See & Do
Tenri University Sankokan Museum

20th Century

Beyond borders and centuries, connecting Tenri to the world.

To communicate well with others, we must not only know their language, but also understand their culture, lifestyle, and history. When Tenri University began as a foreign language school, the school collected items from all around the world to be used as learning resources. Items used by regular people, items that give us a window into their daily lives. They established a room for learning resources in 1930, and as the collection grew and grew, it became what we know today as the Tenri University Sankokan Museum.

With a total collection of approximately 300,000 items that is said to rival national museums, the Tenri University Sankokan Museum has both a Permanent Exhibition and regular Feature Exhibitions. With approximately 3,000 items, the Permanent Exhibition includes items from some of the world’s earliest cultures in Mesopotamia and Africa, stage masks from the Korean Peninsula, shop signs from China, and many other items from Taiwan, Bali, Borneo, India, Mexico, and Guatemala. There are of course displays from Japan as well, which range from items excavated from ancient tombs, to clothing from the Ainu in northern Japan, antique art and a recreated traditional living room, and even items from the early Tenrikyo followers who traveled to the Americas. We walk from continent to continent, and learn about the expression, history, and beliefs of each culture.

Traveling not just around the world, but through time as well. That is one of the themes behind many of the Tenri University Sankokan Museum’s Feature Exhibitions. From the ancient to the middle ages to the modern, the Feature Exhibitions always tell a story that introduces us to the perspectives and values of people from a different time and place.

With Feature Exhibitions that change throughout the year, and a Permanent Exhibition that is more fascinating the more you see it, the Tenri University Sankokan Museum is a place that you will surely want to go back to again and again.

Access

By car: The Tenri University Sankokan Museum is about 3 km south of the Tenri IC on the Nishi-Meihan Expressway, and 3 km south of the Tenri Higashi IC on the Meihan Expressway.

By train: The museum is about 2 km southeast of both JR and Kintetsu Tenri Stations.

By bus: The museum is a few hundred meters west of the “Tenri-daigaku (Tenri Univ.)” bus stop on the Nara Kotsu bus line, on the Tenri University Somanouchi Campus.

Environment

The Tenri University Sankokan Museum is housed in one of the many Oyasato Yakata buildings. Under a black tiled roof and red lattice, these large concrete buildings surround the Tenrikyo Church Headquarters, and are one of the distinct features of our city.

Point

Feature Exhibitions showcase the wide variety and depth of the Tenri University Sankokan Museum’s collection. As the Feature Exhibition changes every few months, we can visit the museum many times, and always discover something new. They also hold a variety of events, including public lectures, music concerts, workshops, etc.

Map

Information

Course：	Tenri Station Area Course
Address：	250 Morimedo, Tenri City, Nara Prefecture
Admission：	500 yen (general)
Parking：	Yes
Rest Area：	Yes
Toilet：	Yes
Contact：
Website：	Tenri University Sankokan Museum Homepage
Social Media：

Photo Gallery