Rikuzentakata-City Museum

A base facility to preserve and pass on materials restored after the disaster to future generations as "treasures of the hometown."

  • Cultural Spaces
  • Rikuzentakata-City Museum has made a promise for the future: "Objects have stories, and stories contain people's hearts. We will protect and pass on these hearts along with objects."

  • Miracle Sea of Sanriku: 500 species of fish that live in Rikuzentakata come together to welcome visitors

    Miracle Sea of Sanriku: 500 species of fish that live in Rikuzentakata come together to welcome visitors

  • Living with Fate: A Chronological Look at Rikuzentakata's History with the Tsunami

    Living with Fate: A Chronological Look at Rikuzentakata's History with the Tsunami

  • Shell Room: Restored shells are displayed in a space reminiscent of a conch shell, creating an introductory space that envelops visitors.

    Shell Room: Restored shells are displayed in a space reminiscent of a conch shell, creating an introductory space that envelops visitors.

  • Shell Room: A display of restored shells marching along the walls towards the future

    Shell Room: A display of restored shells marching along the walls towards the future

  • The facility's largest stuffed beaked whale, "Tsucchi," has been restored and floats in the air as the museum's symbol.

    The facility's largest stuffed beaked whale, "Tsucchi," has been restored and floats in the air as the museum's symbol.

  • Discovery Room: A space set in the sea and mountains where children, who will lead the future, can take the lead and have a variety of hands-on experiences.

    Discovery Room: A space set in the sea and mountains where children, who will lead the future, can take the lead and have a variety of hands-on experiences.

  • Discovery Room: An exhibition that stimulates children's intellectual curiosity by allowing them to view real specimens in an overwhelming number of boxes.

    Discovery Room: An exhibition that stimulates children's intellectual curiosity by allowing them to view real specimens in an overwhelming number of boxes.

  • A long horizontal corridor where message cards asking "What is your treasure?" can be viewed.

    A long horizontal corridor where message cards asking "What is your treasure?" can be viewed.

  • Rikuzentakata-City Museum
  • Miracle Sea of Sanriku: 500 species of fish that live in Rikuzentakata come together to welcome visitors
  • Living with Fate: A Chronological Look at Rikuzentakata's History with the Tsunami
  • Shell Room: Restored shells are displayed in a space reminiscent of a conch shell, creating an introductory space that envelops visitors.
  • Shell Room: A display of restored shells marching along the walls towards the future
  • The facility's largest stuffed beaked whale, "Tsucchi," has been restored and floats in the air as the museum's symbol.
  • Discovery Room: A space set in the sea and mountains where children, who will lead the future, can take the lead and have a variety of hands-on experiences.
  • Discovery Room: An exhibition that stimulates children's intellectual curiosity by allowing them to view real specimens in an overwhelming number of boxes.
  • A long horizontal corridor where message cards asking "What is your treasure?" can be viewed.

Photo: Masato Kono Nacása & Partners Inc. Video: GoodFeeling Co., Ltd.

About the Project

Overview The "Old City Museum" and the "Sea and Shell Museum", which sustained extensive damage in the Great East Japan Earthquake, have been rebuilt in the city center as the new Rikuzentakata-City Museum. Of the total 560,000 items in the collection, approximately 460,000 have been salvaged. Stabilization and restoration work, with the support of over 70 specialist institutions and museums from around the country, is still ongoing even after the museum opened. The facility aims to be not only a hub for history and culture, but also a place for interaction between many local residents and Tourism.
Issues/Themes To seamlessly and attractively combine the two museums into one viewing flow.
The goal is to use techniques appropriate to each restored item, revive them through new exhibits, and function as a facility that properly passes them on to future generations.
Space Solution/Realization The concept of the facility is "Promise to the Future," and we considered ways to pass on the "treasures of our hometown" to future generations. The exhibition room is designed with a single, generous wall with a shell motif and coloring that defines guidelines to gently divide the space and create a historical story. Each corner is displayed in a dynamic way that breathes new life into the materials while taking advantage of their unique characteristics, and we aimed to create a space where the message of the theme of each corner can be experienced.
Design for Environment Cultural property Preservation Planning: We designed display cases to ensure that materials restored after the disaster can be properly conveyed to future generations. We developed the plan with an eye toward certification as a facility approved for public use.

Basic Information

Client Rikuzentakata-City
Services Provided Facility Concept Planning, Display Planning, Design, Layout, Production, Construction, Project Management
Our Team Planning Direction: Hiroyuki Matsumaru
Design Direction: Toshitake Tanaka
Planning: Ayano Masuda
Design, Layout: Shunpei Hashimoto, Sanami Hayashi
Collection design: TANSEI Research Institute Co., Ltd. Hiroyuki Ichinose, Aoshima Aya
Production, Construction: Tomoya Higuchi
Models, Molding: Yoshiteru Hasezawa, Hiroshi Nakai, Yasuhiro Yoshida
Project Management: Kotaro Echizen, Junji Sato
Awards "KUKAN DESIGN AWARD 2023" KUKAN OF THE YEAR RUNNER-UP (runner-up) / Museum and Cultural Spaces Category Gold Award
"42nd Display Industry Award (2023)" Display Industry Excellence Award (Minister's Secretariat Trade and Industry and Industry Commerce and Service Councilor's Award)
Selected for the 57th Japan Sign Design Award
"2023 Good Design Award"
"iF DESIGN AWARD 2023"
"Red Dot Award 2024" Brands & Communication Design Category Best of the Best
Location Iwate Prefecture
Open November 2022
Website https://www.city.rikuzentakata.iwate.jp/soshiki/kanrika/hakubutsukan/index.html
Tag
Toshitake Tanaka

Design Direction

Toshitake Tanaka

He has worked on a wide range of facilities, including museums, children's facilities, and disaster prevention and earthquake disaster facilities. He is strongly committed to establishing a context that connects the theme of each facility to the spatial design, and to creating spaces that spread messages and activities. He is currently traveling around the country with the motto of "creating facilities that people want to visit again and again."

*The shared information and details of the project is accurate as of the date they were posted. There may have been unannounced changes at a later date.

Affiliated companies and solutions

Related Achievements

Shunpei Hashimoto

Design, Layout

Shunpei Hashimoto

He focuses on enhancing the meaning and value of spatial design by engaging with the local community and unearthing cultural contexts, and mainly works on museums and archives.

Sanami Hayashi

Design, Layout

Sanami Hayashi

She enjoys creating exhibition spaces that bring out the charm of local culture and history by exploring various methods and working hard as a mother designer, while also taking children's perspectives into consideration when designing.

Main Achievements

Hiraizumi World Heritage Guidance Center, Water Environment Museum Learning Area Renewal, Onojo Kokoro no Furusatokan, Nirayama Reverberatory Furnace Guidance Center, etc.