Takenaka Carpentry Tools Museum — Attraction in Kobe

Had an amazing time at this museum. It showcases the history of Japanese carpentry and the skills and craftsmanship of master carpenters and the blacksmiths who made their tools.

After buying your ticket, you can store your bags and things in the locker room to the left of the shop area. The locker requires a 100 yen coin but it is returned after you insert the key again to open the door.

I spent about 4 hours here and could have spent another 4 as there were several videos and short documentaries (English available) that can be watched individually on the basement floor as well as a workshop to craft your own pieces under the guidance of staff.

The free audio guide can be accessed on your phone via the free Wi-Fi and English is available. The audio guide provides a lot of information and is well worth using.

Numerous items are available to touch and feel like the shavings of different types of planers. I loved the comparison of the rough planed plank vs. the finish planed plank. I also loved the joinery examples where you can take apart and re-assemble the blocks and observe the joinery techniques.

There are also several touch screen displays throughout the exhibitions with additional short videos that you can play through.

A lounge area with views of the garden is available with vending machines and water for refreshments.

I think the museum has so many great touches to make the experience top notch. It has really set the bar high. Whenever I come back to Kobe, I would certainly visit this museum again (earlier to spend more time) and also try...

This was a nice gem! We went right when it opened at 930am and there was only two other people with us. We had the place pretty much all to ourselves foe the first 30 mins. The museum smells amazing of freshly cut wood. All the tools and joinery were laid out artistically and beautifully, w mostly japanese information. We used google translate and it wasnt an issue. There were various videos and informative resources as well, although limited interactive activities. I liked the teahouse on the basement floor where you can go in and appreciate that an entire building could be built without screws! We only has about 1hr and 15 mins until we needed to catch our bus out of Kobe, but for a woodworking or carpenter enthusiast, i think you would need 2.5h to casually enjoy everything and admire every detail. They also offer little workshops for children at very affordable prices on weekends (starting at 500 yen i believe and up to ~1500 yen). What a great way to include children in woodworking activities at a young age! They have a very small gift shop at the entrance and I think they could offer a larger selection of items to be bought. It costs 700 yen entrance and 500 yen for students. There are 100 coin lockers for you to store your luggage BUT you get your money back when u retrieve your belongings. I really liked this museum even though i have no woodworking experience and wish we had more time...

Highly recommended, must see if you have any interest in woodworking or Japanese architecture.

We took a day trip to Kobe to see this museum (and try the local beef), and it was well worth it. We were lucky enough that there was a temporary exhibit on Japanese planes, and the number and different types of planes on display was impressive.

The permanent exhibits explain the entire history of woodworking in Japan. There are some very impressive models/replicas in their own right.

One of the highlights was the hands-on exhibits of Japanese joints. Having only previously seen Japanese joinery in photos/video, it was incredible to be able to hold and disassemble these joints. (If you like this kind of thing, I would also recommend the Kigumi museum in Shinjuku which has even more hands-on examples).

We caught a demonstration of a master preparing a plane body, and during the demonstration he also passed around plane bodies in various stages of construction. I wish we spoke Japanese to understand the Q&A he gave, but he was clearly very passionate about his work and very willing to explain things to the audience.

The permanent exhibits had videos in multiple languages (including English) to explain a lot of the items. It was very informative.

If you take your time, you can easily spend 1-2 hours here. Don't rush it, there's a lot more to see than it...