. Masamune is renowned as the swordsmith who perfected the Soshu School, and during the Edo period, the Honami family—appraisers for the Tokugawa shoguns—also placed the Soshu School at the highest rank. The Kanagawa Prefectural Historical Museum, situated at the heartland of the Soshu School, strategically houses and studies sword materials related to Sagami Province.
Characteristics of the Sword Collection
The museum's sword collection is positioned as part of the historical materials related to Sagami Province's warrior governments and military leaders, with exhibitions thoroughly explaining the historical role of swords in the context of Kamakura shogunate and Muromachi-period samurai culture. Swords entrusted or donated by old families, shrines, and temples within Sagami Province hold high value as primary sources documenting the region's warrior history. In particular, armor and swords related to the Odawara Hōjō, Miura, and Uesugi families are indispensable resource materials for studying Sagami Province's Sengoku period history. The museum also maintains rich collections of sword fittings, armor, and weapons, allowing visitors to learn about samurai martial culture in three dimensions. Museum curators continue dedicated investigative research, and through coordination with buried cultural property surveys conducted throughout Kanagawa Prefecture, the collection of archaeologically excavated swords continues to grow.
Kamakura Warrior Culture and Japanese Sword Development
Kamakura, where Soshu School swords were created, is approximately 30 minutes away by train from the museum. The swords sought by Kamakura shogunate warriors prioritized cutting ability and durability in actual combat over ornamental decoration, and the technological innovations developed by Soshu smiths in response to these demands determined the future direction of Japanese sword-making. In particular, the vigorous hamon patterns abundant with nie developed by Masamune, and the complex patterns called jikei that appear in the blade steel, represent one of the pinnacles of achievement in both technical and aesthetic terms. The museum's exhibitions organically connect the establishment of warrior governments with the development of sword-making techniques, and rather than simplifying the Japanese sword as merely the "soul of the samurai," the displays promote understanding from the perspective of actual samurai society's demands and the evolution of craftsman technology.
Yokohama's Modernization and Swords
Since the opening of Yokohama as a port in 1859 (Ansei 6), the city became the gateway through which Western civilization flowed into Japan. During the turbulent period from the late Edo period through the Meiji Restoration, swords ceased to function as everyday carrying items due to the samurai class abolition and the Sword Abolition Edict (1876, Meiji 9), and began to take on new significance as artworks, craft objects, and spiritual symbols. In the port city of Yokohama, Western interest in Japanese art heightened, and swords and sword fittings were frequently sold to foreign collectors. This perspective on the transformation of swords' social role is a distinctive exhibition theme unique to the museum's location in the port city of Yokohama. The exhibition section explaining the process by which swords became cultural properties and artworks in modern Japan represents original content not found in other sword exhibition facilities. Visitors can also learn about the process by which sword-making continued as "art swords" even after the Meiji government's sword abolition policy.
Special Exhibitions and Academic Activities
The museum organizes diverse special exhibitions throughout the year, with exhibitions featuring swords and armor held on a regular basis. In particular, the investigation and introduction of medieval swords preserved within Kanagawa Prefecture is one of the museum's important missions, with swords related to Sagami Province—previously whose locations were unknown—sometimes emerging into public awareness through special exhibitions. Active collaborative research with universities and research institutions throughout Kanagawa Prefecture also contributes to the museum's role as a hub institution for samurai culture research in Sagami and Musashi provinces. The publication of exhibition catalogs and research bulletins continues on a regular basis, providing high scholarly value for researchers and enthusiasts. Additionally, digitization of the museum's collection is ongoing, with efforts to make materials accessible online to distant researchers. As an educational program, the museum actively accepts off-campus learning visits from local elementary and middle schools, actively promoting and raising awareness of Japanese sword culture for the next generation.
Highlights
- Historic museum at the heart of the Soshu School—a hub of Sagami Province's sword culture that produced masters such as Masamune, Yukimitsu, and Sadayoshi. The only prefectural facility where you can learn the historical background of the "Soshu School," one of the Five Great Schools of Japanese sword-making.
- The relationship between the Kamakura shogunate, Sagami warriors, and swords—examining the connections between Sagami Province warriors such as the Hōjō, Miura, and Uesugi clans and their swords based on historical materials. Exploring the interplay between warrior government and the evolution of sword-making technology.
- The former Yokohama Specie Bank headquarters, a National Important Cultural Property—the Baroque-style stone building completed in 1904 is itself a cultural asset. A unique space where you can simultaneously experience Meiji-era Western architecture and Japanese samurai culture.
- The social transformation of swords in the late Edo and Meiji periods—explaining the process through which swords became artworks following the Sword Abolition Edict from the perspective of the port city of Yokohama. A modern historical approach not found in other sword facilities.
- Swords entrusted by old families, shrines, and temples throughout Kanagawa Prefecture—swords with regional connections passed down by samurai families, shrines, and temples of Sagami Province. A collection with primary value as regional historical materials.
* Opening hours and exhibitions are subject to change. Please check the official website before visiting.