Tamana City History Museum Kokoropia

Tamana City History Museum Kokoropia opened in May 1994 (Heisei 6) in Iwasaki, Tamana City, Kumamoto Prefecture. Because the Kikuchi River basin flourished as a center of kofun (ancient burial mound) culture, the building itself was designed to evoke the shape of a zenpo-koen-fun (keyhole-shaped burial mound), created through an integrated architectural and exhibition design process.

Museum Theme

The permanent exhibition, themed "Tamana, Developed Alongside the River," introduces the history and culture of Tamana as it flourished through river trade on the Kikuchi River. It covers the era when the area served as Toyotomi Hideyoshi's directly controlled territory (kurairi-chi) and later functioned as a port for the Hosokawa domain, presented through trade-related historical documents, a model of the sengoku-bune ships used to ship Higo rice, and a boat-shaped stone sarcophagus roughly 1,600 years old. The outdoor exhibit "Juroku" and the symbolic display "Maboroshi no Fune" (Phantom Ship) are also distinctive features created through the museum's integration of architecture and exhibition design.

Doutanuki Sword Collection

The museum maintains a permanent exhibition, "Sword-Smithing Group: Doutanuki," displaying swords associated with the Doutanuki swordsmithing group, which was based in Kikko village, Tamana district (present-day Kikko, Tamana City), rotating the display monthly. A work by Kyushu Higo Doutanuki Kozuke-no-suke is on view, and the sword exhibit area is known as the museum's designated photography-permitted zone.

Collaboration with Touken Ranbu ONLINE

To mark its 30th anniversary, the museum held the special exhibition "Reviving Doutanuki: The Birth of the Great Sword and Its Revival" from November 24, 2024, to February 2, 2025, collaborating with the online game "Touken Ranbu ONLINE" and its character Doutanuki Masakuni. During the exhibition period, a life-size panel of Doutanuki Masakuni was displayed and collaboration merchandise was sold.

Access

About 5 minutes by car or 25 minutes on foot from JR Tamana Station. Located opposite Tamana City Hall, with free parking for about 50 vehicles. Open 9:00-17:00 (last entry 16:30). Closed Mondays (following day if a public holiday), the day after public holidays (open if that day is a Sunday), and the New Year period. Admission: 300 yen for adults, 200 yen for university students, free for high school students and younger.