Events

Thematic Exhibition: Strides taken in the field of Nagasaki City Regional Studies
The branch of regional studies known as Nagasaki-gaku (the study of Nagasaki) has progressed to the present day through the work of its pioneers, who preserved and recorded historical documents, and accumulated research on Nagasaki’s history and culture. This exhibition will focus on the history of Nagasaki City regional studies, which continues to this day, by introducing Koga Jūjirō and other prominent researchers, and the facilities housing the documents they preserved and handed down.

Dates: December 18 (Wed), 2025 – February 15 (Sun), 2026
Place: 2F Permanent Exhibition Gallery
Time: 8:30-18:00 (last admission 17:30)
Fee: included in the Permanent Exhibition ticket

Machiya Corner: New Year
Decorations and dishes connected with the New Year’s celebrations are displayed in the Machiya corner, which reproduces a Nagasaki’s merchant house from the Edo period. Check the full Machiya calendar here.

Dates: December 26 (Fri), 2025 – January 18 (Sun), 2026
Place: 2F Permanent Exhibition Gallery
Time: 8:30-18:00 (last admission 17:30)
Fee: included in the Permanent Exhibition ticket

Performance Calligraphy
High school students create a bold calligraphy work in a synchronized performance accompanied by music.

Date: January 2 (Fri), 2026
Time: 11:30 / 15:00
Place: 1F Entrance
Performers: Nagasaki Prefectural Nagasaki Nishi High School Calligraphy Club

Kakizome (First Calligraphy of the Year)
Take part in the Japanese tradition of writing the first calligraphy of the new year using brush and ink. Even if you don’t know Japanese, students from the Nishi High School Calligraphy Club will help you trace auspicious characters.

Date: January 2 (Fri), 2026
Time: 13:00-14:15 (sign-ups close at 14:00)
Place: 2F Ryūzantei
Cooperation: Nagasaki Prefectural Nagasaki Nishi High School Calligraphy Club
*No advance registration required.

Tsugaru Shamisen and Taiko Performance
Enjoy a powerful performance combining the energetic and dynamic Tsugaru shamisen (a three-stringed Japanese lute) with traditional Japanese drums.

Date: January 3 (Sat), 2026
Time: 11:00-12:00
Place: 1F Entrance
Performers: Tsugaru Shamisen Ishii Ryū Shūhokai, Saihō Kotengu

New Year Concert
A free concert for flute, voice and piano.

Date: January 4 (Sun), 2026
Time: 11:00
Place: 1F Entrance
Performers: Nagasaki Prefecture Shin Ensōka Kyōkai

Koto Performance
Enjoy traditional Japanese sounds with this free performance of koto, a much-loved instrument similar to a zither.

Date: January 11 (Sun), 2026
Time: 11:00
Place: 1F Entrance
Performers: h Music, Chinzei Gakuin High School Koto Music Club, Tsumiyamakai

Monthly Workshop: “Compra Bottle” Strap
Compra bottles were white porcelain bottles used in the Edo period to export soy sauce and Japanese sake to Europe. In this workshop you will create a cute strap in the shape of these bottles.

Date: January 18 (Sun), 2026
Time: 13:30-15:30 (sign-ups close at 15:15)
Place: 1F Entrance
Fee: 200 yen
*No advance registration required.

Machiya Corner: Setsubun
Decorations and dishes connected with Setsubun, the day that traditionally preceded the beginning of spring, are displayed in the Machiya corner, which reproduces a Nagasaki’s merchant house from the Edo period. Check the full Machiya calendar here.

Dates: January 20 (Tue) – February 15 (Sun), 2026
Place: 2F Permanent Exhibition Gallery
Time: 8:30-18:00 (last admission 17:30)
Fee: included in the Permanent Exhibition ticket

Setsubun Mamemaki
Setsubun is a traditional Japanese festival, marking the day before the start of spring. Tsuina mamemaki, an ancient ritual to drive away evil spirits, and bean-throwing are held in the reconstructed Nagasaki Magistrate’s Office zone .

Date: February 3 (Tue), 2026
Time: Tsuina ceremony 16:30 / Bean throwing 16:45
Place: inside the Magistrate’s Office Zone (tsuina ceremony) / outside the Magistrate’s Office entrance (bean throwing)
*In case of rain, the bean throwing will be held in the 1F Entrance Hall
Fee: free event; to witness the tsuina ceremony, an admission ticket to the Permanent Exhibition is required

Nagasaki Kenban Performance
The geisha of the Nagasaki Kenban, who preserve the traditions of Nagasaki’s pleasure quarters, perform sophisticated dances.

Date: February 7 (Sat), 2026
Time: [1] 13:00 / [2] 15:00
Place: 1F Entrance Hall
Performers: Nagasaki Kenban
Fee: free

Gallery Talk for Foreign Visitors
Learn about Nagasaki’s rich history of international exchange with guided tours of the Permanent Exhibition in English and Easy Japanese.

Dates: February 8 (Sun) 15:00-16:00　Easy Japanese
　　　 February 15 (Sun) 15:00-16:00　English
Place: 2F Permanent Exhibition Gallery
Fee: admission ticket to the Permanent Exhibition is required. Free for international students living in Nagasaki Prefecture, elementary and junior high school students.

Advance reservation required. Click here to secure your spot.

Monthly Workshop: “Hanging Decorations” for Hinamatsuri
In this workshop, you will create “hanging decorations” perfect for Hinamatsuri (the Dolls’ Festival), using fabric scraps and origami.

Date: February 15 (Sun), 2026
Time: 13:30-15:30 (sign-ups close at 15:15)
Place: 1F Entrance
Fee: 200 yen
*No advance registration required.

Thematic Exhibition: Nagasaki’s History and Culture
An exhibition on the history of Nagasaki from the point of view of food culture

Dates: February 21 (Sat) – April 19 (Sun), 2026
Place: 2F Permanent Exhibition Gallery
Time: 8:30-18:00 (last admission 17:30)
Fee: included in the Permanent Exhibition ticket

Make your Own Bookmark
A workshop related to the “NAGASAKI YUGAKU – Dreaming of Nagasaki” exhibition.

Date: February 22 (Sun), 2026
Time: 14:00-16:00 (sign-ups close at 15:30)
Place: 1F Entrance
Fee: 300 yen
*No advance registration required. Ends when materials run out.

Costume dramas in the Nagasaki Magistrate’s Office
Inside the reconstructed Nagasaki Magistrate’s Office, museum volunteers recreate trials from the Edo period (1603-1868). The skits are based on the Hankachō, historical records of criminal cases judged by the Nagasaki magistrates.

Dates: every Sunday
Place: 2F Permanent Exhibition Gallery, inside The Japanese Government of Nagasaki Zone
Time: 11:00, 13:30, 14:30, 15:30 (duration about 20 min.)
Fee: included in the Permanent Exhibition ticket