‘More interesting than school and easier to understand than textbooks’
The huge building is eye-catching, with a large curved roof inspired by a mountain range and an exterior wall that reflects the surrounding forest like a mirror. Some visitors come just to see the building, including the natural environment that surrounds it.
This museum, the fourth national museum after Tokyo, Nara, and Kyoto, opened in 2005 on the hillside behind Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine. It is one of the largest national museums in Japan.
Kyushu historically served as a gateway from Asia.
So the museum is based on the concept of “understanding the formation of Japanese culture from an Asian historical perspective”. 
In the Cultural Exchange Exhibition Room, the history of cultural exchange between Japan, Asia, and Europe is introduced, and divided into five themes from the Paleolithic Age to the Edo Period, each of which tells a story of cultural exchange.
The museum’s projects and exhibitions were created under the motto “more interesting than school and easier to understand than textbooks,” so you can focus on the things that interest you the most.
The Asian Cultural Experience Area “Ajipa” on the first floor is a hands-on exhibition room that both adults and children can enjoy with all five senses.
It is a place where visitors can come into contact with the cultures of Asia, Europe, and other countries with which Japan has interacted. Visitors can learn about the cultures of various countries not only by viewing the exhibits, but also through hands-on experience.
There’s  also a Japanese restaurant “Iinoji” where you can taste “Kyushu delicacies” such as Yame tea (which is famous in Fukuoka) and black wagyu beef.
You can have a small pot of sukiyaki with Kyushu black wagyu beef, stone-broiled hittu-mabushi of eel, and sweets made from local ingredients.
At a Japanese-style cafe “Kyuhaku Teien Ashiyu Jaya” across from “Iinoji,” visitors can enjoy a cup of Kyushu’s famous and slightly sweet tea, and light meals such as eel musubi while soaking in the footbath.
We suggest you soak your feet in the foot bath while feeling the breeze for a relaxing experience.
It is only a 5-minute walk from Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine, a popular sightseeing spot in Fukuoka, so be sure to visit the Kyushu National Museum, becasue it is well worth seeing!

Kyushu National Museum
Location: 4-7-2 Ishizaka, Dazaifu, Fukuoka 818-0118
phone number: 050-5542-8600
Hours: 9:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (Admission until 4:30 p.m.)
(9:30 – 20:00 on Fridays and Saturdays during special exhibitions. Admission until 7:30 p.m.)
Closed: Mondays (or the following day if Monday is a national holiday) and the end of the year.　
https://www.kyuhaku.jp/

Cover photograph provided by福岡県観光連盟