The history of the birth of "Shizuoka City Museum of History" - unraveling the history from design to opening

The second installment of the series that will tell you about the rising expectations that is finally ready!

​"Shizuoka City Museum of History" is approaching its pre-opening on July 23 this year.
As part of a series that delves into the significance of establishing a history museum in Shizuoka City, we interviewed Director Nakamura and other officials of Shizuoka City about their experiences prior to the basic design. This time, as the second installment, Mr. Masatoshi Mori, Counselor of the Curatorial Section of the Shizuoka City Cultural Promotion Foundation, who has been promoting this project since the basic design in 2017, Mr. Koji Hirota, the Chief of the Curatorial Section, Mr. Masanori Suzuki, the Chief of the same, Shizuoka We interviewed four people, Mr. Yasuhiro Miyazaki of the City Hall History and Culture Division. The interviewer is Seiichiro Mori, Planning Director NOMURA Co., Ltd., just like last time.
For each of you, I would like to share with you the details of how you got involved in this project at each stage of the basic design in 2017, detailed design after 2018, and the exhibition construction from 2020, your respective roles, the points you struggled with, and the ways of thinking that have been valued. And so on.

 

Basic design of “Shizuoka City History Museum”

The important thing is not to overestimate, but to convey historical facts.

NOMURA Co., Ltd. Forest (hereafter, forest)
First, let's talk about the basic design. Mr. Mori, you previously served as the director of the Museum of History Izumisano. Please tell us how you came to participate in this project and what your role was.

Mr. Mori
It all started when I was invited by the Shizuoka City Cultural Foundation to participate in a history museum project in Shizuoka City. The construction of a museum requires a lot of knowledge and experience, but it is said that it is difficult to find people with such skills. In that case, I thought that I might be able to make use of my experience in Izumisano City, so I decided to accept the offer.

wood
The basic design for 2018 was based on the "exhibition composition plan" created by the city. What does this document look like?

Mr. Mori
The content of this "exhibition composition plan" was included in the "(provisional name) Shizuoka City Historical and Cultural Facility Construction Basic Plan" formulated by Shizuoka City in 2015, and is still being passed on to this day. There are already three themes here: Ieyasu Tokugawa, the Imagawa clan, and the Tokaido. This is the same as the current basic exhibition scenario, and it can be confirmed that the exhibition composition has not changed significantly.

wood
Please tell us if there were any ideas that were important to you when you created the "exhibition composition plan".

Mr. Mori
The most important thing was to always think based on historical facts. In general, when a history exhibition is created only by local people, history can be glorified or overestimated. As a result, the content becomes self-satisfied, and there is a danger that the exhibition will look strange when viewed from the outside.
To give an example, Shizuoka City held a forum during the 400th anniversary of Tokugawa Ieyasu's honor in 2016. The title is "Ogosho Diplomacy with an Eye on the World". It is an image that Ieyasu, based in Sunpu, developed diplomacy by competing with world leaders. It is true that Europeans came to Japan during the Age of Discovery in world history. However, Japan at that time did not have the technology to go to Europe. To say that Ieyasu was running the world on par with the leaders of Europe is an exaggeration. Without taking that fact into account, it is impossible to properly discuss the diplomacy of the time. In the course of creating the "exhibition composition plan", I have been telling people to calm down if there are things that deviate from historical facts.
I also think that Shizuoka's historical resources are potentially wonderful. But so far, Shizuoka City has not been able to make the most of it. I think it is necessary to polish each one properly.

Mr. Mori, who used his experience in Osaka to lay the foundation for the plan

wood
Certainly, look at history objectively. It is important to always remain fact-based. Looking back at the time of the basic design, I once again felt that what Mr. Mori had said was thoroughly understood within the team.

Mr. Mori
However, too much emphasis on historical facts can be boring. In short, it is a matter of seasoning and balance. I think it's a difficult subject for a history museum.

wood
For Mr. Mori, this is the second time you have opened a museum following the Izumisano History Museum.

Mr. Mori
The name of the facility was settled on a very orthodox name, Shizuoka City Museum of History. This is what Director Nakamura wanted, and I've been saying it for a long time. There is a reason for this. In fact, even at my previous job, History Museum Izumisano, there was a lot of discussion about the name of the museum, and there was a point of contention that I didn't want to use the old-fashioned word "museum". So we had a lot of discussions, exchanged ideas, and came up with the name "History Museum." Today, many facilities in history museums use the name “Rekishikan”, but “History Museum Izumisano” was the first to use this name.
A quarter of a century later, the exact same debate took place in Shizuoka City. I was honestly surprised about this. In other words, the name "museum" is not an old-fashioned word with a lot of stigma, but it has inadvertently proved that it has always been a thesis for the past quarter century. And from now on, I think that it is a name that gives a proper impression and will continue to be used. Through this discussion, I thought that the word "museum" should be used for the name of the Shizuoka City Museum of History, and I am glad I did.

 

Regarding participation in the “Shizuoka City History Museum” project

“Without you, this project will not succeed.”

wood
I think that idea could be further elaborated. Next, I would like to move on to the implementation design after 2018. From here, I would like to ask Section Manager Hirota and Chief Suzuki. Could you tell us how you each got involved in the project and what your role was?

Hirota
I was also invited to participate by the Shizuoka City Cultural Promotion Foundation. Like Mr. Mori, I was at the Historical Museum Izumisano, but at the time I was doing desk work at the city hall. I remember being persuaded by Mr. Mori, who had previously changed jobs, that he would like to work at a museum.

Mr. Mori
No, what I said clearly was, "Without you, this project won't succeed."

As predicted by Mr. Mori, Manager Hirota plays an active role as the key to the project.

Hirota
In fact, when I changed jobs, my role was not exhibition design but operation planning. We had weekly meetings about how to use the museum space and the overall business plan. From a certain stage, I began to participate in exhibition design meetings.

Suzuki
I was originally researching Shizuoka's Sengoku period. I have been participating in a local history study group called the Shizuoka Prefecture Regional History Study Group for about 20 years, and I often come to Shizuoka. I knew that Shizuoka City didn't have a history museum, so I thought it would be nice if there was one.
When I was looking for a job as a part-time curator in Tokyo, I learned that Shizuoka City was building a museum and that the Cultural Promotion Foundation was looking for curators. Moreover, the theme was Ieyasu and Imagawa, so I thought, "I have no choice but to accept this," so I applied.

 

“Shizuoka City History Museum” Difficulties and important things during the design stage

"There are not enough materials, and there is not enough information. So what should we do?"

wood
Please let us know if there were any points that you found particularly difficult in the first implementation design, or if there were any ideas that were important to you.

Suzuki
The first thing I was given when I entered the foundation was the skeleton of the exhibition called the basic design drawing. My job is to flesh it out. The hardest part was the lack of materials. ``Kurenaiito Odoshiharamaki'' which is said to have been given to Ieyasu by Yoshimoto Imagawa, and ``Shidagusoku'' which is said to have been carried during the Battle of Sekigahara and the Siege of Osaka. From the design stage, it was decided to exhibit the restored imitation. However, to explain the life of Ieyasu, there is no material between the armor of the two territories. I was very worried about how to fill it. Where it was lacking, I made copies, collected materials, and used various means to bring it to its current form.

Chief Suzuki, who has studied the history of Shizuoka for many years and was involved in the establishment of the museum.

Hirota
Since I was mainly involved in planning the operation, my work related to the exhibition was mainly about considering explanations to the Agency for Cultural Affairs and how to respond to orders from the Agency for Cultural Affairs.
Halfway through the detailed design, I had to decide which items to exhibit, so I started participating in exhibition meetings.
The problem is the lack of materials. Museums need to have three to four times as many materials as the starting lineup. When that happened, I felt that I needed to know more about Tokugawa and Imagawa, so I went to the library and visited museums around me on my days off. Anyway, first of all, I'm studying about the history of Shizuoka and its materials.

wood
In an environment where the materials that can be exhibited are limited, how did you proceed with researching and collecting materials that could be exhibited and arranging for the production of reproductions?

Suzuki
First, I investigated what kind of materials the city had and what kind of materials the city had. I made a list of all the Tokugawa and Imagawa materials and made a list of them, but there was a lot of material from the early modern period and the modern period, and I didn't have any information about where it was. I couldn't finish it, and I ended up pulling back until the exhibition production.

Hirota
In terms of collecting materials, I often had the role of going to the survey for purchasing materials because I had experience. Even if you buy it, the number of materials will not increase dramatically, but Shizuoka City has no experience of buying materials, so you have to buy it anyway. Reproductions are also indispensable for exhibition. For materials that could not be exhibited indefinitely, we discussed with the person in charge of the city and proceeded with the production of duplicates.

 

Construction of Shizuoka City History Museum: Discovery of valuable remains and challenge of redesign

``Amazing remains were discovered at the site where the museum was planned to be built.'' (Note)

 

Note: In 2019, the remains of a road and stone wall from the end of the Warring States period were excavated from the planned construction site. We were forced to change the design, and in the end, we decided not to fill it back in, and the remains could be seen from the open entrance space.

Road and stone wall remains at the time of discovery

wood
How did you feel when the remains were discovered at the planned construction site in 2019? Also, could you tell us about the process of redoing the design while leaving the remains?

Hirota
I think it was June 2019, but Mr. Iwata, the city manager at the time, told me that a valuable remains had been found. I was surprised. It was said that there would be no great remains found before, but more than I had imagined was found. In terms of the sense of scale, I had an intuition that the remains would be left in a form that could be seen. Of course, we would have to change the design.

wood
It's not easy to display the remains exposed on such a scale.

Hirota
We spent a lot of time discussing how to protect the remains. However, if you take the stance of performing maintenance frequently, it may be easier to do without covering the top with glass.

Suzuki
The planned construction site was the Sannomaru of Sunpu Castle, so when I heard that they were going to conduct an excavation survey, I expected something to come out. Something bigger than expected just came out. When it was decided to show it in the museum, we discussed how to show it and what kind of building we wanted to create while preserving the remains. For example, we came up with a number of ideas, such as making the remains part of the structure outside of the building by creating an atrium, or making the top of the remains part of the structure transparent so that it can be seen from above. rice field.

wood
Please tell us about the points you struggled with in the redesigned second implementation design, and the way of thinking that was important to you.

Suzuki
Originally there was only one exhibition floor, but the fact that it was divided into two floors was a big factor. However, the contents of the exhibition itself did not change significantly. The 2nd floor starts with the diplomatic ogosho, Ieyasu and Imagawa, and the 3rd floor is the early modern period and the modern period. The basic way of thinking hasn't changed, so it wasn't that hard. However, due to the redoing of the building, the entrance on the third floor has become a very narrow passage. At first, the plan was to "let's go out into the city of history and culture," but in consideration of the space, it became the current form of "Shizuoka, which spreads to the world."

 

Shizuoka City History Museum Project from the perspective of the person in charge of exhibition construction

Participating in a project I heard about when I was a student after 12 years

wood
We asked about the thoughts, ingenuity, and difficulties of the level in charge at the time of implementation design. Next, I would like to hear about the exhibition construction. Mr. Miyazaki, could you tell us how you came to participate in this project and what your role was?

Miyazaki
I was originally not hired as a curator at the city hall, but as a clerical worker. I joined the sports promotion section of the Tourism Exchange and Culture Bureau, which manages sports facilities, and then went to the tax department.
I studied Japanese history when I was a student and have the qualifications of a curator, so I expressed my desire to go to the History and Culture Division, but in 2019 I was assigned to the Cultural Properties Division next door. Since I was transferred to the department next door, I thought that I would not go to the History and Culture Division, but I was really surprised when I was transferred to the History and Culture Division in 2021.
In general, I am often transferred to departments in different fields, so while I was honored, I may have been more confused.

Mr. Miyazaki, who will be responsible for the finalization of the project from this year

wood
What kind of work are you doing now?

Miyazaki
I am in charge of the overall role of the exhibition construction. In 2021, when I first moved, I was in charge of operations related to management and operations. It is the preparation of ordinance proposals and budget collection related to the management and operation of the museum.
From this year, exhibition design became the main focus. Finally, I started participating in the meeting at the timing of finishing, so the person who did not understand the most among the people in charge started the final finishing.

wood
Miyazaki-san is the only person from Shizuoka City among the people gathered here today.

Miyazaki
I became interested in Japanese history when I was in the fifth grade of elementary school. I've forgotten what it was, but I liked the Sengoku period. You lived in Shizuoka all the way through university, entered the history department, and when you decided to study local history, you became interested in Imagawa Yoshimoto. He has an image of a miserable military commander who was defeated by Nobunaga in Okehazama while leading tens of thousands of troops, but in the first place, tens of thousands of troops cannot be organized by an incompetent person. From the simple question of whether he was a truly pathetic military commander, I decided to study Mr. Imagawa. At university, I wrote a graduation thesis titled "The Imagawa Clan's Territorial Rule".

wood
You said you studied Japanese history at university, but did you know about this project before you took part?

Miyazaki
If I remember correctly, when I was in my second or third year at university, I heard from one of my professors that he was working on a committee to open a museum in Shizuoka City. I was studying Japanese history, so of course I was interested. “Yes, I wish we could have a museum.” Twelve years later, I never dreamed that I would be involved in its founding. Recently, I have been thinking deeply about what kind of fate it is.

wood
Did your perceptions and images change before and after participating in the project?

Miyazaki
Before participating in this project, I had an image of him being somehow cool and having an exciting and exciting life, and I was looking at him with envy. However, when I actually started working there, there was a lot of plain work. The work is behind the scenes and unrefined. Not very smart. Everyone puts their heads together and takes a long time to decide on one thing. It's just the pain of birth.
But it's never negative. It made me keenly aware of what it means to work hard and create something genuine. I now realize that the image I had of this project before was superficial and superficial.

 

Calmly deal with various situations and thoughts in a good way

wood
Please tell us what you found particularly difficult in promoting such a project, and what you think is important.

Miyazaki
I participated in this project a step or two behind everyone else, so there were many times when I didn't understand what they were talking about when I attended meetings. In addition, there was pressure to participate after the predecessor who had been involved for a long time left. My most important job in the project is to neatly fold the furoshiki, in other words, to take care of it until the end of the project, so I want to do my best.
In a business like this, there are a lot of people with different positions and different thoughts, so I want to keep myself as calm as possible. In a good way, I want to avoid colliding with others. However, there are people who tell me that they are looking forward to the opening of the museum, and I would like to create something good in order to respond to their wishes.

 

What is the modern significance and role of history museums?

The role of museums is to protect, preserve, and display cultural assets.

wood
From basic design to exhibition construction, we interviewed the person in charge of each. Could you tell us what you felt about the modern significance and role of history museums through this project?

Hirota
Until now, Shizuoka City has not had a history museum with sufficient storage. Without museums, it would be difficult to preserve historical materials. Furthermore, Shizuoka has been hit by disasters in modern times that have lost many materials, so the way the materials are preserved is by no means good. I think it is important to protect materials through history museums. Also, recently, the number of high school students who do not study Japanese history is increasing. On the other hand, the field of history synthesis has emerged, and it is becoming possible to study history comprehensively. I believe that history museums must also become places that can respond to this.

Suzuki
When you go to a museum, you can learn about the history of the city, such as what kind of city it is. Shizuoka City is not only about Ieyasu and Imagawa, but also the Shizuoka Sengen Shrine in the early modern era, and the Shizuoka Domain in the modern era.
Another important role of museums is the collection and preservation of cultural properties. Since there was no history museum until now, there was no such area. There were times when the materials that should have been there were not there. I think we can finally fulfill the role of a history museum, which is to collect, preserve, and display cultural properties.

wood
Certainly, there is a part that materials will remain because there is a museum. Next, please tell us about any preparations you are making toward the opening of the museum.

Mr. Mori
It will be pre-opening from July 23rd, and in conjunction with that, we will be holding a panel exhibition titled "Until the Shizuoka City Museum of History was Built" around the gallery on the first floor.

1F gallery exhibition near pre-opening

Hirota
At the time of the pre-opening, only part of the exhibition room is open, so rather than learning about the history, I would like you to touch the history. I want people to think that history is interesting and museums are fun. For example, we are planning a talk about history or something like a little manufacturing, so that even people who think history is difficult or not interested can enjoy it. At first, I would like to lower the hurdles and lead to the grand opening in January next year.

wood
Have you decided on a special exhibition for the grand opening?

Hirota
Mostly decided. In 2023, we plan to hold four special exhibitions, both large and small. Ieyasu will be the main character in the Taiga drama, so some people will be interested in Ieyasu when they see it, and some people will come for that when the museum first opens. I'm thinking of hitting.

 

Background to the birth of the Shizuoka City Museum of History and the importance discussed by project members

“This is a facility that can be enjoyed not only by history buffs but also by people who are not interested in history.”

wood
Now for the last question, please tell us what kind of facility you would like Shizuoka City and its citizens to become in the future.

Mr. Mori
The biggest reflection on the "History Museum Izumisano," which I worked before, is that I may have targeted people who like history as the main target. I would like Shizuoka to become a facility that even people who are not interested in history can use.

Hirota
When the actual operation starts, it will be necessary to clear various missions, including the number of visitors. I want to make it as accessible as possible, and as I said earlier, I want people who are not interested in history to find it interesting.

Suzuki
I would like to use this history museum as a base for research. Over the past 20 years or so, I have been participating in local research groups, and what I feel is that the number of people studying the history of Shizuoka has really decreased. In the past, there were some teachers who taught local history, but in recent years the number of teachers has been decreasing. This is my ideal, but I would like someone to study the history of Shizuoka from the museum's Prince Ieyasu Laboratory. I want the museum to be such a base. I hope that exhibitions and events will be a catalyst for that.

Miyazaki
The general image of a museum is that it is an exhibition, a history, or a stereotypical facility, but I would like this museum to be used in a variety of ways. For example, you can just relax in the gallery on the first floor, see the remains and the gallery and go home, children can come to do their homework, and of course experts can check the materials in the laboratory. You can just have a cup of tea at the cafe. I want people of all ages to use it in various ways, without narrowing down the target. I would like to grow it into a facility where people can experience and enjoy Shizuoka from various angles.

wood
Listening to everyone's stories, I felt again that the museum is not just a place to exhibit. Different people have different ways of using and enjoying it. I hope that this museum will be recognized and used as such a facility. In the next 3rd installment, I hope to be able to tell you about the state of the exhibition room, so please continue to support me. Thank you very much.

Take a commemorative photo in front of the main building of Shizuoka City Hall, which has an impressive tower top dome. Mr. Miyazaki, Mr. Mori, Mr. Hirota, Mr. Suzuki, and NOMURA Co., Ltd. project members.

(Written by Koichi Ido and Seiichiro Mori)