JAPAN’S ART SCENES
As museums become more popular tourist attractions, Japanese museums are becoming more fascinating. For travelers looking for new destinations other than major cities like Tokyo and Kyoto, museums present a new and different face of modern Japan.
Adachi Museum of Art
This museum opened in 1970 with the founder’s private collection. In addition to the museum’s substantial collection of contemporary Japanese paintings, its Japanese garden has been highly revered not only in Japan but also in the rest of the world.
The founder, Zenko Adachi, was a post-war entrepreneur, and from his wealth and extensive business travel, he amassed more than 1,300 pieces of the country’s most highly regarded contemporary paintings. At the same time, he was committed to developing the garden surrounding the house where he was born to fulfill his lifetime passion for Japanese gardening. As a result, the brilliantly designed Japanese gardens were realized and became another masterpiece in the museum’s collection. A major American publication, the Journal of Japanese Gardening has ranked this garden as number one since 2003.
The Adachi Museum is located in Shimane Prefecture, just four hours on the bullet train from Tokyo and one hour from Osaka. It is well worth adding to your list of Japan cultural attractions for a thorough experience of Japanese traditional beauty in both art and nature.
http://www.adachi-museum.or.jp/e/index.html
21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa
This very contemporary museum opened in 2004 in one of Japan’s most historic cities, Kanazawa. The museum characterizes the city’s unlimited interest in art and culture over the centuries. The three categories of the collection are: works of art produced in the 20th century, which are regarded as points of historical reference; post 1980 works of art, which present new values; and works of art rich with new creativity and produced by artists related to Kanawaza. The collection is a well rounded showcase of modern Japanese art with an evolving global perspective.
The museum’s architecture is another major attraction: Two internationally renowned Japanese architects, Kazuyo Sejima and Ryuue Nishizawa are the architectural masterminds of the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, who have already designed museums and office towers in North America and Europe — including New York’s new New Museum that has just opened in this December in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, and they joined to this museum project for the concept of an ideal architecture for the 21st century art museum. They have brought their concept of “an ideal architecture” to the design of the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art.
The circular glass-walled building allows clear vistas of the entire facility and brings harmonic views of the surrounding nature into the museum galleries, fulfilling the architects’ dreams of creating harmony between nature and art.
Benesse Art Site Naoshima
Naoshima is the island of contemporary art! Benesse Art Site takes up the entire space of this one particular small island –among the many scattered all over Japan’s Inland Sea – and has converted it into one big museum. Started as an educational children’s camp site, Naoshima had been developed as an outside contemporary art site for children, but certainly adults are now the most interested clientele. Aside from the renowned contemporary artworks, Tadao Ando’s architecture is a Naoshima must-see. Benesse House, which does double-duty as an art museum and lodging facility and is the main building on this museum. Another Ando’s architectural marvel’s on Naoshima Island is Chichu (subterranean) Art Museum, to which two American contemporary artists have exclusively contributed their work, and in which some of Claude Monet “Water-Lily” paintings are displayed. Another of the island’s projects gives back to the local community: In their Ie (house) Project, old residential houses have been meticulously renovated and then provided to artists for their art and architectural works.
To make the most of the island’s art scene, stay in one of the hotels on Naoshima. Like the main building Benesse House, “Oval” is an accommodation wing of Benesse House with rooms, restaurants and cafes in the midst of Naoshima’s beautiful nature and calmness. In 2006, new accommodations opened. Park and Beach are two other Tadao Ando’s architectural presentations — unique two-story wooden structures, rare for his work.
http://www.naoshima-is.co.jp/english/index.html
John Lennon Museum
The opening of this museum in 2000 marked the date that would have been the late John Lennon’s 60th birthday. This museum is the world’s first museum dedicated to the former Beatle, and has been realized upon John’s focus on love. His Japanese widow, Yoko Ono says, “Japan is taking peace as an important element that will bring us all together in the global village; Japan is a good place for the museum.”
The Beatles’ tunes played in the background at the facility chronicle the history of the British music group as well as John Lennon himself, and the exhibitions include rather private belongings such as Lennon’s family photographs, artwork, handwritten lyrics, and his trademark wire-rimmed spectacles.
The architecture of this museum is well-planned to reflect John Lennon’s life. They pick white and glass façade as key colors to create soft but neutral atmosphere, which delivers John’s avant-garde and artistic philosophy. The architecture planned the structure upon detailed discussions with his widow residing in New York City, and succeeded in realizing the perfect atmosphere to deliver John’s message to today’s generation. At the end of the museum tour, the visitors would feel his philosophy in the air.
This museum is not only for Beatles’ fans but also for the younger generations who were born after John Lennon’s death. This never-to-be-forgot artist left a lot of strong messages and music, and the museum focuses on passing his life and his works on to the new generations in the 21st century, while accommodating nearly 130 memorabilia articles of John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s treasured collections.
The museum is located in Saitama Shin Toshin (Saiama new city center), a suburb of Tokyo, only 30 minutes north of Tokyo Station.
http://www.taisei.co.jp/museum/index_e.html
——- Nori Akashi: Marketing Specialist at the New York Office of JNTO
Discount Museum Passes for Tokyo and Kansai area
In response to the increasing popularity and growing attention to the art scene in Japan, two local museum discount passes have been created. In Tokyo, Japan’s largest city, the “Grutt Pass 2007” is both convenient and affordable and an absolutely essential asset for the urban museum hopper. This 2,000 yen pass provides free or discount admission to the 56 museum facilities around Tokyo. The pass is valid for 2 months from the first admission, with one-time only admission to each representative facility.
For museums in the Kansai area, including Osaka, Kobe, Kyoto, Wakayama, and Nara, the “Museums Grutto Pass KANSAI 2007,” is available for 1,000 yen. This pass provides admission to 65 museum facilities and is valid for three months from the first admission.
Check out Japan National Tourist Organization’s website (www.japantravelinfo.com) for where to buy the pass and a list of the facilities where the passes can be used. Please note that the passes are on sale until January 1, 2008 for Tokyo and February 29, 2008 for Kansai.
Japan National Tourist Organization
New York Office
One Rockefeller Plaza, Suite 1250, New York, NY 10020
TEL: 212-757-5640 www.Japantravelinfo.com
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