Hakata Gion Yamakasa Exhibition - 25 (Feature Exhibition, June 18 - Aug 16 2026)

 

Hakata Gion Yamakasa Exhibition - 25

Period: Thursday, June 18th ～ Sunday, August 16th, 2026

Venue: Feature Exhibition Room 1

Opening Hours: 9:30am - 5:30pm (last admission: 5:00pm)

Closed: Mondays

Charge: 

・Adults: 200yen

        ・High school and University students: 150yen
　         (No charge for Junior High School Students and younger)

Hakata Gion Yamakasa festival, hosted yearly by Kushida Shrine (Hakata-ward, Fukuoka City) from July 1^st through 15^th, is the most renowned summer festival in Fukuoka.

Designated as an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property in 1979, Hakata Gion Yamakasa festival was also registered as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2016. The splendidly decorated Yamakasa floats called Kazariyama are about 15 meters tall and for display purposes only. They can be found at multiple locations in the city during the festival. Kakiyama are the Yamakasa floats that are actually used for racing, 7 of them race through the streets of Hakata from July 10^th onwards. When it comes to its decoration, each Yamakasa float is assigned with a different theme every year, and is decorated with dolls crafted by Hakata doll artists.

Going along with the Yamakasa events schedule, we hold Hakata Gion Yamakasa exhibition almost every year at the Fukuoka City Museum. This year we shall introduce the magnificent Hakata Gion Yamakasa in the Edo period (1603 – 1868) through folding screens, Ema (wooden wishing plaques) and design drawings.

     The folding screen of the Hakata Gion Yamakasa procession (shown above) is known as the oldest surviving folding screen of Hakata Gion Yamakasa, presumably portraying the festival held in 1686. It describes how people in the early Edo period prepared Hakata Gion Yamakasa as well as how they raced the Yamakasa which was much taller than the surrounding buildings.  

Other exhibits include the Hakata Gion Yamakasa design drawings whose theme referred to some of the most influential histrocal figures in Japan such as Minamoto Yoshitsune and Toyotomi Hideyoshi. These belonged to the Kuroda clan, feudal lords of the Fukuoka Domain.

War and Our Way of Living vol. 35 (Feature Exhibition, June 18 - Aug 16 2026)

 

War and Our Way of Living vol. 35

-      Life of people in Fukuoka during World War II -

Period: Thursday, June 18th ～ Sunday, August 16th, 2026

Venue: Feature Exhibition Room 4

Opening Hours: 9:30am - 5:30pm (last admission: 5:00pm)

Closed: Mondays

Charge: 

・Adults: 200yen

        ・High school and University students: 150yen
　         (No charge for Junior High School Students and younger)

On June 19th, 1945, a large formation of B-29 long-range bomber planes from the United States flew over Fukuoka and dropped a large number of incendiary bombs, between midnight and the early hours of the morning. This is known as the ‘Great Fukuoka Air Raid’, which left the central part of the city as a burnt-out ruin. Since 1991, the Fukuoka City Museum has held a series of annual exhibitions entitled ’War and Our Way of Living’ to commemorate the incident.

This year we shall introduce air defense tools on the home front, including “air defense illustration” posters, of which the production was directed by the army’s air defense section. Aiming at disseminating easy-to-understand air defense information, these posters consisted of 4 categories – 1. “General air defense”: illustrates the danger of air raids, the combat radius of the enemy aircraft as well as how to prepare for air raids.  2. “Light control”: illustrates the importance of blackout and what should be done by building.  3. “Fire prevention”: illustrates the threats of incendiary bombs, how to dress during the operation, and how to extinguish fire.  4. “Poison protection”: illustrates the types of poison gas and how to help the victims of poison gas.  Out of a total of 55 air defense illustration posters, the Fukuoka City Museum has 28 pieces in its collection.

.We hope that this exhibition - seen through the eyes of people in Fukuoka during and after the war - will provide an opportunity for visitors to reflect on the importance of peace.