In 1891 Percy Powell-Cotton visited Japan as part of his big world trip. Whilst there he bought many beautiful ‘souvenirs’, some of which are on display in the museum today. Join us on the late May bank holiday to discover our Japanese collection and our beautiful gardens, showing the prettiest signs of Spring.

Experience LIVE Japanese music from amazing musicians
Follow the Sakura blossom trail and solve the puzzle
Decorate your own Japanese fan to take home*
Unveil your Netsuke alias
Discover Spring in Quex Gardens

Musicians
We are honoured to welcome back Aki Kitagawa and Hibiki Ichikawa to the museum for the second year. Excitingly, they will be presenting their individual performances with accompanying artists.

Saturday 27th & Sunday 28th – Aki Kitagawa, playing the koto. The Japanese koto is a traditional string instrument that creates beautiful melodies with 13 strings and its unique ways of making sounds. Aki Kitagawa is a koto player based in the East Midlands area who plays both classical and modern koto music. On Sunday, Aki will be performing with local synthesised musician Clementine Blue. The two met at our 2022 event and subsequently embarked upon a joint project funded by Arts Council England. This is their debut performance.

Monday 29th – Hibiki Ichikawa, playing the Tsugaru Shamisen. The Tsugaru Shamisen is a traditional Japanese string instrument featuring three strings, a long neck and a square base, played with a type of plectrum called a bachi. The music style has a fast-paced and rhythmic sound which is exciting to listen to. Performing alongside Hibiki, we welcome Akari Mochizuki, Japanese Blues singer.

This Japanese Folk duo is made up of the only professional player of Tsugaru Shamisen in Europe and the only Enka (Japanese blues) singer in the UK. They demonstrate the fantastic range of Tsugaru Shamisen music, including solo performances and singing accompaniments. The best way to enjoy traditional Japanese music!
They have performed in more than 16 countries worldwide on behalf of the Japanese Embassy. Concerts include performances in The United Kingdom, France, Italy, Germany, Portugal, Poland, Austria, Iceland, Morocco, Sudan, Lebanon, Jordan, Romania and Bahrain.

All performances will take place throughout the day, from 11.30 – 3.30 with time between musical pieces for questions and interactions.

Getting to us:
The museum is located in Birchington, less than 2 hours by train from London St Pancras International or London Victoria. Our nearest train station is Birchington on Sea, approximately 1 mile from the museum. We also have free parking for cars, minibuses or coaches on site. Please contact us directly to arrange coach parking in advance.

Adult : £3.50
Concession (senior/student/disabled) : £3.00
Carer/companion : Free
Child (4-16) : £2.50
Infant (0-3) : Free

*small extra charge for fan activity