Japan Oni Cultural Museum — Attraction in Fukuchiyama

Oni Museum 日本の鬼の交流博物館

This museum of Oni is located in Oe-cho which is north-west of Fukuchiyama City. The town of Oe is known for the legend of Oni which is a monstorous demonic figure often depicted in old Japanese folklore. The museum explains the origin of Oni providing with profound source of historical findings collected from all over Japan being displayed. The museum was built for a purpose to bring us close to the history of Oni and make us feel as if we are spending time in the same space with Oni. The place is nicknamed " Onihaku " From ancient times Oni was believed to be an incarnation of ancestral spirit which brings both disaster and fortune to our lives. In old times people suffered various kind of hardships in their lives such as natural disasters and it was common that they believed such hardships were acts of demoniac sprit which controlled their lives. Oni was an embodiment of such fear among people suffered their lives. While Oni holds a strong impression as demoniac figure there are some Onis worshipped as divine figures believed to bring fortune. There are so many different types of Onis introduced in this museum as well as a wide collection of Onis from all over the world. There are many Japanese old folk tales depicting Oni as a demoniac figure which should be exterminated. One good example is a tale of Momo Taro. There are many different tales based on a legend of each location in Japan. This region of Oe also has a legend of Oni being exterminated. It was believed that Oni ( Shutendoji = a mythical Oni which likes drinking sake ) used to live in Mt. Oe. Shutendoji terrorized Kyoto by kidnapping princesses and Minamoto Yorimitsu was sent to the mountain to take princesses back from Shugendoji. Yorimitsu deceived Shutendoji into drinking sake and get drunk and cut his head off. All this legend was depicted in drawings of ancient times from 9th or 10th century.

TGM Kyoto Guide...

This is a great little museum, worth the 330 yen entrance fee. They have an excellent collection of oni masks from both inside Japan and internationally, as well as a collection of oni roof tiles across history. I agree with other reviewers that it would be nice to have English signage, as visitors will definitely miss out on a lot of the cultural importance and story of the evolution of oni culture over time in Japan without the ability to read Japanese. The museum is best accessed by car, and a good visit when paired with hiking the Oeyama Mountain Range (which is believed to be the home of Shuten Doji, one of Japan's most feared Oni). The mountains are easily hiked in a day, and for visitors who come in late fall, there is the opportunity to see the sea of clouds if you get up early. Right next to the oni museum is Green Lodge, an accommodation that also has a restaurant (and they also make an oni-shaped bento box for those who don't want to hike on an empty stomach).

To iterate another reviewer, a gift shop would definitely be welcome for some...

And excellent and very beautifully designed museum. The collection of Oni heads from roofs is especially impressive. The people running the museum were extremely nice and accommodating. The museum is entirely in Japanese, but we were still able to navigate it with our basic Japanese skills and using translation tools (which are well worth doing, the story of the Oni for the old pharmacy sign is hilarious). The books we bought from there in the tiny gift shop are unlike anything we've been able to find in the US.

Getting to the museum is the trickiest part since it's located up in the mountain range, but it is absolutely gorgeous and magical as a result. There is a local taxi service that can take you there, and a bus on fixed schedules you may want to investigate. Oe Station itself is quite a wonder to look at (and has a great...