Brazil
Antarctica
Argentina
Bolivia
Chile
Colombia
Ecuador
Guyana
French Guiana
Falkland Islands (Malvinas)
Paraguay
Peru
Suriname
Uruguay
Venezuela
Germany
Austria
Belgium
Croatia
Denmark
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Finland
France
Greece
the Netherlands
Hungary
Ireland
Iceland
Italy
Luxembourg
Norway
Poland
Portugal
the United Kingdom
the Czech Republic
Sweden
Switzerland
Turkey
Bermuda
Canada
the United States
Greenland
Mexico
Saint Pierre and Miquelon
the Dominican Republic
South Africa
Egypt
Australia
Fiji
New Zealand
Papua New Guinea
Museum · Kurashiki, Okayama
Ohara Museum of Art
Japan’s first Western art museum, opened in 1930 on Kurashiki’s canal, with El Greco, Monet, Gauguin and Modigliani, plus annexes of Japanese art and crafts.
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
A look at the place
Ohara Museum of Art in pictures
These pictures are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs. They may differ from the place.
Click the picture to enlarge it.
Discover
About Ohara Museum of Art
The Ohara Museum of Art was opened in 1930 by Ohara Magosaburo, a Kurashiki cotton industrialist, and is considered Japan’s first museum dedicated to Western art. The collection began with works bought in Europe by the painter Kojima Torajiro, a friend of Ohara, who traveled to select paintings that Japanese people could see without leaving the country.
The main building, with a columned façade reminiscent of a Greek temple, sits on the canal in the Bikan district. There are the best-known works: The Annunciation by El Greco, a canvas from Monet’s Water Lilies series, and works by Gauguin, Renoir, Modigliani, Matisse and other turn-of-the-20th-century painters, as well as works by Kojima Torajiro.
The annexes are housed in old warehouses across the street and in the courtyard. The Craft Gallery shows ceramics by Bernard Leach, Shoji Hamada and Kanjiro Kawai from the mingei movement, and prints by Shiko Munakata. Another gallery gathers modern and contemporary Japanese painting, and a room devoted to ancient Asian art completes the complex.
The admission ticket covers the main buildings, and the visit is made on foot between them. The Ohara family residence garden next door can be viewed from a tea house and café overlooking a rock-and-plant garden.
Before you go
Practical information
Cidade Turismo reviews its information regularly, but something may have changed. Check with the place before planning your trip.
How much time to set aside
Between 1.5 and 2.5 hours, combining the main building and the annexes.
Best time
Right at opening or late afternoon, outside group visits. The museum is closed on Mondays for most of the year, with exceptions on holidays and in certain seasons; check the calendar.
How to get there
It is on the canal bank in the Bikan district, about a 15-minute walk from Kurashiki Station.
Tip
Start at the main building and be sure to cross over to the Craft Gallery in the old warehouses, which is less crowded. Keep your ticket: it is valid for the annexes on the same day.
Official website
Get your questions answered
Frequently asked questions about Ohara Museum of Art
What are the best-known works at the Ohara Museum?
The Annunciation by El Greco, a Water Lilies canvas by Monet, and works by Gauguin, Renoir, Modigliani and Matisse in the main building.
How long does a visit to the Ohara Museum take?
From 1.5 to 2.5 hours, including the main building and the annex galleries housed in the old warehouses next door.
Is the Ohara Museum open on Mondays?
For most of the year it is closed on Mondays, with exceptions for holidays and certain seasons. Check the official calendar.
What is in the Ohara Museum annexes?
Mingei movement ceramics by Bernard Leach and Shoji Hamada, prints by Shiko Munakata, modern Japanese painting and ancient Asian art.
Beyond the guide
