Everyone is different, and that’s interesting. “The Secret Base of Eccentrics: The National Museum of Ethnology,” a nonfiction book that delves behind the scenes of the museum commonly known as “Minpaku,” is now on sale. CE Media House Press Release: September 29, 2025 Everyone is different and interesting. “The Secret Base of Eccentrics: National Museum of Ethnology,” a nonfiction book that delves behind the scenes of the museum commonly known as “Minpaku,” is now on sale. CE Media House, Inc. will release “The Secret Base of Eccentrics: National Museum of Ethnology” (https://www.amazon.co.jp/
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/11369/964/11369-964-86eda700ba8e244a63815cdc4a047777-1002×1419.jpg Minpaku, the ethnological museum in Suita, Osaka, boasts one of the world’s largest collections. This book delves into the true faces of the eccentric researchers behind the museum and the secrets of its exhibits. It’s an irresistible paradise for lovers. Yet it’s surprisingly little known. The visitors and the people who live there are eccentric. It’s a secret base for eccentric people. Born and raised in Osaka, I’ve visited the National Museum of Ethnology many times, both on school trips and as an adult. But no matter how many times I’ve visited, I’ve never really seen much behind the scenes. And it’s this incomprehensibility that has always fascinated me. There are people in the background of the exhibition. Who’s there? What are you doing? As an ordinary Folk Museum fan, I’ve always been interested in finding out what these people are really like. So, Not things, but people. Focusing on the people at Minpaku. To tell you about the people at Minpaku. That is the purpose of this book. -Min Pak-chan’s words from “Introduction”- ◆What is Minpaku like? ◆The people involved in its establishment are amazing The museum was founded by Shibusawa Keizo, a business leader and folklorist. The first director was Umesao Tadao, the Tower of the Sun was designed by Okamoto Taro, and the architect was Kurokawa Kisho. *Titles are abbreviated. ◆An
overwhelming 347,000 exhibits and a total length of 5 kilometers! Not only are there so many exhibits that you could walk and walk and never finish, but the walking distance is also quite long. I definitely recommend wearing sneakers when you visit. *For comparison, the Tokyo National Museum’s permanent exhibition has around 3,000 pieces on display. ◆You’ll want to ask, “Why did you bring this?” The museum exhibits a vast number of masks, ethnic costumes, mysterious ceremonial implements, and even international bread and gravestones, all of which are collected by researchers from around the world. ◆The exhibits, which “shouldn’t be kept in glass cases,” are left exposed! You can’t understand something just by looking. By touching it, feeling its weight, and feeling its smell, you can understand the context of the object. This “exposed exhibition” was made possible by the strong commitment of the museum’s first director. ◆Before it’s a museum, it’s a research institute It is an inter-university research institute under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, and also functions as a graduate school. Therefore, it is staffed by researchers, not curators, and its exhibitions serve as a venue for presenting research. ◆ Researchers with Strong Habits and Research Themes
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/11369/964/11369-964-8fa86d8be3875af8bd5c1be95bfacff4-1935×2700.jpg Professor Masao Kashinaga… Guide to this book. The Black Thai People of Vietnam Professor Ippei Shimamura … Mongolian shamans, hip hop Professor Kojiro Hirose … Tactile culture, Japanese biwa hoshi and goze (blind female musicians) Assistant Professor Eriko Kawanishi … British Paganism, Witchcraft Professor Yuriko Yamanaka … Comparative Literature and Culture, Wonders and the Unusual Professor Megumi Kawase … Ethiopian Bards Associate Professor Hideaki Suzuki … Trade of Slaves and Goods in the Indian Ocean Associate Professor Kaoru Suemori … Conservation Science, Dunhuang Mogao Caves [Content Introduction] Chapter 1: Why do you do research? ●5 Minutes to Get Out of School, Faculty of Law Barley tea in the office on the lab floor / Lab books and bread / Not attending university, but going to Kabukicho / Backpacker from Eurasia / Inspired by director Hirokazu Koreeda, he became a TV man / Unexpectedly assigned to the museum’s video department, and more Chapter 2: And so the secret base was built ●I came across historical documents from India A shaved head and a double-breasted suit / This isn’t a porn search… / I want to record the lives of ordinary people / Awakening to slavery in an Indian archive, and more Chapter 3: The Strange Love of Doctors ●The World is Full of Wonders A model town for revitalizing towns / Spirituality drives the economy / It’s certainly a medicinal herb, but… / I was left feeling dizzy after the goddess event… / Japan’s Witch Boom: The Witches Next Door / Witches and Feminism: Witches Are Part of Society, and More Chapter 4: Main Building Exhibition with a 5-kilometer Walking Distance ●Future Possibilities for Museums A blind researcher tours museums in the United States / Collaborating with volunteers / The reason for minimal explanatory text / There’s no “Don’t touch!” sign / Regarding the premise that it’s a place for “visiting” Chapter 5: The Storage Vault, a Fortress Protecting Over 330,000 Items ● Organize and store a huge amount of items Place for perusing materials: Exhibition preparation room / Storage room for energy conservation / Storage boxes handmade by staff: Storage innovation Preserving materials in a museum, and more Chapter 6: Special Exhibitions and Special Features ●Universal Museum in the COVID-19 Pandemic ●Special exhibitions never end: The magic of traveling exhibitions Seriousness tested by a series of difficulties / Amabie’s prophecy / Traveling exhibitions incorporate local flavor / What do special exhibitions mean to Minpaku researchers? and more Chapter 7: What Minpaku and Researchers Communicate ● “That’s strange” raises questions Shamans and Rappers / Diss learned in textbooks / I realized the difference in distance after a big fight / Dad put his socks on without asking… / Thoughts while getting punched, and more [Profile] ◆Supervisor: Masao Kashinaga Professor at the National Museum of Ethnology/Cultural Anthropologist. Born in Hyogo Prefecture in 1971. Graduated from the University of Tokyo Graduate School of Arts and Sciences in 2001 with a PhD. (Academic). Received the 6th Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Prize in 2010. His publications include “Walking the Street, Myths: An Ethnography of the Connections Between Vietnam and Laos” and “A Cultural History of Fistfights” (Sousosha), among many others. Since 2023, he has been the editor-in-chief of Monthly Minpaku. Twenty Faces is a man of many talents, including boxing, fishing, illustration, and cooking. ◆Author: Minpakuchan Reportage writer and everyday fan of the National Museum of Ethnology. [Bibliographic information]
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/11369/964/11369-964-f8fb2a07ce1a40cdaac8596b5eaabdad-1002×1419.jpg “The Secret Base of Eccentrics: The National Museum of Ethnology” Masao Kashinaga Supervision Written by Minpak Chan 46 size, 352 pages 2200 yen CE Media House Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.jp/
/dp/4484221314 Rakuten Books: https://books.rakuten.co.jp/rb/18337337 *E-book also released at the same time ◆Media Inquiries Regarding This Matter◆ [Shufunotomosha Public Relations Office] C-Publishing Services Co., Ltd. Public Relations Department pr★c-pub.co.jp (Please replace ★ with @)