[Important] Nagato City, Yamaguchi Prefecture: Special Exhibition for the 70th Anniversary of Important Cultural Property Designation - "Ancient Mystery: The Mukatsukuni's Socketed Bronze Sword" - First Public Exhibition in Yamaguchi Prefecture

Ancient Mystery: The Socketed Bronze Sword of Mukatsukuni

Important Cultural Property: Socketed Bronze Sword

The Socketed Bronze Sword was accidentally discovered in 1901 at the Oya-shiki ruins in Yumoto, Nagato City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, and was designated a National Important Cultural Property in 1956.

The total length of the bronze sword is approximately 44.1 cm. Its most distinctive feature is that the blade, hilt, and pommel ornament were cast as a single piece. It is believed to have been created around the middle of the Yayoi period (approximately 2,200 years ago) as a symbol of authority, rather than a weapon.

Out of approximately 800 Yayoi period bronze swords discovered nationwide, only five are of the socketed type. A similar sword has also been found in the tomb of a powerful individual at the Yoshinogari ruins (Saga Prefecture).

From Deposit to Public Exhibition

The Important Cultural Property "Socketed Bronze Sword" was deposited with the city by its owner (a system where cultural properties are entrusted to museums for safekeeping and exhibition while ownership remains with the individual, temple, or shrine). In 2024, Nagato City was designated as the managing organization by the Agency for Cultural Affairs.

In preparation for its public exhibition in 2025, the city undertook preservation and repair work on the sword, including rust prevention and reinforcement, and created a display stand and storage box.

The Important Cultural Property Socketed Bronze Sword: First Public Exhibition in Yamaguchi Prefecture!

Why were swords of the same type as the Socketed Bronze Sword found only at the Mukatsugu Peninsula (Yamaguchi Prefecture) and the Yoshinogari ruins (Saga Prefecture)? This exhibition will allow visitors to see the actual Socketed Bronze Sword, now repaired, alongside related artifacts excavated from the Yoshinogari ruins in Saga Prefecture, offering a glimpse into ancient mysteries.

Furthermore, this bronze sword has not been publicly displayed for over 30 years. This exhibition marks its first public viewing in over three decades and its first-ever exhibition in Yamaguchi Prefecture.

YouTube: https://studio.youtube.com/video/h99kSxjtYCU/edit

Exhibition Period

April 25 (Saturday) to July 26 (Sunday), 2025 | 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM (Last admission at 4:30 PM)

Closed: Mondays (or the following weekday if Monday is a public holiday), but open on April 27.

Admission Fee

General: 500 yen, Elementary, Junior High, High School Students: 200 yen, Preschoolers: Free, Nagato City Residents: Free

[Group Rate (20+ people): General 450 yen, Elementary, Junior High, High School Students 150 yen]

Organizer

Nagato City

Cooperation

Saga Prefecture, Nagato TV Co., Ltd.

Sponsorship

Yamaguchi Prefecture, Yamaguchi Prefectural Board of Education, Faculty of Humanities, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi Archaeological Society, Nagato City Board of Education

Exhibition Structure

Chapter 1: Mukatsukuni - The Mukatsugu Peninsula

Chapter 2: The Story of the Bronze Sword Discovery

Chapter 3: Dissecting the Bronze Sword

Chapter 4: Yoshinogari Ruins - Another Socketed Bronze Sword

Chapter 5: Cultural Heritage of the Nagato Region and the Maritime Route

Exhibits Planned

• Important Cultural Property: Socketed Bronze Sword (excavated from Oya-shiki ruins)
• Pottery shards (excavated from Oya-shiki ruins, Middle Yayoi period)
• Medium-thin socketed bronze sword (excavated from Yoshinogari ruins, Saga Prefectural Museum collection)
• Jar coffin (excavated from Yoshinogari ruins, Saga Prefectural Museum collection)
• Four-sided mold (excavated from Yoshinogari ruins, Saga Prefectural Museum collection)
• Shell bracelet made of Imogai (excavated from Yoshinogari ruins, Saga Prefectural Museum collection), etc.

Event Information

Bus Tour: Exploring the Mukatsugu Peninsula Where the Bronze Sword Was Excavated

After a gallery talk at Historia Nagato, the tour will visit the excavation site of the bronze sword, as well as Nison-in Temple, which houses Important Cultural Properties such as the Wooden Standing Statue of Shakyamuni Buddha and the Wooden Standing Statue of Amida Buddha, by bus.

■Date & Time: May 24, 2025 (Sunday) 10:30 AM - 4:40 PM (Reception opens at 10:20 AM)

■Capacity: 25 people (advance reservation required)

■Participation Fee: 2,000 yen (includes admission fee) *Lunch and Nison-in temple viewing fee are separate.

■Other: Event proceeds rain or shine. However, viewing the excavation site may be from a distance depending on the weather.

2nd Yamaguchi Regional Culture Forum: Cultural Heritage Carried by the Sea Route

A lecture series will be held on the theme of the rich cultural heritage remaining in the Nagato City region.

■Date & Time: June 21, 2025 (Sunday) 1:30 PM - 3:30 PM (Doors open at 1:00 PM)

■Venue: Nagato City Hall, 4th Floor Conference Room

Lecturers and Topics

• Hiroshi Yoshida (Professor, Ehime University Museum)

"The Japan Sea Current that Brought the Mukatsugu Bronze Sword"

• Masato Kanaya (Former Deputy Director, Yamaguchi Prefectural Archives)

"Yaobikuni and Legends of Eternal Youth - Folklore of Nagato's Maritime Trade -"

• Panel Discussion

"Cultural Heritage of the Nagato Region and the Maritime Route"

■Capacity: 60 people

■Participation Fee: Free

■Organizers: Yamaguchi Prefectural Museum of History, Nagato City

■Support: NPO Regional Culture Supporters Yamaguchi, Association of Nagato City Tourism and Conventions, Nagato City Board of Education, Nagato Local Culture Research Society

Let's Make a Miniature Bronze Sword! Bronze Sword Casting Experience

■Date & Time: Every Saturday from May to July 2025

(1) 10:00 AM~

(2) 2:00 PM~

■Capacity: 5 people per session (reservations required)

■Target Audience: 4th grade elementary school students and above (elementary school students must be accompanied by a guardian)

■Fee: 1,500 yen (includes admission fee) *Nagato City residents: 1,000 yen

<Inquiries>

Nagato City Comprehensive Cultural Property Center (Historia Nagato)
〒759-4101
2660-4 Higashi-Fukawa, Nagato City, Yamaguchi Prefecture
Tel: 0837-22-3703 Fax: 0837-22-3700