Otherwise known as Liberty Rights Museum, it has its official website at www.liberty.org.jp. This museum was recently opened (December 2005) after renovation, so its layout is now slightly different from the description available at http://www.quirkyjapan.or.tv/. Nonetheless, the gist of the exhibits described in this website still remains.
The permanent exhibits are held in four exhibition halls. Before one enters a hall, s/he is confronted with a thought-provoking question that prompts her/him to think about pertinent human rights issues that the exhibits would later unravel. I thought this was a neat way to prepare the visitor mentally and psychologically.
I was all ready to leave in disappointment because the exhibits in the first hall did not include any English panels. Fortunately, the friend I was with understood Japanese, and he was able to inform me that the first hall was comprised of artefacts and interesting snippets of information that detailed the current desires of Japanese youth. Examples include the desire to live in an affluent society, the desire to have good relationships, and the desire to look beautiful. Yes, this hall has a row of items that depicts the influence of media and marketing forces that pressure women to look gorgeous. I thought it was rather interesting to observe how the need to be beautiful transcends cultural and language boundaries.
Thankfully, things started to pick up after the first hall, as the subsequent halls had English panels (albeit a concise caption) and videos subtitled in English. Having being enamoured with Japan and entertaining thoughts to enrol in the JET program in the future, it was sobering to find out the less desirable aspects of Japanese society. The remaining halls detail how various groups of people have suffered discrimination and how civil rights activists are working hard to right such wrongs. A broad cross-section of groups are featured, including Korean residents in Japan, Okinawans, Ainu, Burakumin, sexual minorities, women, AIDS carriers, victims of Hansen's Disease and Minamata Disease, and many more.
As different people will take away different learning points from this museum, I would leave it to the reader to decide which aspects of the museum s/he found especially moving. As for me, I took away these poignant scenes: 1) photos showing how children with disabilities are integrated into mainstream classrooms 2) an almost life-size video panel with people with disabilities affirming their determination to live their lives well 3) a video of a lady director of a theatre group explaining her desire to put up worthy plays that portray lesbians positively 4) the Women section that presents its information via a neat transition from women's liberty to feminism.
In a nation that is notoriously known for not facing up to its war crimes, I found the Liberty Rights Museum refreshing and incredibly humbling. What courage the museum authorities must have summoned to sweep out the dirt under the carpet and reveal Japan's vulnerabilities to gaijin (foreigners) like us? Respect!