Saga Prefectural Museum

The Saga Prefectural Museum is a comprehensive prefectural museum that opened in 1970 (Shōwa 45) as a Meiji Centennial commemorative project. It shares facilities with the Saga Prefectural Art Museum, which is adjacent to the Saga Castle ruins. It collects materials across natural history, archaeology, history, arts and crafts, and folk culture, and introduces them in its permanent exhibition “History and Culture of Saga Prefecture.” For more than half a century since its opening, it has taken root in the community as a core cultural institution that conveys the history and culture of Saga.

Hizen Sword Collection

The museum’s permanent exhibition “History and Culture of Saga Prefecture” includes a Hizen swords corner, where two to three swords are always on display. Hizen swords are the work of a school of swordsmiths that traces its origin to the first-generation Tadayoshi (1572-1632), who served as the official smith of the Saga Domain (Nabeshima family). They were ranked in the highest grade, Saijō Ō-wazamono, in Edo-period sword rating guides, and established a high reputation for both cutting performance and aesthetic beauty. The Saga Domain also used Hizen swords as gifts to the shogun's household and to other daimyo. The museum systematically holds a Hizen sword collection that includes swords by the first-generation Tadayoshi. In 2022, the museum held a collection exhibition that displayed all 18 swords by the first-generation Tadayoshi in its collection at once, playing a role as a base for research and promotion of Hizen swords. The museum also holds many nationally designated cultural properties, making it a valuable place to learn about the history of regional swordsmithing from primary sources.

Special Exhibitions and Collection Exhibitions

In addition to the permanent exhibition, the museum regularly holds collection exhibitions that introduce the history and appeal of Hizen swords in an accessible way, such as “From Tadayoshi to Tadahiro: The First-Generation Tadayoshi Assembled!” (2022) and “The Technique and Beauty of Hizen Swords” (2025-26). Through swords made by the Tadayoshi family, from the first-generation Tadayoshi through the second-generation Tadahiro to the ninth generation, visitors can trace the transmission of Hizen sword-making techniques. Collaborative exhibitions with popular content themed on swords have also been held, conveying the appeal of Hizen swords to a wide range of visitors.

Access and Visitor Information

The museum is located adjacent to the Saga Castle Ruins Park and is easily accessible from central Saga City. Opening hours are 9:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Admission to the permanent exhibition is free; special exhibitions require a separate fee. The museum is closed on Mondays (if Monday is a national holiday, it is closed the following day) and is also closed during the New Year holidays.