Tsurugaoka Museum, Kamakura
The Tsurugaoka Museum, Kamakura, is the cultural hub of Tsurugaoka Hachimangu. Its exhibition program focuses on the culture and history of the shrine and the city of Kamakura, from shrine festivals to medieval art. The museum’s square building was designed by Sakakura Junzo (1901–1969), a protégé of the pioneering Modernist architect Le Corbusier (1887–1965), and is designated an Important Cultural Property. The building was originally constructed as the Museum of Modern Art, Kamakura, which opened in 1951 and was the first public museum of modern art in Japan. That museum closed in 2016, and the structure was renovated extensively before it was reopened in 2019. The renovated museum retains Sakakura’s design, which has a central courtyard that lets in natural light and an L-shaped exhibition hall on the second floor. The building’s covered first-floor terrace opens onto the Heike Pond and the movement of the water is reflected onto the ceiling of the terrace. The museum gift shop sells items related to the shrine and Kamakura, while there is a cafe in the adjacent building.