Museums

The Nobeoka Castle Naito Memorial Museum

The Nobeoka Castle Naito Memorial Museum opened in September 2022 as a “base for learning about Nobeoka's history and for creating its future.”The museum collects and preserves materials related to the city’s history and culture, providing opportunities for future generations to appreciate historical materials and works of art.

Surrounded by Shiroyama Park, the Noguchi Shitagau Memorial Museum, and the municipal library, you can spend a whole day relaxing in the area around Naito Memorial Museum.

Entrance to the museum and all facilities is free of charge, so please feel free to visit anytime. 

About the History of the Museum 

The museum was built on the site of Nobeoka Castle's Nishinomaru, where the castle lords resided. With the abolition of feudal domains and the establishment of prefectures (1871), the castle lord's residence was demolished. However, when Masataka Naito, the former lord of the domain, returned to Nobeoka, a new residence was built on the same site in 1892 (Meiji 25). After the Naito family donated the house to Nobeoka City in 1939, it was opened to the public as the Naito Memorial Museum. Unfortunately, the building was destroyed during an air-raid in 1945.  

After being rebuilt in 1963 the former museum became widely known to the public as the new “Naito Memorial Hall” which included a conference room that would also serve as a wedding venue, an auditorium, and an exhibition room for local artefacts.

The museum's functions were even further expanded after a renovation in 1992 (Heisei 4).

Due to deterioration, the city decided to completely rebuild the museum, and in 2022, the name was changed to “Nobeoka Castle Naito Memorial Museum,” marking the beginning of a new chapter in the museum's history.

Permanent Exhibition 

The second floor of the museum has a regular exhibition room with all exhibits on permanent display. The exhibits are organized into seven groups based on time periods and respective fields of study, letting you revisit the history of Nobeoka from the Paleolithic Age to the present day. The exhibits can be viewed in either chronological order or randomly, based on the visitor’s interests and their overall visiting time. In addition, the museum provides visitors with the opportunity to encounter and discover new materials each time they visit by actively replacing the materials on display.

Interactive Exhibit

The three historical housing reproductions of our interactive exhibit, give you a glimpse of how people lived back in the day and how lifestyles have changed through the ages. The exhibit features a pit dwelling, a traditional Japanese farmhouse (kominka), and a flat in a housing complex.

Japanese Garden

Outside the pavilion there is a traditional Japanese garden that was created around pre-excisting plants like trees and bushes.
You will also find a pond with Nishikigoi carp, an old well and stone lanterns - remains of the original Naito family residence, reminding us of the long history of the garden.  

The Japanese-style building invites visitors to relax while also serving as a space for exchange. It was designed to blend in harmoniously with the Japanese garden that surrounds it, and it can be used for a variety of cultural activities such as tea ceremony and flower arrangement, as well as for voluntary activities and or private events.  

Information

Opening hours: 9:00 to 17:00
The museum is closed on Mondays, except for national holidays, as well as the 31st of December and the 1st of January.
If a national holiday falls on a Monday, the museum will be closed on the following Tuesday instead. 

From 2025 the museum will be closed during the Japanese New Year's Holidays from December 28th until January 3rd. 

Admission to the museum is free.

Access

Approximately 5 minutes by car from JR Nobeoka Station.

Japanese name:延岡城・内藤記念博物館　Nobeoka-Jou・Naito-kinen-hakubutsukan(short: Naito Kinen-kan)

Takamori Saigo Memorial Hall

In the 1877 (Meiji 10) the Satsuma Rebellion broke out. The battle raged between government troops and a troop of men being led by Takamori Saigo. After suffering several serious defeats, it is said that Takamori Saigo set up camp with his remaining troops in the Tawarano of Kitagawa. From there he proceeded to attack Enotake where he gained a decisive victory and then marched on to the battle of Shiroyama in Kagoshima where he was defeated and committed ritual suicide. Kodama Kumashiro's Estate, which formed the final camp of Saigo's troops at Tawarano, was designated as a prefectural historical landmark on the 5th December, 1933 (Showa 8). The estate is now a museum of Takamori Saigo's encampment and lodgings and some of his personal belongings as well as related articles are exhibited there. 

Information

Opening hours: 9:00 to 17:00
The museum is closed on national holidays, Mondays following national holidays (Observed) and the New Year period - December 29th to 3rd January.
Entrance to the museum is free. 

Access

Approximately 15 minutes from JR Nobeoka Station or 3 minutes walk from Tawarano bus stop.
Japanese name: Saigo Takamori Shiryou-kan (西郷隆盛資料館)