Tsubame Industrial Materials Museum

Tsubame City is famous as a city of manufacturing that is home to highly advanced and diverse metalworking technologies and techniques. It boasts a 90% share of domestic production of western-style cutlery, including spoons and forks and the quality of the items produced is recognised around the world, with cutlery from Tsubame being used at the Nobel Prize Laureates banquet and also being used as a gift for APEC leaders.

Here at this museum you can learn about the history behind why Tsubame became a production centre for metalworking techniques and products and experience for yourself the sophisticated metalworking skills of the city. At the museum are exhibits about the production methods for ancient yasuri files and kiseru smoking pipes, and there are also examples of contemporary pieces that have been made using these ancient techniques. The latest projection mapping and graphics are also used to introduce the 400 years of Tsubame’s metalworking history in an informative and engaging way.

In the Activity and Workshop Hall you can experience for yourself the techniques of the artisans of Tsubame, choosing from a rich selection of experiences, including making your own spoon and titanium colouring. These activities are fun for all the family, from children through to adults and you can of course take your finished items home with you at the end of the day.