Kakamigahara

The Naito Museum of Pharmaceutical Science and Industry stands as Japan's first comprehensive institution dedicated to pharmaceutical history, established in 1971 by Toyoji Naito, founder of major pharmaceutical manufacturer Eisai Co., Ltd., in Kakamigahara City, Gifu Prefecture. This pioneering museum houses an extraordinary collection of approximately 65,000 documents and 60,000 books, making it one of Japan's premier archives for historical and pharmaceutical materials, with about 2,000 items permanently displayed covering the evolution of medicine from prehistoric times through the modern era. The museum showcases fascinating artifacts including traditional medicinal plants, human-powered pharmaceutical machinery from the Edo period (including the notable jinrikisha drug machine), historical signboards, Meiji period advertisements, and comprehensive exhibits on Japan's pharmaceutical development with particular emphasis on the early modern period. Visitors can explore themed exhibitions that change annually, recent focuses including infectious diseases and COVID-19, while also experiencing the adjacent medicinal botanical garden featuring approximately 600 varieties of medicinal herbs and plants that demonstrate the natural origins of pharmaceutical compounds. The museum operates as a free educational resource to assist healthcare professionals in research and promote public understanding of pharmaceutical science, offering English explanations throughout and serving as an excellent venue for both adult learning and children's research projects. The facility uniquely combines historical pharmaceutical artifacts with modern educational approaches, creating an accessible bridge between traditional Japanese medicine practices and contemporary pharmaceutical science, while its location within Eisai's Kawashima Plant adds authenticity to the industrial heritage aspects of pharmaceutical manufacturing.