Tokushima Castle Museum

The Tokushima Castle Museum opened in November 1992 (Heisei 4) on the site of Tokushima Castle (Tokushima Chūō Kōen). It specializes in historical materials and works of art related to the Tokushima Domain and its lords, the Hachisuka family. Tokushima Castle was built by Hachisuka Iemasa in 1585, and the Hachisuka family served as domain lords for generations until the Meiji Restoration.

Armor and Swords Handed Down from the Hachisuka Family

The core of the museum's collection is the armor, swords, and martial equipment handed down through the Hachisuka family. It holds valuable armor used by the domain lords of Tokushima, including the Murasaki-ito-odoshi Ōyoroi, which conveys the dignity of the domain lords' household and the culture of the warrior class. Its sword holdings include kotō, shintō, and shinshintō associated with Awa Province. Through special exhibitions on swords, such as "Swords That Reflect the Times: Kotō, Shintō, and Shinshintō of Awa," it also presents the history of local swordsmiths and the culture of arms in a systematic way.

Integrated Presentation with the Tokushima Castle Ruins and the Omote-goten Garden

The museum is adjacent to the Former Tokushima Castle Omote-goten Garden, a nationally designated Place of Scenic Beauty, and visitors to the museum can also view the garden. The Tokushima Castle ruins are themselves a nationally designated Historic Site, and they convey the historical value of the castle as the political center and seat of the Hachisuka family, who ruled all of Awa Province.

Permanent and Special Exhibitions

The permanent exhibition introduces the history of the Tokushima Domain and the Hachisuka family under five themes: changes in domain government, the lives and culture of the daimyo, the layout of the castle, life in the castle town, and the activities of the Awa navy. Special exhibitions held several times a year delve deeper into specialized themes such as armor, swords, and old documents, and the museum serves as a base for research on warrior culture in the Shikoku region.