Takenaka Carpentry Tools Museum
Takenaka Carpentry Tools Museum
4.5
9:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Tuesday
9:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Wednesday
9:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Thursday
9:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Friday
9:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Saturday
9:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Sunday
9:30 AM - 4:30 PM
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
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4.5
158 reviews
Excellent
119
Very good
32
Average
6
Poor
1
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0
hfossli
Algarrobo, Spain9 contributions
I would recommend anyone who visits temples in Japan to first visit this museum. Your insight and respect for the craftsmanship put into temples, teahouses and buildings in general will be highly increased by this visit. I was amazed at the details and effort they put into this. The museum is also a sensory journey as you are able to play, touch, smell and try several of the installations. And the building itself is a pride for the eye inside and out. They've also got a workshop so you can create simple music instruments and chopsticks etc. Not sure about opening hours of workshop.
Written January 8, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jessica V
24 contributions
Apr 2015 • Solo
The museum had recently moved, so be sure you are headed to the new building near Shin-Kobe station! An incredible collection of tools and explanations of how carpentry progressed from the stone to the iron age. With the awareness I have now, I see the temples were no less a massive project than the cathedrals in Europe. As work is woven through the culture here, you will also see tools in art (such as an in-depth image of a scroll from the Kamakura period illustrating the building process).
There is a children's workshop in the basement where for maybe 120Y children can make a project with the same types of tools they saw in the museum- I wanted to make something! I consider this a don't-miss if you are anywhere near Kobe. Also, the gardens are beautiful and it is a wonderful place to relax for a few hours. Peaceful. Solid. Amazingly explanatory. 500Y admission.
There is a children's workshop in the basement where for maybe 120Y children can make a project with the same types of tools they saw in the museum- I wanted to make something! I consider this a don't-miss if you are anywhere near Kobe. Also, the gardens are beautiful and it is a wonderful place to relax for a few hours. Peaceful. Solid. Amazingly explanatory. 500Y admission.
Written April 29, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Joël B
Los Angeles, CA3 contributions
Apr 2015 • Family
We heard about this museum from a friend living in the area and visited it on a rainy day. The museum is located in a new wooden building at less than 200m from Shin-Kobe. The exposition is very interesting, both for adult and youngsters, with some interactive things to do, and everything well explained in English via a free audio system or on the screens. Admission is 500 yen, free for children until 15y. The smell of the beuatiful wooden materials stays with you, long after leaving the museum.
Written April 14, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Pichetbo
Bangkok, Thailand205 contributions
Jul 2018 • Family
We decided to spend hot summer afternoon in this place to avoid the hear. It turned out to be much better than a heat escape. This place is full of knowledge about wood work in the old days. We also enrolled into a workshop to make chopsticks. It’s really fun. Even if you’re not a wood lover, you should be able to enjoy the visit.
Written July 16, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Peter N
Chiang Mai, Thailand55 contributions
Feb 2018 • Solo
After twenty minutes in a sake brewery tour, i was surprised that i spent over two hours in this museum. This is more than just tools. This museum is about the art and life of wood, and the way it is brought into everyday life. The museum has a number of hands on areas where you can see the complicated types of joinery the Japanese use, historical development of the tools and their manufacture, and areas that talk about the types of wood and how to understand them. Worth coming to Kobe solely for this museum, if not also for their beef and locally made saké...
Written February 11, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
sonohoka
Osaka, Japan46 contributions
Dec 2015 • Couples
This museum is great place if you love Japanese traditional architecture. If you have time, please include this place in your trip itinerary in Japan as you will further appreciate whatever wooden historical buildings you would see in Japan. The best thing I found by visiting this place was learning through interactive displays. It may take more time than `reading only displays' but you learn this unique Japanese traditions and heritage. The only negative thing was that there are limited amount of English translations compared to the detailed Japanese explanations. Being a Japanese, it is pity that this wonderful information is not passed to the foreign visitors fully.
Written January 13, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SanDiegoPhil
100 contributions
Oct 2015 • Couples
The wife and I went here during our 2.5 week visit throughout Japan. We were extremely happy that we did. After seeing so many temples prior to coming here, this museum really allowed us to appreciate the structures even more than we already had.
This is not a typical museum where one walks in and merely sees exhibits. This museum has many videos that one can watch to learn the techniques of these woodworking craftsman, as well as CAD-like imaging videos that allow one to see the layering of internal structure upon structure to create a final superstructure that is a temple itself. Additionally, there are many tools and wooden joints that one can touch, feel, and use.
We spent two hours or so here, and we really gained a huge appreciation for how the temples were built. One could choose either an audio or video guide; we took the video guide with us and we really liked it.
We could have easily spent more than 2 hours there if we wanted to watch in detail every video that they had. As well, they had a "hands on" room where you could work with carpenters to actually build something, but after 2 hours there it was closing time and so we didn't get a chance to do that.
The museum mostly had adults in it, but with all the hands on stuff, I think older kids would probably enjoy this place as well (but not being a parent, I could be totally wrong here :) ).
This is not a typical museum where one walks in and merely sees exhibits. This museum has many videos that one can watch to learn the techniques of these woodworking craftsman, as well as CAD-like imaging videos that allow one to see the layering of internal structure upon structure to create a final superstructure that is a temple itself. Additionally, there are many tools and wooden joints that one can touch, feel, and use.
We spent two hours or so here, and we really gained a huge appreciation for how the temples were built. One could choose either an audio or video guide; we took the video guide with us and we really liked it.
We could have easily spent more than 2 hours there if we wanted to watch in detail every video that they had. As well, they had a "hands on" room where you could work with carpenters to actually build something, but after 2 hours there it was closing time and so we didn't get a chance to do that.
The museum mostly had adults in it, but with all the hands on stuff, I think older kids would probably enjoy this place as well (but not being a parent, I could be totally wrong here :) ).
Written November 6, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Chuck K
Kobe, Japan176 contributions
Feb 2016 • Couples
Takenaka, an internationally known design and construction company, has rebuilt an already fascinating museum and spared no expense to improve on the quality of the setting, building, exhibits, and organization.
The new building is on the site of a former Takenaka family mansion, a short walk from the Shin Kobe Shinkansen Station. Set in a Japanese garden, the new design is a tribute to Takenaka's architectural and construction skills, but doesn't overwhelm its purpose; to showcase the skills and tools of the Japanese carpentry tradition.
The exhibits progress through the history of carpentry and the evolution of tools used to support the craft. There are touch screens with videos showing the use of many of the exhibited tools, and each has multilingual options (Korean, Chinese and English), a welcome addition to the typical Japanese museum experience.
There are also hands on exhibits of tools and carpentry techniques, and full scale exhibitions of building elements. The most notable examples are a 2+ story temple support pillar and roof truss, and a tea ceremony room. Also fascinating are the hands-on models of Japanese joinery used in temple construction.
There is also a model of a forge where the black smiths who created these tools (with a care similar to that required for a samurai sword) would have worked.
A library and research area are available, and Takenaka have included a well equipped workshop where carpentry techniques are taught.
The new building is on the site of a former Takenaka family mansion, a short walk from the Shin Kobe Shinkansen Station. Set in a Japanese garden, the new design is a tribute to Takenaka's architectural and construction skills, but doesn't overwhelm its purpose; to showcase the skills and tools of the Japanese carpentry tradition.
The exhibits progress through the history of carpentry and the evolution of tools used to support the craft. There are touch screens with videos showing the use of many of the exhibited tools, and each has multilingual options (Korean, Chinese and English), a welcome addition to the typical Japanese museum experience.
There are also hands on exhibits of tools and carpentry techniques, and full scale exhibitions of building elements. The most notable examples are a 2+ story temple support pillar and roof truss, and a tea ceremony room. Also fascinating are the hands-on models of Japanese joinery used in temple construction.
There is also a model of a forge where the black smiths who created these tools (with a care similar to that required for a samurai sword) would have worked.
A library and research area are available, and Takenaka have included a well equipped workshop where carpentry techniques are taught.
Written February 8, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jill R
Alba, TX63 contributions
Dec 2015
The museum should be a must for anyone interested in construction because they would learn a lot! I am a commercial real estate appraiser and have taken building construction in college. I have always been interested in building construction and so has my engineer husband. The artistry that went into just building the tools alone is amazing and the products that were constructed is phenomenal! There is a workshop for children and adults as well. The garden area approaching the museum is serene. And you get to see and smell wood shavings ~ a delight for ALL the senses!
Written December 16, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
AislingWalsh
Cork, Ireland81 contributions
Oct 2019
We visited here by chance during our short stay in Kobe. I came across it while googling Things to do in Kobe! My only regret is that we didn't get here earlier in the day to spend more time here.
This museum is SO INTERESTING! If you really want to learn about Japanese craftsmanship, here is the place to go. A wonderful selection of historical tools, information about different aspects of carpentry and building. It was great! Very enjoyable.
This museum is SO INTERESTING! If you really want to learn about Japanese craftsmanship, here is the place to go. A wonderful selection of historical tools, information about different aspects of carpentry and building. It was great! Very enjoyable.
Written November 5, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
abubakarumar04
Kano, Nigeria
mathematics as a tool of desion making in economic
Written February 10, 2017
abubakarumar04
Kano, Nigeria
mathematics as a tool of desion making in economic
Written February 10, 2017
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