Visited in the morning on 2026年5日19日 A museum in Mukō City, Kyoto Prefecture, near Mukō City Hall, in the same building as the library. That day, I rode a shared bicycle around various places from Nishi-Mukō Station before coming here. The permanent exhibition had displays about the history of Mukō City and Nagaoka-kyō, so I got to learn about them. The temporary exhibition was about Mukō-an and Mr. Jugaku Bunshō, who lived in Mukō City. There were explanations of papermaking materials, privately published books, and Mukō-an, where he lived, so I enjoyed it. I like the books about Kyoto by Mr. Bunshō’s daughter, Ms. Akiko, and that’s how I found out about this place, so I’m glad I got to come this time.

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Mukō City covers 7.72 square kilometers and is the 3rd-smallest city in Japan (the smallest in western Japan), but it has a wealth of archaeological and historical sites, including the Nagaoka-kyō site, the Otokuni burial mound group, and the ruins of Mozume Castle. Perhaps partly because of this, the cultural museum has particularly extensive history-related displays. The permanent exhibition centers on the Nagaoka-kyō site. Alongside excavated objects, there are reconstructed models of Chōdō-in and other buildings, and displays from various perspectives on the construction of the site and how people lived. The city’s major burial mounds are also briefly introduced. Besides the permanent exhibition, they also seem to hold themed temporary and special exhibitions from time to time, so it may be a good idea to check ahead before visiting.

This is a history museum (local history museum) in Mukō City, with particularly appealing exhibitions about Nagaoka-kyō. It focuses on learning about Nagaoka-kyō and was built on part of the palace site of the ancient capital Nagaoka-kyō (784〜794). It displays reconstructed models (Daigokuden and Chōdō-in) and excavated objects, allowing you to learn in detail about the history of Nagaoka-kyō, also called the lost capital. The displays recreate the lives of nobles, officials, and ordinary people, and use models to introduce their food and clothing. I think it’s interesting that you get a picture of daily life, rather than just displays of artifacts. There are also history lectures, symposiums, hands-on events, and learning events for children.

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This is a museum where you can learn about the history of Nagaoka-kyō. Parking is a little difficult, but there is a parking lot. For learning about the history of that time, I think it’s easy to understand and interesting. It might be just the place for children to study history.

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A capital that lasted only about 10 years after the capital was moved from Heijō. A capital whose very existence had been forgotten until recent years. The Mukō City Cultural Museum had a wonderful exhibition for learning about it. Free admission! Thank you, Mukō City! The explanations of the rushed construction for the relocation of the capital and the sourcing of building materials from the old palace gave me SDGs vibes. Coincidentally, the Kansai Expo starts today, and I hoped it would follow that example.

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