Osaka Japanese Folk Crafts Museum: Beauty from Everyday Life

Located in the Expo Park in Suita City, the Osaka Japan Folk Crafts Museum took over the building originally constructed as a pavilion to showcase the appeal of Japanese folk crafts at the 1970 Osaka Expo. The first director of the museum was Shoji Hamada, the first person in Japan to be designated as a “Living National Treasure” in the field of ceramic folk craft ceramics.
Mingei (folk craft)” refers to daily utensils produced by the hands of nameless craftsmen, and is distinct from ornately decorated ornamental works of art. The words “folk art” and “beauty of use” were coined by the lifestyle and culture movement advocated by Yanagi Muneyoshi, the “father of the folk art movement,” Hamada Shoji, and Kawai Katojiro, and their values became widely known. The concept of “mingei” or “beauty of use” was born out of the lifestyle culture movement advocated by Kawai Tomojiro and others, and its value has become widely known. Many people may recognize the brand SORI YANAGI, popular for its cutlery and kitchenware, designed by Sori Yanagi, one of Japan’s leading industrial designers of the 20th century and the second director of the Osaka Nippon Folk Crafts Museum, which pursues the beauty of utility.

Learn about the history connected to our lives.

In a typical art museum or museum, visitors would enjoy learning about the artists’ advanced techniques, philosophies behind their works, and historical backgrounds while viewing the exhibits, but what one feels while touring this folk art museum is a certain nostalgia. This is understandable, since the exhibits include ceramics, dyed textiles, woodwork, paintings, and other items that have been cultivated through daily life.
It is not art, but folk art. That is why it has its own merits. Even those who are not interested in ceramics are attracted by the many old Imari buckwheat porcelain cups on display. If you go to the corner where knitted and dyed goods from all over the country are displayed, you may be surprised at the differences between regions and the techniques of unknown makers. These are not things that existed “in the past” or “somewhere else,” but are connected to our own lives today, and that is why they are so enjoyable to see.
It is not only the exhibits that are enjoyable. The relaxed atmosphere is perfect for strolling around the museum, and the museum store is a great place to buy ceramics and glassware from different regions of the world that are connected to our daily lives.

In Komaba, Tokyo, there is the Japan Folk Art Museum, built in 1936 by Muneyoshi Yanagi and others, which is not large in scale but is full of the simple charm of folk art. It is interesting to note that the director of this museum is Naoto Fukasawa, who is involved in product design closely related to modern life, such as “MUJI” and “±0. It would be interesting to visit the Mingei museums in the East and the West and feel the difference between them.

NIHONMONO – 「にほん」の「ほんも…

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NIHONMONO – 「にほん」の「ほんも…

無限の造形美「四代田辺竹雲斎」／大阪府堺市 – NIHONMONO 竹工芸作家・四代田辺竹雲斎さんの作品は、大阪府堺市にある小さな工房で生まれている。格子戸を抜けると小さな中庭。敷石が並ぶ通路の左にあるガラス張りの部屋が工房だ。…

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History of the Osaka Plain, the “City of Water”

Osaka is known for flood control and about 6000 to 7000 years ago during the Jomon period, Osaka was under water with the Kami-machi area jutting out like an island. As soil built up with the repeated flooding of Yodo River and Yamato River, the current form of Osaka came to be in the fifth century.
The flatland of Osaka is blessed with rivers and other water sources, giving it the name “Water Capital”.

On the other hand, the landscape makes it prone to flooding, requiring flood control. The history of Sayamaike, located in the southeast portion of Osaka and a 10-minute walk from Osaka Sayama station, is quite long. The reservoir was made in 616, making it the oldest dam reservoir, and is listed in many historical documents.
The area around the reservoir is a park where locals enjoy leisurely strolls. “It was originally created to address the lack of water needed for rice farming. Many improvements and repairs have been made, and its main purpose is to protect the lives and property of the citizens living downstream.” (Katsunobu Yoshii, Sayamaike Museum assistant curator)
The museum opened in 2001 after the 16 year construction to update the dam and now houses the historical portions of the original dam.

The impressive concrete building was designed by architect Tadao Ando, who is originally from Osaka. It is now considered an icon. “It certainly represents Mr. Ando, but I couldn’t tell what it was from the exterior.” (Nakata)

A powerful stratum sample in the museum

Stepping into the building escorted by the curator, we were welcomed by a large waterfall running down a concrete wall. The sound of water was pleasant, but it was a surprising sight. Visitors walk under the waterfall to enter the main portion of the museum.
Displayed here is a stratum sample from the original dam measuring an impressive 15 meters by 60 meters. The large scale display relays the 1400 history. “People wonder how we were able to get this huge piece into the museum. We broke it up into 101 pieces and spent 3 years to treat the pieces, putting them back together when the museum was completed.” (Mr. Yoshii)

An architectural museum brings images of a very dull setting, but this strata sample with 1400 years of history is a sight to behold. It symbolizes the relationship Japan as a country has with water and nature, and is housed in an ultra-modern building. We recommend a leisurely stroll to the museum after you’ve filled up on the local cuisine.

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Lake Biwa is the largest lake in Japan. Located on the shore of the lake is the “Sagawa Art Museum,” which is called a “floating museum. The site is boldly lined with water, and the three modern buildings built to float on the water create a unique and mysterious space. This exceptional museum, where visitors can view the works of three of Japan’s greatest masters all at once, creates new encounters between visitors, art, and nature.

Art Museum Surrounded by Nature on the Shore of Lake Biwa

The Sagawa Art Museum is located in Moriyama City in the southwestern part of Shiga Prefecture, a region rich in nature with Mount Hiei in the distance to the west. The museum consists of two buildings: the main building, which seems to float in the water garden that occupies most of the site, and an annex that has exhibition rooms under the water. The monotone-toned building has a large, straight roof with supporting pillars lined up in a regular pattern, reminiscent of a solemn temple. The architecture, which blends well with the beautiful natural environment along the shores of Lake Biwa, has been highly acclaimed and has received numerous awards, including the Good Design Award.

Opened based on the collection of the founder of Sagawa Express

The Sagawa Art Museum opened in 1998. Sagawa Express, known for its “flying legs” logo, began as part of its 40th anniversary project, aiming to contribute to the promotion and development of art and culture. The founder of Sagawa Express had always had a deep knowledge of art, and it was his long-cherished wish to open an art museum with his own collection. After the founder passed away, Eiichi Kuriwada, the current director of the museum, followed his wishes and opened the museum, which houses the world’s finest works of art.

Museum Floating on Water

From the entrance to the main building, visitors walk through a corridor along the water garden. As you gaze at the water bobbing around your feet and think of Lake Biwa, you will feel as if you are walking on the surface of the lake. The wind from Lake Biwa caresses the surface of the water in the water garden, and the shimmering shadows of the water are reflected on the walls and ceiling, which explains why this place is called a “floating museum. The ” Ezo Deer ” in the water garden was created by sculptor Tadayoshi Sato in 1971 to commemorate the Winter Olympics held in Sapporo.

A Luxurious Collection of Japan’s Finest Art

The most significant feature of the Sagawa Art Museum is its permanent collection of works by three leading Japanese artists : painter Ikuo Hirayama, sculptor Tadayoshi Sato, and ceramicist Raku Kichizaemon XV.

Initially, the museum was intended to focus mainly on the founder’s collection, but if it were only a collection of items collected by one individual’s taste, it would resemble a museum of hidden treasures. When the museum opened in 1998, Ikuo Hirayama was considered the best in the world of Japanese painting, and Tadayoshi Sato was the best in the world of sculpture. In 2007, the Raku Kichizaemon Museum was opened to exhibit the ceramic works of Raku Kichizaemon XV, who has been making Raku ware in the same way for over 400 years in Kyoto, the birthplace of Sagawa Express Co. Thus was born the current Sagawa Art Museum, which focuses on three leading contemporary artists.

Ikuo Hirayama, a Japanese painter who prayed for peace

Ikuo Hirayama is a Japanese-style painter from Hiroshima Prefecture. Considered by many to be the greatest of postwar Japanese-style painters, he served as president of Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music and as chairman of the Japan Art Academy.

The caravan teams that led camels across the desert were a symbol of peace for Hirayama, and “The Morning of Ouran,” “The Evening of Ouran,” and “The Moon of Ouran,” which depict morning, evening, and night scenes with caravan teams as motifs, are representative works of the artist’s. Many of his works are richly colored, especially the mysterious blue color called ” Hirayama blue,” which is expressed by rock paints made from lapis lazuli, azurite, and other gemstones.

Although Hirayama had avoided using war as a subject matter due to his own war experiences, he was moved by the eyes of children he met in Sarajevo during the civil war and painted “Prayer for Peace – Sarajevo War Scar”, which is a very rare work depicting the war itself.

Sculptor Tadayoshi Sato pursues the beauty of humanity

Sculptor Tadayoshi Sato’ s most notable feature is that he has continued to create Japanese people. When Sato began sculpting in the early postwar period, most of his models were deeply sculpted Westerners, but he dared to pursue the ordinary “human beauty” seen in everyday life, and this is what drew his attention. At first, he was ridiculed as “Sato’s filth,” but in 1952, his head sculpture “Gunma no Hito” was highly acclaimed as ” the first work by a Japanese hand to express a Japanese face,” and he became the first Asian to hold a solo exhibition at the Rodin Museum in Paris, and became one of Japan’s leading sculptors. He became the first Asian to hold a solo exhibition at the Rodin Museum in Paris.

The Sagawa Art Museum has more than 180 works in its collection, including his representative ” Hat Series,” as well as statues of children and heads, and constantly exhibits sculptures and drawings that match the theme of the day.

Sato is known for his realism and excellent drawing skills, and his works allow viewers to feel the breath of the models and their inner lives.

Raku Kichizaemon XV, a potter of Raku ware for 450 years

The Raku Kichizaemon Museum exhibits the works of Raku Kichizaemon XV, a ceramic artist. Raku Kichizaemon is the head of the Raku family, which has been in existence for 450 years since he created Raku tea bowls under the inspiration of Sen no Rikyu in the Azuchi-Momoyama period. The works on display here are those of Raku Kichizaemon XV, who succeeded to the Raku name in 1981.

Surprisingly, the exhibition space itself was also Raku’s own idea. Based on the concept of ” Shuhari,” which means to follow the teachings of one’s master, to develop and create new works by following his techniques, the museum has an underground exhibition room buried in a water garden, which is rare for an art museum.

Since its opening in 2007, the museum has held the “Raku Kichizaemon X” series of exhibitions in collaboration with places and things that are dear to Raku Kichizaemon XV, including native Indonesian art and works influenced by the French climate. The challenging new works created with each collaboration continue to surprise and inspire viewers.

Sitting at the same level as the water surface

Another must-see exhibit at the Raku Kichizaemon Museum is the “Teahouse” attached to the exhibition room. The teahouse, also designed by Raku, is located on the first basement level, and visitors can enjoy the view of the water surface as they walk from the entrance, through the water and the booths to the ground level, and finally to the hall.

Raku Kichizaemon XV placed great importance on the line of sight. By lowering the floor to a level as close to the surface of the water as possible, Raku Kichizaemon wanted visitors to sit at the same eye level as nature and feel the sensation of being one with nature on an equal footing.

Feel the relationship with nature through all five senses.

Normally, the hall is separated from the outside by glass, but these glass doors can be opened wide. The glass doors can be opened wide to create an extraordinary space away from the hustle and bustle of daily life. If you feel the breeze on the surface of the water on your skin and listen to the rustling sound of swaying plants and trees, you may experience a sense of becoming one with nature that you would normally overlook.

A series of fascinating special exhibitions are being held one after another.

The Sagawa Art Museum also holds a wide variety of special exhibitions, including “Banksy & Street Artists” and “Picasso – The Origin of Inspiration” in 2022, and the popular “Design Ah Exhibition in SHIGA” attracted 140,000 visitors. The museum as a whole offers a variety of exhibitions throughout the year. The entire museum strives to offer a variety of genres of art throughout the year.

Experiences that hone the senses

The Sagawa Art Museum delves into the worlds of three of Japan’s finest artists from a variety of perspectives, and presents different expressions with the passage of time and the changing of the four seasons. The mysterious space created by the combination of nature, the building, and the artwork is truly one-of-a-kind. Visitors can feel their senses being refined as they lose themselves in the extraordinary atmosphere of floating on the surface of the water. This museum will bring you such an experience.

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Jomon pottery loved by Taro Okamoto

Located in Suwa Gun is the Idojiri Ruins of the Jomon era, which is representative of all Japanese Jomon ruins. At Idojiri Archaeology Museum, excavated precious earthenware and stoneware from 5000 years ago are displayed. Not only that, they also introduce the world view and religious beliefs of that time that has become apparent from decoding motifs.
Seiji Higuchi, the director of the museum, showed us around. ”Shiso Ominagami” statue, which is said to be the model of Taro Okamoto’s famous ”Tower of the Sun”, and ”Suien Uzumaki Mon Fukabachi” which is designated as treasure of the prefecture, are must-see pieces. ”Suien Uzumaki Mon Fukabachi” became well-known after it was exhibited in art exhibitions in Paris and at Osaka Expo. ”Despite its ornate decoration, it has traces of burns inside, so we know it was used for cooking.”

Touching the ancient world

The top part of ”Shinzo Tsutsugata Doki” has fluid and dynamic decoration, which look like octopus legs. Nakata wondered, ”I guess if we were to express the modeling of Greek mythology the Japanese way, maybe it would look like this?” Higuchi replied, ”There were myths in the Jomon era, too. These types of earthenware express religious beliefs and the world view of the time.” Frogs and snakes were regarded as those sent from the moon, and like the moon which changes shapes, as well as disappearing only to reappear again, people wished for long life by eating food cooked in the earthenware with motifs of such moon-blessed animals. Back then, most people didn’t live longer than 40 years, and these outstanding earthenware were born from people’s thoughts and fear of death.

Universal beauty, Venus of Jomon Era

We then visited Togariishi Museum of Jomon Archaeology. It holds over 2000 pieces of precious items which were excavated from the Togariishi ruins and the foot of Yatsugatake. What draws attention are two bodies of national treasure clay figures. ”National Treasure Dogu Jomon No Venus (Venus of Jomon)” has a soft round shape like a heart. There are only 6 Jomon artworks that became National Treasures. Masafumi Moriya, the director of museum, told us ”The beauty of this artwork is universal and needs no explanation.” What caught Nakata’s eye was its sparkling brilliance. Moriya explained that mica was added to the clay. Another National Treasure, ”National Treasure Dogu Jomon No Kamen (Mask of Jomon)” was made 1000 years after the Venus. ”Its figure is round, but dignified,” Nakata commented. The form is more sophisticated and refined than the Venus, and it lets you realize the flow of time even in ancient times.

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Releasing your mind and contemplating

D T Suzuki Museum is a museum that was built to convey the thoughts and achievements of Kanazawa born Buddhist philosopher Daisetsu Suzuki to people around the globe. Daisetsu is renowned for his works regarding Zen written in English, and is responsible of spreading Zen culture to the world. The museum was built so visitors can enjoy contemplating with an open mind. In this museum, Nakata encountered the philosophy of Zen. ”There are no explanations about the displayed pieces. This is because explanation will restrict the mind. We want people to rely on their own impressions.” the deputy director, Kiyoaki Miyashita told us. There are references to the works and visitors may write and leave comments about how they felt.

Zen in creating the space within the museum

From the entrance to the annex, you cross a long corridor lit up only with footlights. You feel as though you are invited into a different void of calmness. The facility itself is one of the features of the museum, being built by the world known architect Yoshio Taniguchi. It is a sophisticated structure, which represents the simplicity of Zen philosophy. It consists of the entrance hall, the exhibition hall and the ”Contemplative Space”, with corridors connecting the halls, and gardens on both sides – ”Water Mirror Garden” and the ”Entrance Garden”. ”Water Mirror Garden” is a shallow pool of water extending to the ”Contemplative Space”, making it look as though it is floating in the water.

Standing in the Water Mirror Garden

After looking at the displays, we walked down the corridor overlooking the Water Mirror Garden. The garden looks as though it extends to the greenery in the background. Nakata said it is one of his favorite spots where he sometimes visits on his own. ”It is indeed beautiful using the ”shakkei” (borrowed landscape) technique,” he commented. Due to the rain on the day we visited, we were able to enjoy a special ambience created by the sound of the rain and the ripples the rain drops made in the pool of water.

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The city itself is art

The ”Arts Towada” project was launched to make ”Kancho Gai Dori” new and attractive after the area was rezoned leaving empty spaces. Using the entire outdoor areas of the street as a museum, various works of art were developed. In addition to the artwork, the goal was to develop Towada City into a unique ”City of Art” and ”A city that creates excitement” by incorporating the history and beautiful nature around the city.
　The core facility, Towada Art Center opened in 2008, and a large scale outdoor piece was later installed across from the Center. Arts Towada was completed in the spring of 2010.

Art space that blends into the city

Work by 33 active artists, such as Yayoi Kusama and Ron Meuck are on display as permanent exhibitions. In addition, gallery space, a cafe, and civic activity space are available to support and promote exchange of cultural and artistic activities.
Another characteristic of the venue is that each exhibition room is an independent building called ”house for art”. The houses are connected by glass hallways. This makes it possible to create a space that best suits the various pieces of art, while the entire space becomes a work of art as well.

World famous artists

In the entrance, there is a piece called ”Zobop” by Jim Lambie. The piece has various bright colored vinyl tape applied to the floor in concentric lines. Unlike a painting, the whole space is a piece of art. In addition, there are various other art pieces on display. A finely detailed statue of a woman more than 4 meters tall (”Standing Woman” by Ron Mueck), or a tunnel depicting a spinal column (”Bridge of Light” by Ana Laura Araezu). These pieces are not crammed together, but can be enjoyed leisurely. We were told, ”The exhibition rooms have large windows making the space open, and have been created so the art can be seen from outside.” This museum where you can observe the work of world renowned artists, is itself a museum that blends into the city.

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Falling in love with glass pieces

Matsushima is known as one of the three scenic beauties of Japan, and is visited by many people. There is a well established Japanese style hotel with ”onsen” called ”Matsushima Ichino Bo”, and adjacent to this hotel is a museum which displays works by an eminent glass artist known throughout the world.
It is the ”Kyohei Fujita Museum of Glass” which Nakata visited. The director of the museum, Shotaro Takahashi, fell in love with the works by Fujita, and offered to build a museum. The offer was accepted, and the museum was opened in 1996. The museum has many pieces of work by Fujita in its collection, from the early period to some recent works, and the exhibits are changed each season. They also hold special exhibitions of works by contemporary glass artists.

Glasswork artist Kyohei Fujita

Kyohei Fujita was born in 1921 in Tokyo. He studied metal engraving at the Tokyo School of Fine Arts (now the Tokyo University of the Arts), and after graduation, he was employed at a glassware manufacturer. He soon left his job and immersed himself in glass craft. In the 1970s, he went to Venice Italy, a city with a long history of glass craftwork, and he acquired the skills of using colored glass and gold foils as he continued to create his pieces. Since then, he continued to study traditional Venetian glass, and devoted his life to glass craftwork production.

He created a variety of forms including vases, boxes, glasses, receptacles, tea utensils and formative art, and his works are fascinatingly elegant and full of colors, as if life was blown into the glass. He expressed his inspiration and Japanese sense of aesthetic in his work, and established his own world of art.

A box for your dreams “Kazari Bako”

There is a piece by Fujita to which Nakata commented ”I was deeply moved” when he saw it at Glass Workshop SILICA in Kitaibaraki-shi, Ibaraki Prefecture. This piece is also displayed here.
It is a piece from a series called ”Kazari Bako”, expressing the brilliant style of the Rimpa school from the Edo period. The ”Kazari Bako” are made of colored glass and gold and platinum foils, and they depict themes like ”red and white plum blossoms”, ”red leaves” and ”suzaku”　in the form of Japanese traditional boxes. They are referred to as ”Fujita’s dreambox” and are ever so enchanting.
”One of the characteristic techniques used by Fujita is the use of a chemical called hydrogen fluoride to make the surface frosted.” explained the staff who showed us around. The texture shows the beauty which transcends the image of glass. In the museum, the ”Kazari Bako” are displayed with light shining through them, so that you can see different aspects of the pieces.

”The pieces produced in Italy and the pieces produced in Japan seem to have a different sense of colors.” said Nakata. Numerous pieces of ”Kanna Pattern” series, which were made in Italy using the traditional Kanna technique of Venetian glass, are also displayed. They are full of charm with unconstrained flowing curves and spontaneous colors.
Kyohei Fujita Museum of Glass is a place where one can take a close look at many glass work pieces, and encounter with the works of art by the artist who lead the glass craftwork of Japan.

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Established and expanded “kataezome”

Keisuke Serizawa was born in Shizuoka Prefecture in the 28th year of Meiji (1895), and he graduated from Tokyo Higher Technical School (now Tokyo Institute of Technology), faculty of design. Afterwards, he was greatly influenced by his lifelong teacher Muneyoshi Yanagi, and also by the traditional stencil dyeing of Okinawa called ”bingata”, and he himself started dyeing cloth and paper using paper patterns of tannin paper and dye-resistant -glue made of sticky rice.
His designs are bold and brimming with originality and have symbolic beauty which are projected to his works including kimono, ”noren”, folding screens, calendars, picture books, glass pictures, book covers, and the like.

In 1957, when he was designated a Living National Treasure, the word ”kataezome” was coined to describe the technique he used. He is responsible for establishing and developing ”kataezome”, the art of stencil dyeing.
Serizawa was a master of not only dyeing but many other art forms, and his richness of style was loved by many.
Many of his works can be seen at the Tohoku Fukushi University Serizawa Keisuke Art and Craft Museum, where Nakata visited on his trip to Sendai-shi.
Photo on the left: ”Nawa Noren Fuminoren” stencil dyed cotton 1955 from the collection of Tohoku Fukushi University Serizawa Keisuke Art and Craft Museum

Numerous works and a huge collection

Serizawa Keisuke Art and Craft Museum is situated in the 2nd building of the Kunimi campus of Tohoku Fukushi University, and it consists of six exhibition rooms on the first, 5th and 6th floors.
Within the collection, there are about 3000 pieces by Keisuke Serizawa, and about 10,000 stencils which were essential for his creations. Also, there are valuable collections such as stained glass designs, and hand painted pictures and drawings, which illustrate the artist’s creative process.

Another characteristic of the museum is, that it owns and displays a collection of folk art which Serizawa had collected from around the world. The items collected from China, Southeast Asia, Africa, Central and South America and North America, are given added value through the aesthetic eyes of Serizawa, and are called ”his other creation”.
In order to display the huge collection, the museum changes the exhibits three to four times a year, and displays the pieces according to certain themes.
Photo on the right: ”a swimming red snapper Fumi-Kimono” stencil dyed on ”tsumugi”

Tohoku and Keisuke Serizawa

Serizawa had a deep relationship with the Tohoku region. He empathized with ”the Japanese Folk Craft Movement” advocated by Yanagi Muneyoshi, became one of its leading members. He was devoted to replace the value of folk craft that existed in the everyday life of the Japanese as well as those items which had not been regarded as artistically valuable. The word ”folk craft” itself was born out of this movement.
He visited potteries in Tohoku, encountered the cultural climate of the snow country, and loved visiting the town of Sendai and Naruko Onsen. And it was his own wish for a museum in Tohoku to display pieces of his work.

The works in the Serizawa Keisuke Art and Craft Museum lauded their beauty quietly, even after several decades. ”They are traditional but modern. They don’t feel old at all though they are from more than fifty years ago.” said Nakata. A museum in a university. We would definitely recommend a visit.
(Photo provided by: Tohoku Fukushi University Serizawa Keisuke Art and Craft Museum)

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Within the nature of Urabandai

Kitashiobara Village, Fukushima Prefecture. The area is called Urabandai and is located on the north side of Mount Bandai. There are swamps with various colors nearby, a tourist spot called Goshiki-numa, which is visited by many tourists seeking the beauty of nature. Morohashi Museum of Modern Art is surrounded by such scenic nature. It is a white European-style building surrounded by vast sky and rich green. The appearance of the building itself is beautiful.
Opened in 1999, it is a museum built with donations from Teizo Morohashi, the founder of sporting goods chain ”Xebio”, headquartered in Koriyama City in Fukushima Prefecture. The museum exhibits artwork collected by Morohashi for more than 20 years.

The unparalleled Dali collection.

The collection has more than 400 pieces of modern Western paintings. There are pieces by forty-one 20th century masters ranging from Impressionists such as Cezanne, Renoir and Van Gogh; and surrealism artists such as Picasso.
Especially notable are the pieces by Salvador Dali, the Spain born artist who represents surrealim. The museum’s collection includes approximately 340 pieces of Dali’s work including paintings, sculpture and prints. The collection is unparalleled.
Dali’s pieces are like a mingling of dreams and reality. Even after stepping out of the museum, the surrounding nature creates a continuation of that sensation. It is a museum which makes you feel somewhat strange.

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Museum in a forest, reminiscent of the film

“Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind” “Princess Mononoke” “Spirited Away” etc. are all works of Studio Ghibli that most Japanese are familiar with. We visited “Ghibli Museum Mitaka” which is located inside Inokashira park.
“If it weren’t for this location, we would not have built the museum,” museum curator Kiyofumi Nakajima told us. “Studio Ghibli was still in Kichijoji when we were creating “My Neighbor Totoro”. So Miyazaki often took walks in this area.” Ghibli Museum Mitaka is located in the woods that are very similar to scenes from the film.

Space that Feels Like a Scene From the Movie

Inside the grounds, Nakajima continued “Miyazaki wanted to create the museum as though it were a movie.” The museum is designed so you can walk through each room as if it were a scene from a movie flashing and changing. And sure enough, walking around the maze-like museum makes you feel a bit nostalgic, and oddly off beat.
“The museum is about 3,960 square meters. Literally built from scratch in what used to be a forest. The Western style of the museum is based on all of the research Miyazaki did about western architecture for his movies. This spiral staircase is built to be “inviting”- We wanted people to want to climb it, instead of regarding it as a passage to the next floor.
Nakata laughs as he looks around. “It seems just as adventurous for adults too!” ”Yes, it seems to be quite appealing to adults.” Nakajima responded.
The rooms, “Where films are Born” which is designed like an atelier, and “The Big Cat Bus” which children can climb on, are year-round displays. Also popular is the Saturn Theater, where you can enjoy short animated films exclusively shown at the museum.

The Robot Soldier on the Roof

The robot soldier from the “Castle in the Sky” with the flower in his hand, is also on the museum grounds. It stands in the rooftop garden grandly overlooking the museum. “Oh! Just like in the film! The grass too!” Nakata exclaimed.
“We wanted children to freely roam about and learn about how our films are created.” Studio Ghibli is globally famous and there are guests from all over the world. They all seem to enjoy this spot. After a visit to the museum, Nakata commented, “It would be nice if there were a hotel like this…”
Nakajima told us “Being located in the park, Ghibli Museum is also a part of the people that come together, and a part of the nature that surrounds it.”
*You must purchase tickets in advance with a designated date. Please purchase your tickets at Lawson convenience store in advance. ©Museo d’Arte Ghibli / nakata.net ReVALUE NIPPON

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