Kunitomo Gun Museum

Kunitomo in Nagahama was one of Japan's first major firearms production centers after guns arrived from Europe in the mid-sixteenth century. At its height, some 500 gunsmiths worked here, supplying government armories for two centuries. About 50 antique weapons are on display, ranging from battlefield muskets to ornately engraved pieces. A dedicated section covers Kunitomo Ikkansai (1778-1840), a gunsmith and inventor who expanded far beyond firearms to build the first Japanese-made reflective telescope and observe the sun and moon. His astronomical drawings and inventions are displayed alongside his weapons, showing the range of work that earned him the informal title of Japan's Edo-period Leonardo.