HokkaidoLeisure

Nakahara Teijiro Memorial Asahikawa City Museum of Sculpture (former Asahikawa Kaikosha)

Flow of the course

About 70 min here

About 10 min to the next stop

Next stop: Trace the history of Asahikawa as a military town through original materials

About this spot

A museum bearing the name of Nakahara Teijiro, a sculptor with ties to Asahikawa. The building is a wooden Western-style hall erected as the social club for the officers of the old Army 7th Division, and the building itself is designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan. Rows of sculptures in human form catch a child eye more easily than paintings, and conversation starts naturally around what each figure is doing. The creak of the wooden floor and the high ceilings mean the structure itself becomes part of the experience, something unique to this place. It is within walking distance of Shunkoen Park (春光園), making it a perfect stop to open the day.

Tips

Check the admission fee and closing days on the official website in advance. It is a wooden building, so agreeing with children beforehand not to run indoors brings peace of mind. Almost none of the sculptures may be touched, so walking hand in hand avoids trouble. Keep the visit to about an hour and save energy for the water play in the afternoon.