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There’s a new museum in Japan, but almost all of its location is a secret

Elliot Hale Jun 16, 2025
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Historic Edo-period buildings, modern art, and secret doors all feature in a unique adventure.

A world of mystery and history awaits guests at the Secret Museum Yanai, Yamaguchi, the first museum in Japan to have the locations of the exhibits be a complete secret. Nestled within the Town of White Walls in Yanai, Yamaguchi, at the western end of Japan’s main island, this innovative experience will treat visitors to exhibits gathered from across the nation, as well as a puzzle-filled adventure, when it opens on June 21.

Yanai was once an integral port town along the Kitamaebune shipping route, linking Osaka with Hokuriku and Hokkaido via the Sea of Japan, so the organizers of this museum have taken this history and created an intriguing backstory for guests to get fully-immersed in their visit.

▼ Aomori nebuta float by Shunichi Kitamura (Aomori)

Countless historical and culturally significant items used to pass through the town of Yanai and many ended up in the hands of the merchant families. Kept away in storerooms and upper floors, outside of the public eye, these rare and curious artifacts have long been solely for the families’ own viewing. Dissatisfied with the situation and keen to show the world the curiosities they have accumulated throughout history, the young heir to the stationery store Kisaka Shobundo persuaded his father to open up a display for guests to peruse. His father eventually caved in and agreed, and with other families soon following suit, a new museum was born.

▼ Kisaka Shobundo

However, the owner of Kisaka Shobundo only agreed to the plan as long as the heir promised to satisfy a few conditions:

Guests must always visit Kisaka Shobundo first.
The locations of the other exhibits must not be made public.
Only those who overcome a challenge can be granted access to the treasured belongings ensconced throughout the town.

There was naturally only one logical conclusion to such demands: the creation of a secret museum with a puzzle-solving experience.

With such a creative backstory, visitors will feel like they have taken on the role of a movie protagonist as they move from location to location, solving codes and exchanging secret messages.

▼ Plant lights by Tadaharu Kawamura

However, puzzle-solving is not for everyone, so the organizers have seen fit to include a museum-only tour as well. People are welcome to choose whichever of the two plans best suit their schedules and interests. If you’re just interested in the exhibits, it’s a one-hour tour for 2,300 yen (US$16), however if you want a battle of wits, it will be a three-hour experience costing 3,300 yen. However, do note that a drink order is required during the cafe puzzle stop.

▼ Dip Art by Sakae

With the given premise that this museum is based around several merchant families, it has led to the museum actually being a Japan’s first decentralized museum, with no main exhibit room. There are only three publicly listed locations that are part of the experience: the reception at Kisaka Shobundo, the historic warehouse of soy sauce maker Sagawa, and the Midorigaoka Library, with others being kept a tightly-guarded secret.

▼ Sagawa Soy Sauce

▼ Midorigaoka Library

Visitors on the museum-only plan will be given directions at Kisaka Shobundo, however for the puzzle plan, the next destination will only be known once each solution has been found.

▼ Glass paperweight by Yuko Kubo

▼ Space glass by Satoshi Tomizu

▼ Ishinomaki kokeshi by Takatoshi Hayashi

The museum is a permanent exhibition, and will periodically switch out their exhibits for others from around the country, to reference the maritime trading aspect of the area’s history. A visit to this museum not only treats you to a walk through a beautiful historic area, but will also challenge your cognitive abilities. Whether you visit for the exhibits or are looking for an intellectually engaging adventure, go and explore this new museum, one hidden location at a time.

Museum information
Secret Museum Yanai, Yamaguchi / シークレットミュージアム Yanai Yamaguchi
Address: Yamaguchi-ken, Yanai-shi, Yanaitsu 452-banchi, Kisaka Shobundo Shirakabe-ten
山口県柳井市柳井津452番地木阪賞文堂白壁店
Open: 11:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. (last entry 1:30 p.m. for puzzle and museum plan. 3:00 p.m. for museum only plan)
Tickets: Advance online tickets (limited quantity and time specific); on-the-day tickets at the reception (limited quantity, priority given to online ticket holders)
Website

Source, images: PR Times
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