The Annex building was designed by Kingo Tatsuno, the same architect responsible for the Tokyo Station Marunouchi building.
The structure originally functioned as the Kyoto branch of the Bank of Japan before being repurposed into a museum in 1988.
The interior of the Annex retains a restored vault from its time as an active bank.
The museum operates a film theater specifically dedicated to preserving and screening Japanese cinema classics.
The ground floor of the Annex houses 'Roji Tenpo', a shopping area designed to replicate merchant shops from the Edo period.
The Museum of Kyoto specializes in the history and traditional arts of the Kyoto prefecture. The facility consists of a modern wing housing the main exhibition hall and an original 1906 Bank of Japan building designed by Kingo Tatsuno. The museum features a permanent exhibition detailing Kyoto's history from ancient times to the present. The Annex hall is a designated Important Cultural Property of Japan. It maintains a collection of fine arts, traditional crafts, and historical artifacts recovered from local archaeological excavations. The facility includes a public film library and a dedicated screening room for historical Japanese cinema. Visitors can explore a reconstructed streetscape of Kyoto from the Edo period within the Annex wing. The museum frequently hosts temporary art exhibitions alongside its permanent local historical displays.
The red-brick facade of the historic Annex building from the street level.
Prioritize visiting the Annex building first to view the restored mezzanine levels and the original bank vault.
Check the official schedule before arrival, as the film screening room operates on a rotating program distinct from the main exhibits.
Combine your visit with a walk through the nearby Sanjo and Teramachi shopping arcades.
Do not rush through the Annex wing, as it contains some of the most significant architectural features of the museum.
Closed on Mondays; if a public holiday falls on a Monday, the museum remains open and closes the following Tuesday instead.
