Things to do in Japan, Japan: The Best Art Museums

Art blends with nature at this huge outdoor sculpture park, where works by both Japanese and Western artists are framed by trees, grass and mountains.

The brainchild of award-winning Japanese animation director Hayao Miyazaki, this museum includes a theater showing film excerpts, a whimsical children's play zone, a rooftop garden, and exhibits related to his movies, including Spirited Away.

It has been 33 years since MOA Museum of Art was established in 1982, and we are currently carrying out refurbishment construction to renovate the exhibition space and museum facilities. The renovation of its lobby area and exhibition galleries are being provided by New Material Research Laboratory, led by world-renowned contemporary artist Hiroshi Sugimoto and architect Tomoyuki Sakakida. Contrary to its name, New Material Research Laboratory is focused on researching materials and techniques used in ancient, medieval, and early modern times, and finding ways to incorporate them in contemporary architecture and pass them down to the future. They will be exploring a myriad of possibilities to design incredible spaces for the MOA Museum of Art. The concepts of MOA Museum of Art are as follows: The Fundamental Plans of the Museum We shall aim to become a museum transmitting information of Japanese Art. We shall promote the development of tourism, art and crafts. Having a cooperative p

The Otsuka Museum of Art is a "Ceramic board masterpiece art museum" with the largest exhibition space in Japan. Inside, there are more than 1,000 ceramic reproductions of Western art. These masterpieces are reproduced to their original size using special techniques by the Otsuka Ohmi Ceramics Co., Ltd. Unlike the paintings in art books or textbooks, visitors will able to appreciate the true artistic value of the original works, and experience art museums of the world while being in Japan.

Hirayama Ikuo was born in Setoda-chō, Hiroshima Prefecture in 1930 (in the fifth year of the Showa Era) where he spent his childhood in the region richly endowed with nature. Mystical tide and ultramarine oceans of the island had strong influence over his mind. We could say his sensibility was gained by the environment. Hirayama Ikuo survived atomic bombing of Hiroshima in 1945. Though he suffered the aftereffects of radiation, he produced a series of paintings depicting the introduction of Buddhism to Japan to longing for peace. In search of roots of Japanese culture influenced by Buddhism, his inspiration spread across time and space toward Silk Road where eastern and western cultures was interacted. His travel and researches in tracing Buddhist monk Xuanzang whose footstep expanded eastward stretched over 350,000km. Campaigning for the preservation and restoration of the world's cultural heritage, he earnestly worked on so called the "Red Cross Spirit for Cultural Heritage" whiles his busy schedule. Prayer for peace might serve as the driving force for all those works. A variety of Hirayama Ikuo's work are displayed at as part of the museum's collection including his childhood paintings, sketches, rough copies, late year works. Hirayama Ikuo said "I was greatly influenced by the culture of Seto Inland Sea". We hope you find those sprits in our museum. At the end, we wish our museum offer information about culture and the arts. We also aim to provide children responsible for the next generation with an emotional richness. Thank you for your assistance and cooperation.

The Marugame Genichiro-Inokuma Museum of Contemporary Art (MIMOCA) was opened in 1991 with the full cooperation of the artist Genichiro Inokuma, who was closely associated with the city of Marugame, as one of Japan's most unique "station-front museums." While honoring Inokuma's output as an artist, the museum was intended to be a convenient and open place that would be comfortable and relaxing to visit while also promoting art and culture. In addition to housing and displaying a permanent collection that contains some 20,000 of Inokuma's wo 【Notice for the temporary closure of Marugame Genichiro-Inokuma Museum of Contemporary Art due to comprehensive renovations】 We will be undertaking comprehensive renovations of MIMOCA and Marugame City Library, and they will be closed for fifteen months for construction. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and ask for your kind understanding and cooperation. Closed: From December 25th, 2018 to March 31st, 2020 (until further notice)