Outlines of Kii-fudoki-no-oka Museum

Contents Here

Facilities

Permanent Exhibition

Relocated Old Folk Houses

Facilities

Kii-fuodki-no-oka Museum
Kii-fudoki-no-oka Museum in early April
  • The Name "Kii-fudoki-no-oka"
    • The English sign at the entrance, "Wakayama Prefecture Kii-fudoki-no-oka Museum of Archaeology and Folklore," clearly explains what the facility is.
    • "Kii" is a traditional place name that has been used for the present-day Wakayama area since the Nara period.
    • "Fudoki (風土記)", which literally means "wind, soil, record," was the name given to official books compiled in the Nara period to describe regional climates, cultures, and lore.
    • The last part of the name "no-oka" means "hill of" in Japanese.
    • As a result, the full name "Kii-fudoki-no-oka" roughly means "Hill of Fudoki (a book of regional history and culture) in Kii (present-day Wakayama). "
  • The Founding of the Kii-fudoki-no-oka Museum
    • Kii-fudoki-no-oka was established in 1971 to preserve and promote the Iwase-senzuka Kofun Cluster.
    • During the rapid exonomic growth of the 1960s following World War II, many important historical sites were threatend by road construction and housing development.
    • In reponse, the national government introduced new measures for coservation, inclduing opening hisotry museums named "Fudoki-no-oka."
    • Kii-fudoki-no-oka is one of 16 such museums across Japan.
    • Konosuke Matsushita, a prominent businessperson from Wakayama, provided a substantial donation to the prefectural government to help fund its construction. Today, a plaque at the main entrance identifies the building as "Matsushita Memorial Museum."
a pit dwelling
Newly Built Pit Dwelling
  • The Main Building
    • The property is adjacent to the Iwase-senzuka Kofun Tumuli Cluster.
    • The first floor features an activity space, a relocated burial stone chamber, and various displays.
    • The second floor houses exhibition rooms for haniwa clay figures (including National Important Cultural Assets), archaeological relics, and folk articles, all sourced from Wakayama Prefecture.
    • Displayed in front the of the main building is a section of a massive camphor tree trunk that grew around 1,500 yeas ago during the Kofun period, when the burial mounds at Iwase-senzuka were built.
    • An experimental rice paddy, a newly built pit dwelling with a indoor cooking stove, and relocated archaeological sites are located nearby.
    • The main building itself is designated as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property by the national government.
    • Currently, a museum annex and repositories are under construction, expected to be open in the fall of 2028.

You can check the opening hours and others on the Kii-fudoki-no-oka Museum Official Website.

Permanent Exhibition

Items on permanent display are largely classified into three groups: haniwa clay figures, historical relics (regular history), and folk articles.

cylindrical haniwa
cylindrical haniwa
  • About Haniwa Clay Figures
    • The Japanese word "haniwa" originally meant "clay cylinder" or "circle of clay."
    • Haniwa are large hollow earthenware objects. Those unglazed cylinders, pots, and figures were arranged on top of kofun tumuli in the Kofun period.
    • When keyhole-shaped kofun tumuli began to be built, haniwa clay figures also started to be made.
    • The first typical haniwa were cylindrical and pot-shaped.
    • Then in the 4th C, house-shaped, tool-shaped, and animal (bird)-shaped figures began to be made.
    • After that, in the 5th C, person-shaped figures appeared.
  • Exhibits of haniwas unearthed in Iwase-senzuka Kofun Cluster
    • From 2003 through 2005, numerous fragments of haniwa were unearthed at the Dainichi-yama No. 35 kofun tumulus.
    • The excavated haniwa were restored, and many of them were discovered to be unique to Iwase-senzuka.
    • Those highly distinctive figures are designated as National Important Cultural Assets of Japan.
    • Dainichi-yama No. 35 is thought to have been constructed in the first half of the 6th century.
    • You can see photographs of haniwa of Iwase-senzuka at Unique Haniwas of Dainichi-yama No. 35 section of this website.
  • Exhibition of Historical Relics From Wakayama Prefecture
    • The exhibits are arranged in chronological order from the Old Stone Age to the period when Buddhist temples established in Japan.
    • You can see the photos at Historical Relics section of this website.
  • Exhibition of Folk Articles
    • This secion features folk articles collected throughout Wakayama Prefecture.
    • The items on display are periodically rotated.
    • You can see the photos at Folk Articles section ofthis website.

Relocated Old Folk Houses

These four wooden houses were originally situated in various parts of Wakayama Prefecture. They were relocated to Kii-fudoki-no-oka when the museum was founded in 1971. All of them were constructed in the Edo period.

  • Former House of the Yanagawa Family
    • Relocated from Kuroe, Kainan City.
    • This is a merchant's house built in 1807.
house of the Kobayakawa family
Former House of the Kobayakawa Family
  • Former House of the Taniyama Family
    • Relocated from Shiotsu, Kainan City.
    • This is a fisherman's house built in 1749, whose owner was also involved in marine transport.
  • Former House of the Tanimura Family
    • Relocated from Arida-gawa Town.
    • This is a peasant house built in the second half of the 18th century.
  • Former House of the Kobayakawa Family
    • Relocated from the Hidaka-gawa Town.
    • This is a peasant house built in the second half of the 18th century.

You can view photos of the relocated old folk houses at Relocated Old Folk Houses section of this website.

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