Located inside the precincts of Kumamoto Castle, a special historic site designated by the Japanese government, the Kumamoto Prefectural Museum of Art (KPMA) opened in 1976 as a comprehensive museum for artwork from all eras around the world. The Museum stores and exhibits works ranging from antiquities, paintings, and prints to sculptures, crafts, and writing. There is also the Decorated Ancient Burial Mound Exhibition Room, a unique facility that showcases the prehistoric origins of Japanese art.