Kadokawa Culture Museum

The Kadokawa Musashino Museum is a five-story cultural complex in Tokorozawa, Saitama, that combines a library, an art museum and a museum under one roof. It is run by the Kadokawa Culture Promotion Foundation and also holds a garden and rooms for lectures and workshops. Akira Ikegami, who followed Seigo Matsuoka as director in November 2024, describes it as a gochamaze (ごちゃまぜ), a mix that does not fit the usual categories.

The museum was planned under the supervision of editorial engineer Seigo Matsuoka, its first director, natural historian Hiroshi Aramata, architect Kengo Kuma and art educator Shingo Jinno, and covers culture from the mainstream to pop culture. Kuma's office supervised the design of the building, which has about 12,000 m² of floor space. Musashino50, a group of 50 board members, staff, specialists and volunteers who came together to create the museum, tells its story on a special site.

Highlights by Floor

Each floor holds a different mix of galleries, libraries and services.

1st Floor

Grand Gallery: A 1,000 m² experimental space showcasing objects from nature, science, art, history, fashion, environment, and society, emphasising unconventional combinations to convey unique messages and discoveries.
Genyoshi Garden: The former residence of founder Genyoshi Kadokawa, named Aogaki Sanbo, features a prominent magnolia tree gifted in 1955 and landscaped by Seijun Nishihata with cherry trees and the autumn “Seven Flowers”.
Manga & Light Novel Library: Houses approximately 40,000 volumes, including light novels, comics, and children’s books, providing a comprehensive collection of Japanese entertainment literature.

2nd Floor

Lobby: Features contemporary art from the Kadokawa Culture Promotion Foundation, rotating museum projects, a café, and a shop.
KadoCafe: Offers additive-free sweets such as “Oimoball” and lattes printed with museum sketches, in a Kengo Kuma-designed space overlooking the Sakura Town water basin.
Rock Museum Shop: Offers museum-exclusive goods, local crafts, and distinctive food products, including items inspired by the building’s architecture.

3rd Floor

Exhibition Hall: A rental exhibition space that hosts changing shows, from anime, film and light novels to fine art.

4th Floor

Edit Town - Book Street: A 50-meter street lined with 25,000 books arranged under nine thematic contexts curated by Seigo Matsuoka.
EDIT & ART Gallery: Displays contemporary artworks across multiple genres, providing a space for reflection and imagination.
ARAMATA Wunderkammer: Supervised by Hiroshi Aramata, this “cabinet of wonders” combines diverse exhibits from historical curiosities to academic displays.
Bookshelf Theatre: Surrounded by 8-meter-high bookshelves with approximately 20,000 volumes, including notable personal collections, complemented by immersive projection mapping.
Attic Step: A staircase space housing around 3,000 carefully selected volumes from Aramata’s personal library, offering a rare glimpse into his collection.
Facility Rental: Lecture and workshop rooms are available for meetings, seminars, and art classes.

5th Floor

Musashino Gallery: Features exhibitions on Musashino-related themes and a range of cultural topics unique to the museum.
Musashino Corridor: Contains books and materials curated by folklorist Norio Akasaka on themes such as woodlands, rivers, suburbs, travel, and land development.
SACULA DINER: A cafe and restaurant surrounded by books, serving mainly Western-style dishes such as hamburg steak plates, omurice and seasonal pasta, and desserts such as mille-feuille.