Kitakyushu Manga Museum, in Kitakyushu

Kitakyushu Manga Museum is located next to JR Kokura station. The museum is located

on the 6th floor of Aru Aru City, a multi-floored shopping mall devoted to products and

services for anime, manga, idol culture, and cosplay fans, a kind of Harajuku in miniature.

The permanent exhibition area on the 6th floor concentrates on manga writers and artists who

have a connection with Kitakyushu; and while more than thirty are listed, the best known is Reiji

Matsumoto, who is also the honorary director of the museum.

The rest of the Aru Aru City shopping mall is devoted to shops and services for Japan’s pop youth

culture. There are lots of shops selling manga, anime DVDs, J-Pop CDs, computer games, trading

cards, as well as related paraphernalia such posters and figurines. There are games arcades, an

internet cafe, model car racetrack, a karaoke bar, and several cafes and bars serving alcohol, as

well as a full maid cafe.

Kyushu National Museum, in Dazaifu

Kyushu National Museum was opened in 2005 in Dazaifu-city next to Dazaifu Tenmangu

Shrine, as Japan’s fourth national museum after Tokyo, Kyoto and Nara. Dazaifu is the place

where played important role as an administrative center and a center for trade with China and

Korea since 1300 years ago, therefore the concept of the museum is decided “Interpreting

the formation of Japanese culture from the perspective of Asian history”.