Collections

Layout of the first floor

Lobby

Once you enter the hall, you’ll be greeted by a roof ornament and a large clock that has been telling the time for over 100 years. Standing on the raised red carpeted floor in the lobby surrounded by European style wooden architecture with a high ceiling that is peculiar to the Meiji era, you’ll notice a description board of the Historical Museum for Agricultural Education. This is where you will start your tour of the exhibition rooms.

List of Collections (PDF)

First Exhibition Room

Here you’ll find exhibitions of materials from the time of the Imperial College’s establishment, a bird’s eye view of the campus, materials on the royal visit by the Emperor Hirohito, the Statement of the Important Cultural Property Designation, and photos of the building after it was renovated to become the Historical Museum for Agricultural Education.

List of Collections (PDF)

Second Exhibition Room

Dedication to agriculture in the cold climate of Tohoku has been one of the founding themes of the Imperial College of Agriculture and Forestry, Morioka. This spirit manifested itself in the first president, Tamari’s “research of crop failure” as well as Dr. Toyotaro Seki’s “research on the causes of cold summers leading to crop failure” and has been passed down to current research and education at Iwate University, as visitors can see in the exhibitions. The collection also includes an apparatus used for experiments at the Imperial College, part of the research achievements of the instructors back then (including reports by Dr. Umetaro Suzuki, Dr. Shigetaro Uchida’s dwarf bamboo specimen, and Dr. Kota Monzen’s research on gall), mementos of graduates (including those from Dr. Satoru Otake, who crystallized vitamin B1 under the instruction of Dr. Umetaro Suzuki, and Jinjiro Matsuda, who was a student of Kenji and was passionate about pioneering and farming), and notebooks and clothing from Imperial College students at the time.

List of Collections (PDF)

Third Exhibition Room

Displays here include specimens for teaching, slides for magic lanterns, pictures, and other historical materials, photos of practical trainings, postcards, and labels for agricultural products used at the Imperial College. Highlights include bird and animal specimens from the time of the Imperial College and the Higher Normal School (current the Faculty of Education). You can also see specimens of the now extinct Japanese-born crested ibis and white-bellied woodpecker.

List of Collections (PDF)

Fourth Exhibition Room

Kenji Miyazawa studied here to pursue harmony between nature and humans and his vision of agriculture. You’ll see the study materials he used during his college years, the apparatus that he used for experiments for his geological survey as well as his graduation thesis, rocks he collected, and the thin sections he made of them. There are also displays regarding his relationship with limestone (soil conditioner) and visitors can find out how his learning at the Imperial College influenced his life and work. The collection also includes a newsletter of the alumni association and the graduation thesis, “Survey of Geological and Soil Characteristics in Hienuki-gun, Iwate Prefecture” that he wrote with his classmates, “Azalea” (partial), “The Restaurant of Many Orders,” “Be not Defeated by the Rain,” a copy of a letter to his teacher, Toyotaro Seki, and photos of him when he was a student. Mementos from his geology and pedology lab are also on display.

List of Collections (PDF)

Polan Room

Sit on an old tall chair to watch or listen to the exhibition guide, or read Kenji’s children’s stories. This is also a good place to relax.

Old President Room

The room features a round meeting table and antique chairs, a stately president’s desk and chair, and calligraphy by former presidents on the wall. The book shelf is full of valuable books and donation books that have documented the history of the college.

List of Collections (PDF)

Auditorium

Go up the stairs and you’ll see a modest brass chandelier shining above in the spacious second floor auditorium. In the back, there are portraits of former presidents in court dress with photos of graduates surrounding the side walls. The piano from Kenji’s college days is still in use. The low height of the platform hints at a friendly learning environment for teachers and students.

List of Collections (PDF)