Date Museum


The well-presented exhibits at the excellent Date Museum are dedicated to the Date family, who ruled Uwajima from the castle for 250 years during the Tokugawa period. The explanations are mostly in Japanese, but a lot of the stuff on display – swords, armour, palanquins and lacquerware – is pretty self-explanatory. There is also an English pamphlet available.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Uwajima-jō

0.28 MILES

Dating from 1601, Uwajima-jō is a small three-storey castle on an 80m-high hill in the centre of town. The present structure was rebuilt in 1666 by the…

2. Shiroyama-kōen

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Shiroyama-kōen is the park surrounding Uwajima-jō; it's a pleasant place for a stroll, though get ready for some climbing and descending as it's steep in…

3. Taga-jinja & Sex Museum

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Once upon a time, many Shintō shrines had a connection to fertility rites. Of those that remain, Taga-jinja is one of the best known. The grounds of the…

4. Garyū-sansō

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Across town from Ōzu-jō, Garyū-sansō is an elegant Meiji-period teahouse and garden in an idyllic spot overlooking the river. On Sundays from April to…

5. Old Town

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Ōzu's old town is well worth a stroll, with a number of Meiji-era houses plus Akarenga-kan, a red-brick building constructed in 1901, which was originally…

6. Ōzu-jō

20.27 MILES

One of Japan's most authentically reconstructed castles, Ōzu-jō and its outlying buildings are original survivors from the Edo period. The castle is an…

7. Uchiko-za

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About halfway between the station and Yōkaichi is Uchiko-za, a magnificent traditional kabuki theatre. Originally constructed in 1916, the theatre was…

8. Museum of Commerce & Domestic Life

23.74 MILES

A few minutes' walk north along the main road from the visitors' centre is the Museum of Commerce & Domestic Life, which exhibits historical materials and…