Kanagawa Prefectural Museum of Cultural History

The Kanagawa Prefectural Museum of Cultural History surveys the long human story of Kanagawa Prefecture — the region surrounding Yokohama — from prehistory to modern times, and it does so inside one of the finest historic buildings in the city. Occupying the former head office of the Yokohama Specie Bank (Yokohama Shokin Bank), a grand domed structure completed in 1904, the museum is as notable for its architecture as for its collections, and it stands prominently on the historic Bashamichi avenue in the Kannai district.

The building alone justifies a visit. Designed in a stately Western Neo-Baroque style with a green copper dome, robust stone masonry and classical detailing, it was the headquarters of the bank that financed Japan's foreign trade during its modernising decades, and it has been designated a National Important Cultural Property. Having survived the Great Kanto Earthquake and the passage of more than a century, it is a landmark of Yokohama's Meiji-era ambition, and stepping inside its solid, dignified halls is like entering the confident world of the early modern port city.

The permanent exhibitions inside trace the culture and history of the Kanagawa region across several themed sections. Visitors move from the archaeology of ancient and prehistoric communities, through the medieval age when nearby Kamakura was the seat of Japan's first samurai government, into the Edo period of highways and post towns, and on to the dramatic opening of Yokohama and the region's rapid modernisation. Artefacts, models, artworks, documents and folk materials illustrate each era, giving a broad and well-organised overview of how this stretch of Japan evolved — useful context for anyone exploring Yokohama, Kamakura and the wider prefecture. The museum also mounts special exhibitions on particular themes in regional history and art.

For visitors the museum offers a substantial yet approachable cultural stop, richer in depth than the smaller single-theme museums nearby. It sits amid the atmospheric brick and stone architecture of Bashamichi — one of Yokohama's most attractive historic streets, lined with cafes and preserved buildings — so it combines naturally with a leisurely walk through Kannai. The permanent collection is inexpensive to enter, with higher fees for special shows, and facilities include restrooms and a shop; the historic building has been adapted with accessibility in mind.

The museum is closed on Mondays and open during the day. It stands directly beside Bashamichi Station on the Minatomirai Line and is an easy walk from Kannai Station on the JR Negishi Line. Allow around ninety minutes to take in both the collections and the magnificent architecture — and be sure to step back outside to admire the dome and facade, a reminder that in Yokohama the buildings themselves are often as much a part of the history as anything displayed within them.