The tile musuem is drawing crowds

Built to resemble a hill being excavated for clay, the Tajimi Tile Museum has proven to be an even greater success than originally hoped for. Crowds are flowing steadily to the uniquely designed building, where you can experience creating tile-art and view everyday tile products for the home, such as bath tubs and ovens.

Kasahara town, home to the museum and a large number of tile producing companies, has hardly been high on the list of tourists visiting Gifu prefecture in the past, but the seemingly mundane theme of the museum seems to have a strange draw on travelers, especially young women, who enjoy the workshops. The locals are now busily to capitalize on the popularity of the museum, by arranging unique events such as concerts under the starry night sky, which can be viewed from the very pleasant, moody top floor of the building. Few westerners have yet discovered this museum, however, as foreign visitors still tend to be of Asian origin, according to our sources.
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The open rooftop of the museum has inspired locals to arrange concerts under the starry night sky of Kasahara.

​The creative mind behind the museum is architect and architectural historian Terunobu Fujimori . Fujimori has created many well-known buildings, such as the recent Kusayane and Douyane, the Taneya sales office and headquarters in Omihachiman City.

Everyday tile products, such is this bath tub, was once a common view in many Japanese homes. Tajimi's tile industry is now struggling to find new applications for its ceramics, after the boom during the years of the bubble economy in the 80s in Japan.

He is currently  professor emeritus of the University of Tokyo,
specially-appointed professor of Kogakuin University and Director of Edo-Tokyo Museum. Fujimori specializes in the history of architecture, and he has been engaged in designing architecture since he was 45.

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