Although the collection is particularly strong in 18th- and 19th-century European fans, it also has a collection of some 200 Japanese fans of different types, styles and periods from Edo through to Taisho. The earliest fans in the collections date from around 1700 and were painted in the style of the Kano school; the collection also has a kanban (shop sign) in the shape of a fan.

The museum also has a a "secret" garden in the Japanese manner, with a fan shaped parterre, pond, stream and oriental architectural features - described by visitors as "an oasis of tranquility".