ABOUT
The Tsuruga Municipal Museum initially opened as the Tsuruga History and Folklore Archives Center in 1978. In 1993, the name of the museum was changed, and the museum reopened after the restoration project of the building was carried out from 2012 to 2015.The museum includes archeological artifacts, historical documents, folklore material, and artwork regarding Tsuruga. The building of the museum is designated as Japan’s “Important Cultural Property.” The conservation and utilization of these works of art are the main missions of the museum.
The city of Tsuruga is located between Tsuruga Bay and Lake Biwako. Since ancient times, it has played the important role of being a major commerce hub as it is a modern port city as well as well-connected to the railway.
Railroads were established in Japan in the Meiji era. The railway line connecting Tsuruga to Tokyo and Kobe through the Nagahama, Shiga Prefecture was built in 1889. This was the first railway line in the area adjoining the Sea of Japan and Tokyo.
Our art collection has more than 400 paintings by local artists and by artists from Kyoto in the early modern period and modern period.
The city of Tsuruga has a long history as a port town. In the early modern period and modern period, Tsuruga had strong cultural and physical connections with Japan (chiefly Hokuriku and Kyoto) and the continents of Asia and Europe. Various cultures, especially the culture of Kyoto, influenced Tsuruga heavily. Thus, there were many artists and intellectuals in Tsuruga in the early modern and modern period who had connections with Kyoto.
