The Manggha Museum of Japanese Art and Technology

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The intriguing world of distant Japanese culture is a permanent element of Kraków’s cultural landscape.

The Manggha Museum of Japanese Art and Technology was set up as an initiative of Andrzej Wajda and his wife Krystyna Zachwatowicz, both fascinated by Japanese culture. When presented with the Kyoto Prize (the Japanese equivalent of the Nobel Prize, granted for philosophy, art, science, and technology) of $400,000 in 1987, Andrzej Wajda decided to assign it to the construction of a new museum in Kraków. The building was designed by an eminent Japanese architect Arata Isozaki in cooperation with Kraków architects Krzysztof Ingarden, Jacek Ewý, and JET Atelier.

The modern building by the bank of the Vistula was set up to provide a home for the lavish collection of the art of the Far East in the possession of the National Museum in Krakow. The main part is the magnificent collection of Japanese art presented to the museum by an eminent collector, Feliks Jasieński, in 1920. The name of the museum comes from the pseudonym taken by the collector. . Beautiful objects: woodcuts, objects of artistic craft including ceramics, costumes, fabrics, and weapons provide the starting point for regular presentations of various subjects connected with Japanese art, culture, and customs. External partners have their temporary exhibitions hosted here, and the museum function of the Manggha is combined with educational pursuits that promote knowledge of the culture of Japan and of other Asian countries.

Tickets: normal PLN 30, concessions PLN 20, admission free on Tuesday