Shimano Bicycle Museum

The predecessor of the current building was the "Bicycle Museum Cycle Center," which opened in April 1992 in Daisen Park, also in Sakai City. It was then relocated and renamed in March 2022, undergoing a major transformation.
The museum's concept is "Anyone who comes here will want to ride a bicycle," and by making full use of the entire displays space, we aim to convey the appeal of bicycles from diverse perspectives, and to help visitors discover the true value of bicycles and create a desire to ride one.
Furthermore, we focused particularly on creating a space that would serve as an opportunity to change people's perspectives by rediscovering the value of something as familiar as a bicycle.

To mitigate climate change and its global impacts, there is a need for a society that reduces the use of fossil fuels and transitions to clean modes of transportation. Furthermore, the transition to an aging society necessitates a healthier and more comfortable life for all. However, the historically-focused displays and space of the old museum, built about 30 years ago, had limitations in addressing the movement towards a sustainable society where people can live happily. It was unable to fully convey the appeal of the ever-evolving bicycle or the social issues it can solve. Therefore, the new museum aimed to deepen communication by conveying to more people the profound history and culture of bicycles themselves, which are not well known in Japan, as well as the appeal and value of bicycles looking towards the future.

We planned displays from three perspectives: "Bicycles possessing a rich history and culture and sophisticated technology," "Bicycles as tools that contribute to health, environmental protection, and sustainability," and "Bicycles as partners that create lifestyles." In conveying these perspectives, our policy for displays space was to thoroughly showcase the "museum" of bicycles like an art museum, design, layout a simple, noiseless, and unified space that allows displays to shine.
Furthermore, in providing information, we have adopted the most optimal methods, utilizing videos and digital commentary systems, rather than relying heavily on text and images. The highlight of displays is a panoramic theater that combines six large screens and displays bicycles to present the history of the early days of the bicycle, allowing visitors to dynamically relive the inventor's challenge to achieve "freedom of movement," the birth of the bicycle, and its technological evolution.
Furthermore, looking ahead to the future, we are displays a message about realizing a sustainable society in an displays and engaging way, aiming to foster empathy and understanding among diverse visitors and encourage them to take action as if it were their own responsibility.
As Japan's only museum dedicated to bicycles, we aim to be a "growing museum" by providing exhibits and digital archives that allow everyone from general visitors to enthusiasts and experts to learn and be inspired, through the public display of our vast displays of bicycle-related artifacts and information gathered from around the world.