Nagoya 'Touken World' Museum

[Bugyotsuji]

Token （Eastern Construction 東建コーポレーション Corporation）in Nagoya have created a museum using world-play on To-ken, for blades = 刀剣, called Touken World. 刀剣・日本刀の専門サイト「刀剣ワールド」 (touken-world.jp)

This website seems to have been designed to come up with searches from almost any angle.

 

Originally they bought up Nihonto blades from everywhere, and then suits of armo(u)r, with seemingly very deep pockets, for a pretty comprehensive collection, but after some time they decided to devote an extra floor to the history of Japanese guns. A little birdie whispers that it will be the largest number on display in Japan, featuring around 350 old Japanese guns of all types.

 

After several postponements, the museum is now supposed to open officially on 1st May 2024.

 

Anyway, just a heads-up.

PS I suspect, but have no proof yet, that a couple of my own guns may have eventually ended up there... something to look out for! 

[Gakusee]

43 minutes ago, Bugyotsuji said:

Token （Eastern Construction 東建コーポレーション Corporation）in Nagoya have created a museum using world-play on To-ken, for blades = 刀剣, called Touken World. 刀剣・日本刀の専門サイト「刀剣ワールド」 (touken-world.jp)

This website seems to have been designed to come up with searches from almost any angle.

 

Originally they bought up Nihonto blades from everywhere, and then suits of armo(u)r, with seemingly very deep pockets, for a pretty comprehensive collection, but after some time they decided to devote an extra floor to the history of Japanese guns. A little birdie whispers that it will be the largest number on display in Japan, featuring around 350 old Japanese guns of all types.

 

After several postponements, the museum is now supposed to open officially on 1st May 2024.

 

Anyway, just a heads-up.

PS I suspect, but have no proof yet, that a couple of my own guns may have eventually ended up there... something to look out for! 

Thanks Piers. 
 

I will  not hold too much hope regarding the timeline. They promised an opening last autumn. After 2-3 delays. 
 

Informally, they have been showing people around the museum and holding private viewings.
 

Do you know what is delaying the public opening - is it some health & safety or some other regulations in relation to the exhibits (eg how Kokuho / JuBun etc are shown) 

[Bugyotsuji]

Michael, no I do not know the reasons behind these delays, except that the committee have changed their minds several times on how it should look and what it should contain. The guns floor for example is a recent large addition, and they debated whether the displays should have English captions or not, for example. First yes, then no, then yes again.

Your Kokuho/Jubun display method idea seems entirely possible too.

There does seem to be some pressure building up now for them to stick to this 1st May opening date though. Fingers crossed.

(None of the above is official, just scraps of rumours that I have picked up here and there.)

[Gakusee]

Well, I know those who visited from NKBKHK enjoyed it. Unfortunately my schedule could not coincide with the NKBKHK trip. 

[Bugyotsuji]

Sadly I missed that NKBKHK tour too, but I joined them later for a day, on the coach ride to Oyamazumi Jinja and back again to Fukuyama Castle.

[Keiji]

More info here:

https://www.totsu-tr...LLuw&mibextid=xfxF2i

 

[Richard Thomas]

I visited this yesterday and could post some pics if people would be interested, travelling around Japan a bit at the moment but I can put some up as I get time..

 

[Bugyotsuji]

Great that you could see it, Richard. Are you the first among us? I am sure that most of us would be more than interested. Swords, armo(u)r, guns..........................

 

I've been meaning to go, and now someone museum-related has offered me a personal tour next week! Looking forward to it.

[nulldevice]

I’m going to Japan in October for the first time. We’re staying a few days in Kyoto and possibly in Nagoya as my friend’s family is originally from that area. I’ll have to try and stop by and see this museum. 
 

If anyone has any other good recommendations for activities and sites in the area DM me. I told my wife we wouldn’t just look at sword stuff all day while in Japan so I need to space things out a bit!

[Richard Thomas]

Piers, I think you will like it … guns … lots of guns. 😁 Lots of great swords and armour and other things ..
 

Note: There are 2 locations so for us non Japanese speaking/reading peeps you’d want to go to the one closer to the station and not Nagoya Castle. The one that costs 1200 yen is the full exhibition, the other appears to be a free appetiser (still worth going but swords are not well set up with lighting)
 

If you go but don’t get a personal tour guide, (like Piers : )  I would start on the top floor (4) if open, as these are arguably the better swords, and lighting is better - still not great but better. I found after getting through 3 floors, and trying to ‘wrangle the viewing angle’ with not great lighting, by the time I got upstairs I was fatigued! 
 

Chandler what are you into - gardens / temples? In Kyoto there are so many, my fav temple garden is Ginkaku-ji (silver pavilion) as opposed to the Kinkaku-ji (gold pavilion) garden is way better. I also never miss going to the collection of temples at Daitoku-ji ..

[Bugyotsuji]

Really looking forward to this. They have offered to pay my expenses, but instead of staying in a hotel there, I have decided to catch an early shinkansen and save them some money! Just hope the typhoon stays on course to miss Japan. 

[Bugyotsuji]

Well, the place bowled me over. Like opening glass doors and the Titanic sea rushes in.

What is your bag? They’ve got it.

Too tired now to report fully, but worth setting aside a minimum of one day. Just too much to absorb in one run-around. Only part of what they’ve accumulated is on display. And they’re still tweaking it.

 

If I was allowed a criticism I might choose the tall glass cases with giant standing armour scarecrows oops… mannequins inside. Erm, no. They look silly. They need serious work! ‘Nuff said.

 

 

 

 

[Bugyotsuji]

Beside all the Nihontō on display, they are also holding a special exhibition in a separate set of rooms, of blades owned by Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu. (4th Floor of the north building.)

 

 

[Jussi Ekholm]

Just visited this today and I must say the museum completely blew my mind. 🤯🤯

 

As Piers said it is difficult to grasp everything in a day. The amount of high quality items is just staggering.

 

As I keep a diary of swords that interest me personally. From Tōken World I wrote down 104 entries that are early Muromachi at latest. In overall there were most likely 200+ blades on display. I just honestly didn't have time for items other than the c.100 swords I liked the most.

 

For example there were probably 5 Muramasa on display in the museum but I didn't have time for them as there was so much more interesting blades for me.

 

Likewise I only got to take a brief overall look into the armor section and likewise the gun section.

 

If possible to include this to your trip to Japan I 100% recommend this.

[Bugyotsuji]

Glad we are not going crazy here. I took about 85 photos myself! (No flash allowed.)

 

Strangely no one at Nagoya Station could tell me where the museum is, and the taxi driver needed an address in order to feed his navigation system. Maybe because it’s so new and they haven’t advertised it enough yet.