Recommended for people interested in kanji, but is mainly aimed at those who can also speak Japanese (the displays are only in Japanese). The staff were very friendly and knowledgeable. For me it was well worth the visit!

Not a bad museum, but geared toward school groups. If you don't know anything about kanji, you might enjoy, otherwise it is not much more than what you could find on Wikipedia. There was a cool early typewriter... Hard to find these on display anywhere. All the exhibit explanations were in Japanese only, but you could purchase an English language audio tour if needed. Pictures allowed.

Interesting but not for everyone. Without the audio guide (you have to pay extra for it) it is a very long and tedious read. Seems like the audio guide compacts the information pretty well. The information on the walls are only available in Japanese. It took us a good amount of time to read everything. The objects showcased are interesting and the activities upstairs can be fun. I would recommend going there only if you are actually interested in the history of the language as there is nothing much more than that.

Great for children and anyone who can read and write in Japanese. Not more than a 15 minute stop for those who know no hiragana and katakana. English audio guide is available for 500 JPY, entry is about 1200 JPY for adults. English version of the paper guide for interactive activities is fun and usable but you will need a camera translation app to read the instructions. Top floor is very difficult for non-Japanese speakers.

Great Museum if you can read Kanji. If you can't bring someone who can. Don't miss the 2nd Floor which also offers great quiz games for kids. Especially the display of kanjis which exist but don't get used was stunning!

Fun museum to learn how kanji evolved and how it's currently used in daily life. They have seasonal exhibits as well. The museum is located at the heart of Gion area, facing Yasaka Shrine. There are student discounts available.

I got some of information and games about Kanji. For japanese learner, you must come to this museum. I think the collections are still limited, but not bad because there is a souvenirs shop that sell kyoto`s thing.

A must-visit if you love museums and the history of language. Learnt a great deal about hiragana, katakana and kanji and its relationship to Chinese characters while I was there. The staff was very friendly and it doesn't really matter if you can't understand Japanese since they provide a simple English audio guide. They have some little interesting activities to do there as well, like finding out your name in the different languages and you can count on the helpful human guides around who will try to explain things to you in English. Fun place to visit with kids too.

What a great chance to test your kanji skills! They have a library with a seating area so you can study extra hard. No drinks or food allowed so get caffeinated before going in.

Pretty neat and educational but it's pretty small. Once you explored the first floor, which doesn't have a lot, the second floor is just a bunch of games and a small library. It's a cute little place and it's cool to learn about the history of Kanji though.

Glad we went here! I was not expecting anything and actually kind of a little scared my friends might not enjoy it, but we were having fun as there are a lot of things to learn and to do in this place. The calligraphy showing the kanji of the year are so overwhelming, and you can even know the kanji of your name! It’s really fun even when you only know a little japanese. It would be better though if you have a wide knowledge of kanji, surely the enjoyment level will be more higher. I really love to come back!

Macht viel Spaß - auch wenn man keine Kanji kann; zumindest das Erdgeschoss und ein kleines bisschen der 1. Stock.

The Kanji was amazing, but the museum exhibits were very poorly displayed. Also it is not foreigner friendly in the way anything is displayed.

Really nice shop for souvenirs, the museum I can't comment on since other reviews made us decide to skip it.

Modern large museum in the heart of Gion,Yasaka shrines. Good meeting point. Beautiful video for Gion Festival .

Very good place after long walking.

It was more interesting than I anticipated. The collect on the 2nd is very well displayed and the gift shop has many nice items.

Good for family with children.

English or Japanese, this place is a joy to visit and learn a bit more about the interesting history of Kanji I would recommend knowing at least a little bit about what kanji is with respect to the Japanese language, as there are sections on this cute interactive pamphlet they give you that mention hiragana and katakana, but even without Japanese knowledge it's still interesting to go and check out how the kanji has changed from the beginning to now. Full experience, you should know a bit if Japanese, otherwise it'll still be nice just be wary that some sections might be a tad confusing without such knowledge Recommend!!