Take a look at kaleidoscopes from all over the world at the Sendai Kaleidoscope Museum! [Miyagi Prefecture]

It has been 200 years since the kaleidoscope was born into this world. Attracted by its charm, various artists around the world have created works.

Sendai is the world's first museum to bring together and display beautiful kaleidoscope works.

"Sendai Kaleidoscope Museum"

This time, we would like to invite you to the world of kaleidoscope, a “culmination of science and art”!

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This is all kaleidoscope! ? The first exhibition room where you can enjoy fun exhibits!

Entering the first exhibition room, you will find an incredible variety of artworks waiting for you. These are all kaleidoscopes! ?

When you think of kaleidoscopes, you imagine that they are cylindrical and turn the image while looking through the lens at the edge, but in this exhibition room there are a wide selection of large works that could be called objects!

This is also a kaleidoscope! ?

What exactly is a kaleidoscope?

In fact, a kaleidoscope refers to all artworks in which two or more mirrors are combined and used in a mirror-like manner. Therefore, everything on display is kaleidoscope, from huge to small!

Moreover, all of the works in this first exhibition room can be experienced and photographed.

Please touch and look at the huge variety of kaleidoscopes with your own hands, from things that respond to sounds, to things that are electrically erected, to music boxes! Your view of kaleidoscope may change drastically!

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Let's take a look at the kaleidoscope of ancient and modern East and West in the second exhibition room!

Once you pass through the first exhibition room, the atmosphere suddenly changes to a museum-like atmosphere. From here onwards, you cannot take a photo.

This time, we received special permission to take a photo, so please take a look at the valuable images!

In the second exhibition room, you can see a variety of kaleidoscope works devised by Brewster, the creator of kaleidoscopes. At first glance, you can see things that look like dolls that children play with, and even billiard balls, but all of these are kaleidoscopes.

It is said that the experience of a kaleidoscope is art, and in the second exhibition room you can appreciate the world of kaleidoscopes, which have been sublimated as a comprehensive art, including their appearance.

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Are the exhibits different depending on the season? The third exhibition room is “Kaleidoscope jewelry box!”

When you step into the third exhibition room, you will find many cylindrical kaleidoscopes lined up there. All of these are viewable. You can enjoy the world of colorful geometric patterns!

The best recommendation I've seen is a work by Yamami Koji. The sparkle, reminiscent of the universe, is so mysterious to describe in words. It's definitely worth seeing!

The third exhibition room has a design that changes the exhibition seasonally.

Even if you've been there once, you can enjoy it over and over again, so it might be fun to go there every time.

The large exhibition box in the center is also a kaleidoscope work. A mirror is set up to match all four sides of the box, making it a kaleidoscope that uses the kaleidoscope on display!

By the way, it's a bit hard to notice, but this mirror has a secret! The characters that are often mistaken by elementary school students are called "mirror letters" by comparing them to letters reflected in the mirror, but please take a closer look at the mirror used as the background of this kaleidoscope. In fact, the characters reflected here are not mirrored!

When I raise my right hand, I also raise my right hand, as I see in the mirror. I didn't think about it until I realized it, but once I realized it, I felt a strange feeling like I had been lost in a magical world!

The ability to do such strange things is part of the charm of the kaleidoscope's combined mirrors!

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Teruko Tsuji Gallery, a ceramic artist who was attracted to the charm of kaleidoscopes

The second half of the Sendai Kaleidoscope Museum is a gallery for Tsuji Teruko, a pioneering female potter.

She is also a ceramic artist, and is one of the artists who was attracted to the charm of kaleidoscopes. Therefore, in addition to paintings, vessels and accessories, you can also see collaborations between ceramics and kaleidoscopes at the gallery.

The collaboration with kaleidoscope artist Charles Kaladimos cannot be seen as a kaleidoscope, but it will make your heart tremble even when viewed as a beautiful ceramic work.

The best part of Sendai Kaleidoscope Museum is to enjoy the fullest with the kaleidoscope experience and then calm your mind by appreciating art.

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A museum shop where you can make your own original kaleidoscope!

Finally, we have a long-awaited museum shop.

As it is a shop at the Kaleidoscope Museum, the sales area is filled with kaleidoscopes as far as you can see! We have a wide selection of fun items that will make you fall in love with, such as small, cute straps that can also be used as accessories, and original kaleidoscope kits that you can make at home.

What caught my eye the most was the Kaleido shot that can be attached to a smartphone camera. When you set it up and run the camera app, a kaleidoscope-like image will spread across the screen. There are samples, so it's fun to pick them up and play with them!

The most notable feature of the museum shop is the experience corner where you can create an original kaleidoscope. The courses are divided according to the level of difficulty, making it suitable for adults.

Special classes will also be held during the summer holidays, so it's fun to try it out with your parents and children! Of course, adults can enjoy courses aimed at adults.

If you want to have a serious, handmade kaleidoscope experience that doesn't deceive children, such as using your own birthstone or choosing a particular stone, try it!

Products available at museum shops are also available at online shops. If you think you missed out on buying it, or if you're interested but can't get to Sendai too far, check out our online store!

Sendai Kaleidoscope Museum <Information>

• Name: Sendai Kaleidoscope Art Museum
• Address: 1-2 Moniwa Matsuba, Taihaku-ku, Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture 982-0251
• Phone number: 022-304-8080
• Official URL: https://sendaikaleidoscope.com/

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