Manggha Museum of Japanese Art and Technology

A wonderful museum with a thoughtfully curated exposition. The collection includes beautiful woodblock prints, delicate illustrations, an impressive rock display (suiseki), as well as small bonsai and ikebana pieces. I was very happy with the visit — it felt both rich in content and intimate in atmosphere. The family ticket (50 PLN) is also an excellent value. Highly recommended!

One building had suiseki, so we found out about this activity. The main building has important art exhibits nicely grouped around themes (gods, yokai, animals, beliefs). Good value for money, as there was a discount since it seems some areas are not available!

Beautiful architecture outside and inside. We saw a stunning exhibit of Suiseki found-stone art. They don’t seem to have a permanent collection but specific temporary exhibits. So be sure to check the website about the current events.

An unpleasant surprise, a waste of time and money. I am a big fun of Japanese culture, art and history, so I expected much more. Especially because the museum was founded at the initiative of Andrzej Wajda. Huge unused spaces, few exhibits, staff completely uninterested in providing information. During my visit, I could only see a collection of woodcuts, a few exhibits of modern art (not related to Japan) and that was it. No costumes, objects, weapons or even photos. I do not recommend.

I was very excited to go see this museum, but am so glad I went on a Tuesday when it is free. Currently, the only part of the 'museum' that you can see is a room full of printed copies of famous woodblock works. I was sure there must be something I was missing when I was done with that room, but nothing else is open besides the cafe and a small gift shop. Very disappointing. If I had paid full price I would be even more upset. The prints were nice, but the museum should be closed until they have more than one room open.

I didn’t expect a museum in Krakow to have such an incredible collection of Japanese art! If you have more than one day in the city, you should definitely pay a visit!

Very good museum. Worth a visit if you are in the area.

The exhibition itself was amazing! However, the staff’s conversations disrupted the atmosphere. At the cloakroom, they were engaged in a private conversation and continued talking while we waited for our coats. Their voices were even audible through the doors outside the gallery room. That said, they were very polite.

"Omotenashi" - this is what I expected before visiting the Manggha Museum of Japan Art and Technology. Am I mistaken in what to expect here? Guilty! We're still in Poland. If you're just visiting for a short time, focus on attractions that are worth your energy, money etc. This museum is more for locals, who can follow a schedule of classes and educational events. I was surprised that there is no permanent exhibition, only rotating temporary ones. In short, the main building was a mess. First, I saw an old, bead up paravane/folding screen with a note announcing that the exhibits were being changed. At that time, I had no idea there was a second, new building. I needed some guidance and information. The person at the front desk was visibly annoyed when I started to ask questions. No smile or greetings, just a typical 'resting bitch face', useless. She might not have been born yet when the museum opened in 1994. Now this person thinks she's so cool by being close to Japanese culture and a cafe with matcha. In reality, she represented the museum as just a lazy person at work. Cafe Manggha is located in the same area. It was busy and chaotic. The vibe I got from their Instagram photos wasn't there as well. However, I would still like to check out their offer. In 2015, The Europe - Far East Gallery was established as an annex to the main museum building. After entering the gallery it was refreshing to finally meet someone who was polite and willing to tell me everything I wanted to know, and even more. "Suiseki is the Japanese art of appreciating what's naturally occurring, unshaped stones that through their form and patterns, evoke natural scenes, landscapes, or objects, such as mountains, waterfalls, or figures". I enjoyed it, especially the second floor. The background music, the dark room with bright lights pointing out objects--it all came together really nicely. Almost all the artists were from Europe, mostly Poland. So on the day of my visit there was only one exhibition available for the entire museum. What's about Japanese technology? Tuesdays are free and I liked that price for what I received. Unfortunately, I won't have the opportunity to visit the main museum building during this stay. Maybe next time.