Ohara Museum of Art

Overview

The Ohara Museum of Art stands in the heart of the Bikan historical quarter of Kurashiki, Okayama Prefecture. Opened in 1930, it was the first collection of Western art to be permanently exhibited in Japan, centered on French paintings and sculptures of the 19th and 20th centuries. The collection later expanded to include works of the Italian Renaissance and 17th-century Dutch and Flemish painting.

Highlights

• ●Its history as the first private museum of Western art in Japan
• ●The classical-style main building designed by Kazue Yakushiji
• ●A collection of Western art built around modern French painting
• ●A setting in harmony with the townscape of the Kurashiki Bikan quarter

History

The museum was founded on a collection formed by the industrialist Ohara Magosaburo on the advice of the painter Kojima Torajiro. When it opened in 1930 as Japan's first private museum of Western art, the holdings consisted almost entirely of French paintings and sculptures of the 19th and 20th centuries. Later wings were added for Japanese modern paintings, pottery and woodcuts, broadening the scope of the collection. The operating foundation has renamed itself in recent years.

Map

34.5962, 133.7707 · Wikidata

Suggested itinerary

1. 1View the exterior of the classical-style main building designed by Kazue Yakushiji
2. 2Appreciate Western paintings and sculptures, centered on modern French art, in the main building
3. 3Explore the wings housing Japanese modern paintings and crafts to see the collection's range
4. 4Stroll through the Kurashiki Bikan historical quarter and its surroundings

Did you know?

💡 The work of its operating foundation has received the Asahi Prize.

Nearby spots