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Kyoto National Museum "Kyoto Kokuritsu Hakubutsukan" is one of the major art museums in Japan, and one of only four top-level national museums alongside the Tokyo National Museum, Nara National Museum and Kyushu National Museum. 


The collections of the Kyoto National Museum would provide a rare glimpse into pre-modern Japanese and Asian art. The Museum building is fairly grand, but the statue of Rodin's "The Thinker" out front is a bit out of place, as there's no Western art inside. The museum is divided into three parts: 

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Fine Arts, including sculptures, paintings and works of calligraphy.

Handicrafts, including pottery, fabrics, lacquerwares and metal-works.

Archaeology, including objects of archaeological and historical interest. 

Rodin "The Thinker"

Altogether, the museum houses over 12,000 works, of which around 6,000 are on display at the museum. 


The museum's permanent collection is presented to the public in rotating exhibitions.


Kyoto National Museum also boasts photographic archives containing over 200,000 photographic negatives and color transparencies. 
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​In the Fine Arts collections alone, there are more than 230 pieces that have been designated as either National Treasures or Important Cultural Properties.
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Access

Bus: From Platform D2 in front of the Kyoto Station, take City Bus NO: 206 or 208 or Raku Bus 100 to Hakubutsukan Sanjusangendo-mae bus stop. 

Alternatively, the museum can be reached in a 20-25 minutes' walk from Kyoto Station. 

Jinbaroi "Battlefield Vest" - Persian 16th Century

Kyoto National Museum - Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto Prefecture

The Heisei Chishinkan Exhibits The Museum's Permanent Collection