Sagabijutsudaigaku Museum

Saga University of Arts and its junior college run this museum, which doubles as training ground for students studying to become curators. Its exhibitions come at things from several angles: shows built around the beauty and inventiveness of form, meant to spark the students' own work; introductions to the culture that Kyoto as a place has produced and sustained; and explorations of cultures from elsewhere. Opening those exhibitions to the general public is deliberate — the museum sees its work as contributing to the cultural life of the area. The collection runs to some 4,500 items, chiefly works by faculty who have taught here, graduation pieces by students, and holdings of folk toys and export fans.