The craft museum is a bit difficult to find and it is a bit difficult to get access to, but it is worth the effort. You need to ask for a key at the Town Office (Educational Department) (this is only possible on a weekday – the craft museum is not open on weekends unfortunately) and someone will let you in and wait with you whilst you look around.

My first impression of the Museum: ‘antique market’ – a collection of densely packed, well-used items laid out on tables, separated into rooms roughly corresponding to function/use. The charm of this place is that unlike most craft museums I’ve visited objects aren’t protected by rope or displayed in glass cabinets so you are free to get as close as you can. I found this ‘immersive’ setup exciting and more engaging, however, the rope and glass cabinets are there for a reason: protection and preservation.

Do the items in the Kamiyama Craft Museum need protecting? Probably, but this would almost certainly compromise the aesthetic of the place and of the items on display.

On a final note, here is a paragraph from Wikipedia on Wabi-Sabi:

‘Wabi-sabi (侘寂) represents a comprehensive Japanese world view or aesthetic centered on the acceptance of transience. The phrase comes from the two words wabi and sabi. The aesthetic is sometimes described as one of beauty that is “imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete”. It is a concept derived from the Buddhist assertion of the Three marks of existence (三法印 sanbōin), specifically impermanence (無常 mujō). Characteristics of the wabi-sabi aesthetic include asymmetry, asperity, simplicity, modesty, intimacy, and the suggestion of natural processes.’

 Wood working tools

 Wellington Boots

 Original ‘Claw Crane’ game 

How to find it: (is this map helpful? Perhaps not..)