May 14, 2008 at 1:18 pm (Japan FAQs and SAQs, Tokyo, Weird Japanese facts)
They were government monopolies under the control of the same government ministry, who like most Japanese government bodies set up a museum.
Highly recommended, btw, second only to The Meguro Parasitological Museum for quirky museums in Tokyo I have been to. You can find the official page of the Tobacco and Salt Museum here and lots more quirky museums here.
May 14, 2008 at 1:03 am (Bushido, Japan FAQs and SAQs, Japanese history, Japanese martial arts, Japanese philosophy, Japanese sports, Karate, Kendo, Kyudo (Japanese archery), Okinawa, Samurai)
It was being used as a practical way for the Okinawans to defend themselves from the Japanese invaders at a time when the Japanese samurai had had 200 years of peace to get all navelgazy about kendo, kyudo etc
