Renewal of Jutaro Komura Memorial Museum

We will create participatory displays at the "City Museum Created by Everyone" to convey the charm of Obi.
Obi, Nichinan City, Miyazaki Prefecture, is a scenic castle town that has continued since the feudal era and is designated as an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings. The area is being revitalized through private sector participation, with the opening of a hotel renovated from a former samurai residence.
This project renovated the memorial museum of the well-known local artist, Komura Jutaro, and based on the concept of "50% displays + 50% sightseeing," the main focus was to increase visitors' intellectual curiosity and satisfaction with their stay, and to encourage them to explore the city.
There are two displays rooms inside the museum. The "Welcome to Obi" displays is a showroom displays aimed at encouraging people to travel around the town, and introduces the historical culture and charm of the samurai residences that live in the castle town through an experiential approach.
The Komura Jutaro History Collection has produced a "large-scale picture book story space" and a "citizen participation video" that trace the life of Komura Jutaro, making it a dramatic and enjoyable displays even for those who are learning about Komura Jutaro for the first time.
This project also aimed to create a "town museum created by everyone," and we worked with local residents to create displays throughout the year. We displays town treasures found in workshops with children, and over 100 local residents were involved behind the scenes in the film about Komura Jutaro, working as actors, and providing makeup and costumes.
With these things in mind, we aimed for the memorial to inspire pride among local residents and serve as evidence of their involvement, one that would be loved for a long time by locals and visitors alike.
 

(1) We would like to make active use of the facility to promote tours of the history and culture of the town (Obi castle town), and use it as a base facility for tours to increase the number of customers and provide guidance.
(2) We would like to convey in an easy-to-understand manner the great achievements and life of Komura Komura, a great man in this area, and to make it possible to re-recognize and rediscover it, including the local people.
(3) We would like to make it a facility that can contribute to the revival of inbound travelers in the future, support groups such as school trips inside and outside the prefecture, and extend the length of stay.
(4) Pursue fun and enjoyment as a facility that visitors can easily enjoy even on rainy days.

・In order to convey the appeal of local resources and the achievements of Komura Jutaro, materials that unravel the historical culture and allow visitors to experience the splendor of the local area (Taihei Dance, Yagoro-sama, samurai residences, Obi cedar, food culture, etc.) are incorporated as participatory and experiential displays throughout displays.
・The space uses Obi cedar, a local specialty domestic timber, for the pillars and beams, fixtures, and benches, allowing you to feel the texture of the wood.
- The video production involved the local community and many people, with many of them participating as staff and actors, making it a citizen-participation video.
・In creating displays, we received cooperation from various citizen groups, who helped us with graphic concept design and video production to convey the charm of the region.
This work was made possible through collaboration between NOMURA, Smiles Co., Ltd. (creation of experiential value), and a local concept design firm (pursuit of the unique character of Obi).