West Wing: More than 100 ceramic komainu collections

Next, head to the West Building, which is about a 5-minute walk away.

Here, about 100 ceramic koma-inu, "Aichi Prefecture Designated Tangible Folk Cultural Property," are always on display. Many ceramic koma-inu were made in the Seto and Mino areas. The oldest koma-inu is said to have been excavated from an old kiln in Seto in the 14th century.

The most popular production was during the Edo period (1603-1867). It is said that they were dedicated to shrines and placed inside the main hall or under the eaves. It is thought that ceramic komainu were a form of prayer expressing faith in the mountains at shrines such as Kumano Shrine, Hakusan Shrine, and Akiba Shrine, which were developed as places of mountain worship. This custom is found only in the Seto and Mino areas.

You can see that there were various types of komainu, such as lion-like dogs, cats and dogs, and Okinawan shisa-like dogs.

South Wing: "More to tell, pottery of Aichi" 

Next, go to the South Building, which is right next to the West Building.

The permanent exhibition "More to tell, pottery of Aichi" was reopened in February 2016. The explanations are clearly labeled with furigana and the content is easy to understand so that even children can enjoy learning about pottery. Visitors can learn about the history of pottery in Aichi Prefecture from the Jomon Period to the present.

Please visit with your child.