Asai Chuu (1856 – 1907), a Japanese painter who developed the western style of art movement in Japanese paining, was the child of a retainer of the Sakura Domain. He studied painting under Antonio Fontanesi (1818 – 1882), who was a teacher of Oyatoi Gaikokujin, the foreign employees in Meiji Japan. He traveled to rural Japan to try to create the Japanese Barbizon school. He transformed himself with the backbone of retainers of Sakura Domain, in the current of the times.
He died in Kyoto in 51 years old. However, his life of journey remained a font of innocence that continues to inspire us in the beauty of Japan. This came from the painting technique of adjusting natural light, which he learned during his studies in France.

This museum introduces the materials of Takami Senseki (1785 – 1858), who was a scholar of Dutch studies, a geographer and a chief retainer of the Koga Domain, Ibaragi. The museum also shows the history of the Ashikaga clan, who established the Muromachi Shogunate and ruled Japan during 1366 – 1573. They moved their base from Kamakura, Kanagawa to Koga Ibaraki, during the medieval period.
This museum is adjacent to Takami Senseki Memorial Hall, which was Senseki’s residence of the retainer of the Domain, where he continued to study Rangaku, the study of Western sciences in Dutch language, after his retirement. That hall exhibits Senseki’s Dutch map and the surveying instruments.
Senseki had the sharpness of his observation and the insight of understanding the essence as it appeared in the portrait drawn by Watanabe Kazan (1793 – 1841) a Japanese painter, scholar, the retainer of Tahara Domain Mikawa Province Aichi.

Takami Senseki (1785 – 1858), who was a scholar of Dutch studies, a geographer and a chief retainer of the Koga Domain, Ibaragi, had the sharpness of his observations and the insight of understanding the essence as appeared in the portrait drawn by Watanabe Kazan (1793 – 1841) a Japanese painter, scholar, and the retainer of Tahara Domain Mikawa Province Aichi.
His insight grew from his initiative and practical sense to hold Oranda Shogatsu, a Dutch style New Year’s celebration, along with the vast amount of materials collected. This museum used to be his residence of the retainer of the Domain, where he continued, after his retirement, to study Rangaku, the study of Western sciences in Dutch language.
This museum exhibits the Dutch map and the surveying instruments.

This museum collects and exhibits outstanding art works since the early modern times. Included are Akita ranga, Dutch-style Japanese paintings, painted by a feudal lord of the Akita Domain and vassals in the middle and latter part of the Edo period (1603 – 1868). There are more than 30 outdoor sculptures around the museum. The Satake clan was a feudal lord of Akita Domain during the Muromachi Period (1366 – 1573). The successive lords of this Domain had been keen on the education project. The 8th feudal lord, Satake Yoshiatsu (1748 – 1785), was the founder of the Akita ranga school. Akita ranga, was Japanese painting in Dutch-style which had the composition of western drawing techniques and painting materials of pure Japanese as a compromise between Japanese and foreign styles. Those perspective drawings greatly influenced Ukiyoe, Japanese woodblock prints. It happened before the Tenmei ara (1781 – 1789), when Takami Senseki (1785 – 1858), a scholar of Dutch studies, and a chief retainer of the Koga Domain, Ibaragi, were born.