Kurita Hideo (1912-1996), the founder and former curator of the museum, hailed from a wealthy Ashikaga family. Rumour has it that he had been involved in racketeering after World War II. He also served as a member of the House of Representatives (the Japanese Lower House) in 1947-49 and again in 1952-55 for the Japan Democratic Party (日本民主党 Nihon Minshutō). He retired from both his commercial as well as his political activities in 1958 and dedicated the rest of his life to his collection. It is said that he spent the staggering amount of 50 billion JPY on establishing the Kurita Museum.
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