Philosophy

“We wholeheartedly give this museum to today’s youth, so that they may learn from the estimable spirit of the leaders of the Restoration, who led the way toward a modern Japan, and conceive a future rooted in the history and traditions of this nation.”

Some 150 years ago, amidst intense foreign pressure and domestic turmoil, Japan implemented a series of major political, cultural, and industrial reforms known as the Meiji Restoration, all in just half a century. The leaders of this time, many of humble origin in their teens, 20s and 30s, risked their lives to lay the foundations for an independent modern Japan. Above all, they were passionate about creating a better society and a stronger nation.

The Ryozen Museum of History seeks to accurately present the ideas and actions of these leaders, regardless of whether they were supporters or opponents of the Tokugawa shogunate.