Special Exhibition "In Praise of Dotaku: Treasures of Wakayama" 2026

Dates & time: October 3, 2026 (Sat) - November 29, 2026 (Sun) 9:00–17:00 (last entry 16:30)
Closed Mondays (or the following weekday when Monday is a holiday); also closed Tue 13 Oct
Price & booking: Adults ¥500 / university & high-school students ¥300 / elementary & junior-high students ¥150 No booking needed to see the exhibition. Workshops and the guided dialogue session require advance booking via the application form; each session closes when full (details on the workshop page).
Venue & access: Takigawa Memorial Art Museum Gyokuseikan, Minamiawaji (Awaji Island) By car, about 5 minutes from Seidan-Mihara IC on the Kobe-Awaji-Naruto Expressway. By highway bus, get off at Rikunominato Seidan or Shichi, then walk about 20 minutes (uphill) or take a 5-minute taxi.

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Why You Should Visit

Gyokuseikan, a small museum in Minamiawaji on Awaji Island, stages the third instalment of its "In Praise of Dotaku" series on Yayoi-period bronze bells. This time the focus is Wakayama, just across the Kitan Strait. Bells, bell-shaped clay objects and Yayoi pottery excavated in Wakayama are shown alongside the Matsuho Dotaku, a nationally designated Important Cultural Property found in the city, tracing how bells shifted from instruments to be heard to objects to be seen, and how the two shores traded in ancient times. The same period brings a 35th-anniversary display of seven newly acquired works by the painter Jikihara Gyokusei.

NOTE

Highlights

Bronze bells, bell-shaped clay objects and Yayoi pottery excavated in Wakayama
The Matsuho Dotaku, a national Important Cultural Property found in Minamiawaji
"Kii-type" jars brought over from Wakayama and excavated in Minamiawaji

Running alongside

35th-anniversary "New Acquisitions III": seven newly acquired works by Jikihara Gyokusei

Workshops & dialogue session (museum admission required in addition)

Miniature casting: 17 Oct, 3 Nov, 22 Nov at 10:00 / 13:00 / 15:00; ¥400 or ¥800; 8 per session
Pine-cone art: 18 Oct, 21 Nov at 10:00 / 13:00 / 15:00; ¥300; 5 per session
Guided dialogue on Jikihara Gyokusei's "Zen no Bokugyu": 23 Nov (holiday) from 14:00 (about 60 min); free; 15 places

History Heritage Culture Art Rainy Day Anniversary

出典: PR TIMES（南あわじ市）

Kobe · Gluten-free

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FAQ

Do the workshops need booking?

Yes. Workshops and the dialogue session are by advance booking only, with limited places per session. Museum admission is charged separately.

When is the museum closed?

It closes on Mondays, or the next weekday when Monday is a public holiday. During the exhibition this includes 5, 13, 19 and 26 October.

Can I see the Matsuho Dotaku any time?

Yes. Seven Matsuho bells and seven clappers are on permanent display on the museum's second floor, and they also feature in this exhibition alongside the Wakayama finds.