Shangri-La vol.13 - MIHO MUSEUM

2003 Europe-Japan Colloquium
on Archaeological Research in Asia

The 2003 Europe-Asia Colloquium, Archaeological Research in Asia, was held at the Institut Franco-Japonais du Kansai in Kyoto on December 11, and at MIHO MUSEUM in Shiga on December 12, last year. On the second day of the conference, archaeologists working in various regions throughout Asia, including Afghanistan, Iran, Syria, Cambodia, and China, gathered at MIHO MUSEUM to discuss various issues dealing with the excavation and preservation of archaeological sites. This colloquium gave researchers in Europe and Japan the opportunity to share new findings, exchange information regarding fieldwork, analysis, and methodology, and establish permanent cooperative relationships. The forthcoming meeting of this colloquium is planned for the end of 2005.

Helping Schools with Art Education-Part 2
Summer Seminar for Teachers at the Museum

On August 11 and 12, last year, MIHO MUSEUM and the Shigaraki Ceramic Cultural Park sponsored “Message from the Museums 2003: Encountering Japan’s Treasures-A Comprehensive Study in Cooperation with Museums.” We invited Takahashi Naohiro, curator of the Setagaya Art Museum, to be the coordinator of the workshops held at the two museums, and about 130 school teachers and people affiliated with the museums participated in them.

The first activity took place in the morning at MIHO MUSEUM, where the participants toured the exhibitions in groups and tried to solve a “Mysteries of the Museum” orienteering quiz. They responded with delight to unexpected questions, such as “How many animals are in the picture?” and “Which hand’s thumb is raised?” In the afternoon, they experienced “Touching the Real Thing: From the Backstage of History,” a program based on classes that MIHO MUSEUM conducted at several elementary schools in Kusatsu City. First, they learned about the instruments used in Noh, including the flutes and drums, followed by a performance and a special focus on one particular type of drum, the tsutsumi (hand drum). Then, in an experience that they could only have with the cooperation of MIHO MUSEUM, the participants examined two replicas-a letter by the warlord Oda Nobunaga (1534-82) and the Hand Drum with Lightening in Makie, which appears in the letter. Together with the curators, they deciphered the letter and confirmed that the drum was indeed the same as that described in the letter from the famous warlord.

On the second day, the participants went to Shigaraki Ceramic Cultural Center for a workshop on pottery, followed by a panel discussion on art museum experiential learning in which they reviewed the entire seminar and the role of cooperative classes between museums and schools. This training yielded many benefits. Through the museum workshops, the schoolteachers experienced the importance of museum and learned about the relationships between museums and schools. The experience also strengthened the relationship between the museums themselves.

Reading Classical Documents

Museum Orientation

This year MIHO MUSEUM will invite elementary and junior high school students as well as individuals with disabilities for special museum tours on days the museum is normally closed. For more information, please see the following page.