Kyoto Seishu Netsuke Art Museum

In the Edo period, kimono wearers stored their keepsakes inside small containers that hung from the waist, known as netsuke. What started as a purely practical object later evolved into an artform, as craftsmen fashioned intricate miniature sculptures from ivory, bull horns, ceramics and metals. The Kyoto Seishu Netsuke Art Museum, housed in the city's only surviving samurai residence, has a total of 2,500 such sculptures in its collection, around 400 of which go on display in each of its special exhibitions. Note that the museum is only open for five months each year, so it's worth checking the website before visiting.