Museum

To commemorate Shiba’s contributions to history and literature, to advance Japanese culture, and to convey Shiba’s life and works to the public, the Shiba Ryotaro Memorial Museum opened its doors in 2001. The museum includes Shiba Ryotaro’s home and a building designed by Ando Tadao to introduce the author’s world to visitors. Ando Tadao is a famous architect in Japan. He designed the museum to blend with the landscape surrounding Shiba’s home. The museum is located in Osaka, Japan.

The museum exhibits 20,000 of Shiba Ryotaro’s books, which are displayed on eleven meter high walls. Shiba, who wrote his own books prior to internet based research, used this library to write his numerous works. The curators of the museum encourage visitors to try to sense Shiba’s spirit as they gaze at his massive library.

The museum also includes a garden that visitors can walk through; Shiba Ryotaro’s study can be seen through glass windows from the garden. Flowers such as magnolias, camellias, and roses can be found in the memorial garden. People can also see purple Chinese bellflowers and indigo blue dayflowers.

The Shiba Ryotaro Museum even offers a café. The café provides both hot and iced coffee and tea for drinks. Baked goods and sandwiches have also been sold. The types of baked goods that are available are variable and seasonal. A menu for the museum is displayed on its website.

The Shiba Ryotaro Memorial Museum also offers events at their facility for children and adults. A past example includes an event in which children listened to a story.

The Shiba Ryotaro Museum also sells all of Shiba’s books. Some of the works include Owl’s Castle and the Clouds Above the Hill series.

Mementos are also available at the museum, including a tote bag that features a picture of Ando Tadao’s museum design. Other items include mugs, clocks, and T-shirts. The mugs even display a picture that was drawn by Shiba Ryotaro himself. Copies of the memorial's journal are also available. The journal is published four times each year. The journal includes items such as pictures from recent events and plans for future events.

The museum also offers a Shiba Ryotaro Memorial Society. People can fill out an application to become part of the society, which includes gatherings for members, discounts on museum goods and a subscription to the museum’s journal.

The Shiba Ryotaro Memorial Museum tries to create a sense of community. It is not a static display, but a culture and society that keeps Shiba Ryotaro’s spirit and work alive in Japan.

All of this information comes from the museum's website, which is found at https://www.shibazaidan.or.jp/

Photo Credits: behance.net