Kae Yasoda,
Director of Nara Prison Museum

We Await You at the Red Brick Western-style Architecture

To celebrate the 30-day countdown to our grand opening, we are launching a special daily series featuring 30 guests with deep ties to Nara Prison: "The Exquisite Prison and the 30."
Day 30 features Kae Yasoda, Director of Nara Prison Museum, the final guest in our series.

What Is the Nara Prison Museum, a Place of Diverse Perspectives?

The Nara Prison Museum will finally open its doors tomorrow (April 27). The museum consists of two main areas: the Preservation Area and the Exhibition Area. In the Preservation Area, located in the building formerly known as Ward 3, you can observe the solitary cells as they were when the facility functioned as Nara Juvenile Prison. From there, you proceed to the Exhibition Area. This area is divided into Block A (Architecture and History), Block B (Discipline and Life), and Block C (Prison and Art), each approaching the concept of a prison through entirely different themes. We also have a cafe and a museum shop. The cafe offers curry bread and cheesecake inspired by the unique stories of Nara Prison, while the shop features unique goods designed by TSDO, led by art director Taku Satoh. Over the past few days, as I have walked through the museum for final checks, I have found something new every time, and I am filled with excitement. The Nara Prison Museum is a somewhat unusual museum that poses various questions to its visitors. It is up to the visitors themselves to find the answers. I believe our role as staff is to support you in finding those answers. We look forward to welcoming you to this red-brick Western-style architecture!

PROFILE

Kae Yasoda

Director of Nara Prison Museum

Kae Yasoda has been involved in the grand openings of various properties, including HOSHINOYA Taketomi Island, OMO5 Kyoto Sanjo, and OMO7 Osaka. She joined the pre-opening team for the Nara Prison Museum in June last year. “I studied environmental science in vocational school. I once spent eight hours straight observing deer for an environmental survey in Nara Park. Looking back, perhaps that was the beginning of my connection with this city,” says Ms. Yasoda. “In the summer evenings, there is a twilight bus tour to the summit of Mt. Wakakusa. The view of Nara’s cityscape from the top is breathtakingly beautiful. I highly recommend experiencing it.”

Follow the series on Instagram: “The Exquisite Prison and the 30”