Nakanoshima Kosetsu Museum — Attraction in Osaka

TLDR: This is cool if you want to just look at metalworks, but very frustrating if you're actually interested in the art but not fluent in Japanese.

Highlights were the teahouse and the really cool interactive screen that offered a lot of English information about a few selected pieces and their artist. The sword fittings were the vast majority of the exhibit, but unfortunately they blend together and become less impactful when you can't read the information about each piece.

The vast majority of the collection and information is totally inaccessible because the plaques are only in Japanese (which is pretty normal and reasonable in a Japanese museum). Unfortunately, they're also placed so close to the actual pieces that you can't use a translation app to find out what they say without the staff descending to ask you not to take photos. It was very frustrating to see that the information was there but be unable to read it. Functionally, they're forbidding the use of phones, not photography.

Whether or not that's a good rule is debatable, but I felt the communication of this rule was handled poorly. The staff embarrassed me a lot by approaching me multiple times with signs saying not to take photos. It felt like they hovered behind me intrusively after that, but I guess that could have just been subjective feeling because I felt embarrassed. It significantly worsened my experience. I was quite angry and wanted to tell them to leave me alone. It felt like I was being shamed for trying to learn about the art, which is not really what a museum exists to do. I'm sure it wasn't their intention.

They should probably get the actual rule in writing. It would be quite an effort to either add more translation or move the plaques, so it's reasonable that they won't be able to make the exhibit more accessible. But it would be a more pleasant experience without the...

Beautiful museum for those who are aficionados of Asian arts and culture. I saw a display of 15-19 century tea bowls from Korea, Japan and China as well as utensils used in the tea ceremony. The interesting thing for me were the displays describing the founder of Asahi Shimbun and the replica of his tea house on his estate. Most displays have a very good English translation. Small gift shop as you exit. Cash only for exhibitions ¥1200, credit cards accepted at the gift shop. Non flash photography allowed with cellphones except...

I loved the quiete and peaceful ambience, but before you get to the exhibition room, you walk through a lovely glassed escalators and a dark wooden floor that takes you welcoming ladies very happy to see you visit the exhibition. I happened to see the Tale of Ise and the Tale of Genji, which I found it to be a classic Japanese romantic poem and how awesome it is that the work has been safely conserved to survive all...