Valuable collections including national treasures on display
Seikado Bunko Art Museum (Tokyo/Marunouchi)
This museum exhibits the Seikado Collection, a collection of works by Mitsubishi's second president, Yanosuke Iwasaki, and his eldest son, Koyata, the company's fourth president.
In 2022, the museum will move from Setagaya to the first floor of the Meiji Seimeikan, an Important Cultural Property. It houses approximately 200,000 classical books, including seven National Treasures such as the Tale of Genji: Sekiya Miotsukushi Screen, and 84 Important Cultural Properties, as well as approximately 6,500 pieces of ancient Oriental art. The museum shop sells merchandise featuring the National Treasure Yohen Tenmoku (Inaba Tenmoku), including stuffed toys and aloha shirts!
Permanent exhibition of Van Gogh's masterpieces
Sompo Museum of Art (Shinjuku, Tokyo)
The Togo Seiji Museum of Art, which opened in 1976 on the 42nd floor of the current Sompo Japan headquarters building, has changed its name, relocated within the same premises, and reopened in 2020.
The six-story museum is characterized by its soft curves that complement the flared shape of the adjacent headquarters building, and its architectural design is inspired by the works of Seiji Togo. The museum houses approximately 640 works by Seiji Togo, as well as Van Gogh, Gauguin, and Cezanne. Van Gogh's Sunflowers is on permanent display, so it can be viewed at any time.
An art museum that blends in with the surrounding scenery
Nagano Prefectural Museum of Art (Nagano/Nagano City)
The Nagano Prefectural Shinano Art Museum, which opened in 1966 and was designed by Shoji Hayashi, has been renovated by Hiroshi Miyazaki + Plants Associates.
Located within Shiroyama Park, the main building, which is based on the concept of a "landscape museum," offers a view of the Zenkoji Temple main hall from its rooftop, and the building is connected to the Higashiyama Kaii Museum, designed by Yoshio Taniguchi, via a waterside terrace on the north side. Outside, visitors can also view works such as "fog artist" Fujiko Nakaya 's "Fog Sculpture" (closed during the winter) and sculptor Atsuya Tominaga's "Love Stone Project - Nagano."
Learn about the peaceful Tokugawa era and think about the future
Shizuoka City Museum of History (Shizuoka/Shizuoka City)
It will open in 2023 near Sunpu Castle, where Tokugawa Ieyasu built and spent his final years. The museum focuses on the life of Ieyasu, who brought an end to the turbulent Sengoku period, and displays the history of the area, from the castle town and the prosperity of the Tokaido road to the present day, in an easy-to-understand manner. It is popular with people who are not history buffs and can be enjoyed by anyone.
One of the most eye-catching exhibits is the "Remains of the Road and Stone Walls from the Late Sengoku Period" on the first floor. The remains, consisting of stone walls made of piled natural stones on the bare ground, remain exactly as they were when they were excavated during the survey before construction began. You can see them up close, giving you a real sense of the era in which Ieyasu lived.
A museum built with citizens, using Shigeru Ban's architecture
Toyota City Museum (Toyota City, Aichi)
The Toyota City Local History Museum opened in 1967 and closed in 2022. It will reopen in April 2024 as a comprehensive museum that will continue to carry on the exhibits and also consider the future of Toyota City.
The building, designed by Shigeru Ban, uses recyclable building materials such as wood produced in Toyota City and paper tubes made from recycled paper. Permanent exhibits include "Toyota Mono Monogatari," a collection of items related to life in Toyota City, such as everyday items, farm tools, and signs, and "Toyota Memory Travel," which traces the history of Toyota through people's memories.
A large collection of Art Brut works
Shiga Prefectural Museum of Art (Otsu City, Shiga)
The Museum of Modern Art, Shiga, which opened in 1984, was renovated in 2021. The entrance lobby, characterized by a large space with high ceilings and large glass windows, was designed by the creative unit graf.
The museum houses works by artists with ties to the prefecture, such as Japanese painter Ogura Yuki, textile artist Fukumi Shimura, and Venice Biennale exhibitor Sawada Shinichi. Outside, sculptures by Alexander Calder and Donald Judd are also scattered throughout the museum, making it a great place to take a stroll.
