Welcome to Kamakura!
My name is Tamura Sari and I am a curator at the Kamakurabori Museum.
Kamakurabori is a type of carving influenced by Chinese handicrafts. It is said to have been developed in Kamakura—a city famed for its warrior culture.
This three-legged table with a guri pattern is the oldest carved object in our collection.

It dates back to the Muromachi period. With those curved legs it looks like a truly adorable desk. Actually, though, it is actually a splendid Buddhist ritual implement. The gurimon pattern of continuous spirals is a traditional Chinese pattern brought to Japan. The free and rhythmical pattern of the carving is very Chinese.

The chisel used to carve the curved lines for Kamakurabori is a little different from the ones you used at elementary school. The museum offers classes in Kamakurabori carving. Wouldn’t you like to sign up for one?
At Café Guri, our museum café, you can also enjoy a meal served on Kamakurabori dishes. Do stop by for a bite after your visit here.

Hello.
My name is Namikawa Mikio and I am a curator at Kamakura’s Department of Cultural Assets.

My top recommendation is our collection of hina dolls. We display it for the Dolls Festival on March 3 every year.

We show a quite a variety, including the Kyohobina dolls, a type of large hina doll that was very popular in the mid-Edo period, and the tachibina standing dolls, which are considered the prototype for the modern variety of hina dolls. We also have a selection of ornamental goten palaces and tiered stands for the dolls, as well as gosho-ningyo, and exquisite miniature implements made from makie, glass, or china.

Along the corridor from the entrance, we have displays introducing crafts that have been handed down the generations from medieval times. The exhibits include swords made in the tradition of the sword-smith Masamune, armor and helmets modeled on a suit of armor presented to Shigetada Hatakeyama, horseback archery, and Kamakurabori carvings. These exhibits serve as an introduction before visitors enter the history galleries, showcasing the dual significance of skills that are both techniques and occupations.