Ōhara Museum of Art

Top choice in Western Honshū


This is Kurashiki's premier museum, housing the predominantly Western art collection amassed by local textile magnate Ōhara Magosaburō (1880–1943), with the help of artist Kojima Torajirō (1881–1929). The varied assemblage of paintings, prints and sculpture features works by Picasso, Cézanne, El Greco and Matisse, and one of Monet's water-lilies paintings (said to have been bought from the man himself, when Torajirō visited his home in 1920).

While no rival to the major galleries of Europe, it's an interesting collection and one of the town's biggest attractions for Japanese tourists. The valid-all-day ticket also gets you into the museum's Craft & Asiatic Art Gallery, the contemporary Japanese collection housed in an annexe behind the main building.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Western Honshū attractions

1. Kurashiki Museum of Folk-craft

0.08 MILES

This museum is housed in an attractive complex of rice warehouses dating from the late 18th century, with interesting exhibits of exquisite household…

2. Japan Rural Toy Museum

0.1 MILES

Four rooms are crammed with displays of wooden toys, masks, dolls and spinning tops (including a world-record breaker), as well as a colourful array of…

3. Kanryū-ji

0.12 MILES

Buddhist temple on the edge of Tsurugata-yama-kōen park, with fine views across town.

4. Hon-ei-ji

0.13 MILES

Buddhist temple with interesting wooden carvings of animal spirits in the eaves, near Kurashiki's Bikan quarter. Enter from the side street off Honmachi…

5. Ōhashi House

0.14 MILES

Built in 1793, this beautifully restored wooden house belonged to one of Kurashiki's richest families. It was built at a time when prosperous merchants…

6. Kurabō Memorial Hall

0.15 MILES

Learn about the history of the Japanese textile industry at this museum at historic Ivy Square.

7. Momotarō Karakuri Hakubutsukan

0.16 MILES

Part gallery and part fun-house, this small museum is devoted to local legend Momotarō, with memorabilia, toys and depictions of the 'peach boy' from over…

8. Ivy Square

0.19 MILES

Present-day Ivy Square was once the site of Ōhara's Kurabō textile factories. The company moved into more modern premises a long time ago, and the ivy…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "japan/western-honshu/kurashiki/attractions/ohara-museum-of-art/a/poi-sig/1232367/356838",
      "destination": "Western-Honshū",
      "continent": "Asia",
      "country": "Japan",
      "region": "Western-Honshū",
      "position": "superzone"
    }