Special Exhibition "Excavation! Daimyo's Storehouses - Rice, Goods, and People Gathered in the 'Kitchen of the Nation'" | Osaka Museum of History
Exhibitions
Osaka Museum of History will hold a special exhibition "Excavation! Daimyo's Storehouses - Rice, Goods, and People Gathered in the 'Kitchen of the Nation'" in the Special Exhibition Room on the 6th floor from Saturday, January 11, 2025 to Monday, March 3, 2025.
During the Edo period, Osaka flourished as the nation's kitchen. Many feudal domains built storehouses in and around Nakanoshima to sell rice tax and local specialties. The number of storehouses reached over 120 during the Tenpo era (around 1840). This exhibition will portray the actual state of the storehouses, which supported the finances of feudal domains throughout Japan and were the driving force behind the development of Osaka, including the birth of the Dojima Rice Market, while also introducing drawings and ancient documents, focusing on the results of the latest excavation surveys.
In recent years, many storehouses have been surveyed in and around Nakanoshima, revealing a variety of storehouse styles, from those equipped with a shipyard, storehouse, and palace, such as those in Saga, Hiroshima, and Takamatsu domains, to those in Akita's Yajima domain, which had no shipyard and only had a storehouse covering the entire site. Based on excavated wooden tablets, shells, ceramics, etc., it is now possible to depict the work, lifestyle, and interactions within the residences.
By taking a bird's-eye view of these storehouses from their birth to their demise, we hope to provide an opportunity to widely publicize the important role and importance that Osaka played in early modern Japanese society. We will shed new light on the Osaka storehouses, a historical heritage that represents the city of Osaka, along with Naniwa Palace and Osaka Castle.