The National Museum Of Ethnology

The National Museum of Ethnology is arguably the best museum in Osaka. It presents various cultures from around the world in exquisite and colorful detail, making it excellent for both children and adults.

[The National Museum of Ethnology - image © Florentyna Leow]

Those who love museums and learning about cultures around the world will not want to miss the National Museum of Ethnology. Located within Banpaku Memorial Park, it is home to a rich and comprehensive collection of materials representing many major and minor cultures around the world. The permanent exhibition is but the tip of the iceberg.

[The National Museum of Ethnology - image © Florentyna Leow]

Through a diverse selection of artifacts, objects, recordings, photographs, and videos, visitors to the museum will feel as though they’ve travelled all over the world after a walk through the museum. Brazilian feathered funeral masks? Polish wedding dresses? Peruvian vases? Chinese lanterns? They have it all.

[The National Museum of Ethnology - image © Florentyna Leow]

The musical instrument section is particularly impressive: to name just a few, you’ll see dozens of guitars and lutes, more drums than you can shake your fist at, unusual Persian lutes, sitars, and Indonesian gamelan you can play. There are also special exhibitions from time to time. Past themes have included patterned Amish quilts, Javan batik designs, Tibetan and Nepalese mandala designs, to name just a few.

[The National Museum of Ethnology - image © Florentyna Leow]

Note that the museum is closed on Wednesdays - unless Wednesday happens to be a national holiday, in which case it’ll be closed the following day. The museum alone is worth the trek out of Osaka city - there are few others of this kind in Japan that can rival it in scope and quality.

English name:
The National Museum of Ethnology

Japanese name:
国立民族学博物館

English address:
10-1 Senri-Banpakukoen, Suita-shi, 565-8511

Japanese address:
〒565-8511 吹田市千里万博公園10-1

Opening hours:
10am-5pm (last entry 4:30pm)
Closed Wednesday, or the following Thursday when Wednesday is a national holiday

Admission:
Adults: 420
College and high school students: 250

Nearest Transport:
Monorail: 15-minute walk from Bampaku-kinen-koen Station on the Osaka Monorail Main and Saito Lines.

Nearest Hotels:
Check availability and pricing for hotels near The National Museum of Ethnology on Booking.com or Agoda.com.

Telephone:
+81-6-6876-2151

Website:Official Website (English)

Near To Here:
The National Museum of Ethnology is located in Osaka’s northern district. See our complete list of things to do in the Osaka’s northern district, including places to eat, nightlife and places to stay.

Where Are These Places Located?

• Open the Osaka map
• You will see the list of places on the left hand side. (Click the 3-line icon in the top left corner if not). Scroll down or use the map search (the magnifying glass icon) to find the place you want.
• Click the name of the place in the list. Its location pin will be highlighted on the map.
• Map pins are color coded - BLUE: Hotels / Ryokan / Guesthouses | VIOLET: Ryokan | PINK: Places to Eat | GREEN: Shops | YELLOW: Things to See and Do
• If you’re using the map on your phone, open the map and then search for the name of the place. The map will then zoom in on its location.

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