About the Museum

Nissha Museum of Printing History, run by NISSHA FOUNDATION, is located on the first floor of Nissha Main Hall, a valuable Meiji period building that was recognized as a National Registered Tangible Cultural Property by the Agency for Cultural Affairs.

Often visited by both individuals and groups, the Museum has three galleries: the First Exhibition Room, which houses displays related to the history of printing from its origins to the modern era; the Second Exhibition Room, which allows visitors to observe the architectual salvage materials; and the Third Exhibition Room, where visitors can see a collection of early Western typewriters and freely read lavish art books on art.

The First Exhibition Room exhibits items such as a full-scale replica of the letterpress printing machine developed by Gutenberg, called the father of modern printing, as well as original machinery such as the lithographic printing press and the letterpress printing machine. The gallery also displays other valuable materials that include a clay tablet 4000 years old incised with cuneiform letters; an original miniature stupa and Viśuddhaprabhā Dhāraṇī sutra, part of the world’s oldest mass-produced printed work; a facsimile edition of the magnificent Gutenberg’s 42-Line Bible (with one genuine fragment as well); a first edition of the famous book on anatomy, Kaitai Shinsho; and more. There are also opportunities to learn about various printing methods and the principles behind them.

We hope to see you at Nissha Museum of Printing History, where you can experience both the history of Nissha Main Hall, built on the site of the Suzakuin hermitage from the Heian period (794~1185), as well as the history of the printing technologies that passed on culture down through the generations.

Hitoshi Konishi
Director
Nissha Museum of Printing History