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After a pre-opening in August allowing to discover the first two levels of the building, the Kadokawa Culture Museum, located one hour from Tokyo, opened its doors entirely to the public in November 2020. Designed by the renowned architect Kengo Kuma, this building made of granite is in line with the contemporary style of its creator, who is constantly looking for new materials to create his works.
Description of a place that is not satisfied with being just a museum
If its architecture is atypical, so is the interior, both in form and in content. The objective, presented by the director of the museum, Seigo Matsuoka, is to gather and mix different types of art within the same space, divided originally.
Inside a single building, there is both a museum of art and natural history as well as galleries hosting temporary exhibitions, but other surprises await visitors. There are also several bookstores, reading rooms, cafés, and restaurants.
Within the team of the establishment, the profiles are also very varied: we find professors and researchers of very different disciplines, between specialists of the digital world, modern art or manga to that of the yokai…
Different worlds to discover in the Museum
Raised on four floors, the building offers on each level, different types of contents and atmospheres.
First of all, on the first floor, there is a bookshop dedicated to manga and light novels. This one gathers more than 25,000 books, which is to say almost all the titles published by Kadokawa editions. Moreover, a first “Great Gallery” of 1000m2 dedicated to exhibitions of experimental themes around nature, science, fashion, or society, among others, also awaits the visitors. Finally, it is possible to relax in the “Genyoshi Garden”, which is a reproduction of the garden of the residence of the founder of the publishing house, Genyoshi Kadokawa. This private space is known to have hosted many Haiku poets.
On the second floor, you can find something to feed your Instagram page with original drinks at the Kado Café, whose interior was also designed by Kengo Kuma. You’ll also find souvenirs in the museum’s store, which features items produced on site.
The second floor is dedicated to the Anime Museum, “EJM” (Entertainment Japan Museum). This space is dedicated to the world of anime, not only through the presentation of past achievements but also through anime-related products, such as books, films, games, or any other object, to pay tribute to the creativity of all the teams present in the animation and entertainment industry.
After this unique experience, the visitor can lose himself in two unusual spaces:
- An impressive bookstore made of eight-meter high shelves is located on the same level. In this room, video mapping can also be used; in this way, different types of content can be projected onto the spacious walls.
- A space with an innovative bookstore model: a book town, a room called “Edit town”, with 250,000 books, divided into 9 categories to make it easier for visitors to find what they are looking for.
Afterward, it is possible to immerse oneself in the reading of works discovered during the visit to the reading rooms. And finally, on the fourth floor, there is the Musashino Gallery as well as a café and a restaurant. Ideal to relax after these discoveries! Visitors can select different activities or even purchase a day pass to explore the entire facility.
Finally, within the Tokorozawa Sakura Town cultural complex, in which the Kadokawa Museum is located, many buildings are present, or still under construction for the moment. For example, a “living Torii” or the Musashino Reiwa Shrine, both designed by Kengo Kuma, can be seen right next door.
