Kisarazu City Local History Museum “Kin no Suzu” is a municipal history museum located in Odayama Park in Kisarazu City, Chiba Prefecture. Through a wide range of valuable historical and cultural exhibits, the museum introduces the history and heritage of the Kisarazu area.
The museum is an excellent place to discover how the region developed from prehistoric times through the Edo period and into modern Japan.
The museum was formerly operated as the Chiba Prefectural Kazusa Museum, which closed in 2008. In October of the same year, it reopened as the Kisarazu City Local History Museum “Kin no Suzu”.
The name “Kin no Suzu”, meaning “Golden Bell,” comes from the pure-gold bells excavated from Kinreizuka Kofun, a Chiba Prefectural Historic Site. These remarkable artifacts are among the museum’s most important treasures.
The museum’s collections cover a broad period, from the Paleolithic period to the modern era. The exhibits are organized into themed galleries that introduce the archaeology, history, art, and folk culture of Kisarazu.
This gallery introduces archaeological remains and artifacts discovered throughout Kisarazu, covering the period from the Paleolithic period and Jomon period through the Yayoi period and the middle Kofun period.
This gallery displays valuable artifacts excavated from Kinreizuka Kofun, including decorated swords and pure-gold bells.
Many of these objects are designated as Important Cultural Properties of Japan and provide important evidence of the wealth and authority of powerful local leaders during the late Kofun period.
This gallery presents artifacts from archaeological sites dating from the late Kofun period through the Nara, Heian, and Muromachi periods.
Highlights include artifacts associated with cremation burials and historical materials related to the Ono family of metalworkers, who were involved in casting and metalworking.
This gallery explores the culture, religious beliefs, and education of Kisarazu during the Edo period.
It also includes historical materials related to the Jussa domain at the end of the Edo period, providing a glimpse into the political circumstances of the region during the final years of the shogunate.
Works by calligraphers and painters from Kisarazu are displayed here, together with paintings depicting landscapes and scenes from the Boso Peninsula.
This gallery introduces the activities of the local history museum and provides information about its special exhibitions and other museum programs.
This gallery covers the history of Kisarazu from the Meiji period through the Heisei period.
Exhibits explore the city’s development as a military town, as well as the everyday lives of local residents and the changes that shaped Kisarazu in modern times.
These galleries focus on the traditional culture and everyday life of the Kisarazu area.
Exhibits include tools used for Kazusa-bori, a traditional deep-well drilling technique developed in the Boso region, as well as equipment used in the production of seaweed in Tokyo Bay.
These materials offer a fascinating look at the traditional industries and livelihoods that supported local communities.
The museum is located within Odayama Park, where visitors can also explore several other attractions.
Nearby highlights include the Former Anzai Family Residence and Kimisarazu Tower, making it possible to combine a visit to the museum with sightseeing in the surrounding park.
Admission: Free. An admission fee may apply for special exhibitions.
Opening Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Closed: Mondays (or the following day when Monday is a public holiday) and the year-end/New Year holiday period.
Access: Approximately a 20-minute walk from the East Exit of JR Kisarazu Station. The museum can also be reached by car.
Kisarazu City Local History Museum “Kin no Suzu” offers a comprehensive introduction to the area’s long history, from prehistoric archaeological sites and Kofun-period tombs to Edo-period culture and modern life.
In particular, the collection of artifacts from Kinreizuka Kofun provides a rare opportunity to see evidence of the wealth and power of ancient leaders in the Kisarazu region.
For visitors interested in Japanese archaeology, ancient history, traditional culture, and the development of local communities, the museum is a valuable starting point for exploring Kisarazu’s heritage.