A small archive museum, but with a variety of exhibits. I thought Kuromaro was just a mascot character, but it turns out Kuromaro was a real person. Admission and parking are both free, and about an hour is plenty to see everything. The Hana no Bunkaen and a michi-no-eki are nearby too, so it's a good idea to visit them together. Overall I'm giving it the top rating of 5 stars.

+3

Parking is free. Admission is free too. The parking lot looks like it can fit more than 20 cars. When you go in, you write down the number of people and whether you're from inside or outside the city in the register, and first you travel back in time from the Showa era to the Jomon period. Next come pots and manual machines, and finally books. You can try making magatama, stone knives, and bookmarks for a fee.

+3

Grown adult that I am, I did the knife-making experience. It costs under 500 yen, and there are various other options like magatama making. They take a break from 12:00 to 13:00.

+3

On today's visit, hina doll decorations were on display. There are many rites of passage in a person's life, and I suppose the customs vary from region to region. What I remembered afterwards was that in the Takihata area, apparently in the old days you weren't allowed to display hina dolls or banners. I wonder why? I forgot to ask....

+3

This many exhibits for free is great. There's parking for about 20 cars too. It's called a learning center, but the content is geared toward adults, and the staff carefully explained things and guided us around. Valuable artifacts are casually on display, so it's well worth seeing. The reconstructed pit-dwelling model at the back of the parking lot is a must-see too.

+1