A specialist museum on Nakanoshima island that holds one of the finest collections of Korean and Chinese ceramics in the world. The collection — donated to the city in 1980 by the Ataka Collection — runs to over 6,000 pieces, with particular strength in 10th-century Chinese celadon and Korean Koryo-period celadon, a luminous grey-green ware that is notoriously difficult to reproduce. Several of the Korean pieces are designated National Treasures.
The museum's display philosophy is unusual: many pieces are placed in fibre-optic lit cases that illuminate the glaze from within, creating a depth of colour not normally possible under standard gallery lighting. The effect is especially striking on the semi-translucent Ru ware and Ding ware pieces from Song-dynasty China. The museum is compact and can be seen in one to two hours.