5 galleries you must visit on your next trip

Osaka is Japan’s second largest city, known to tourists for its incredible street food culture, colorful nightlife, and friendly people. The city also has an impressive array of art museums that you shouldn’t miss on your next trip. Visiting an art museum is a great rainy day activity, and these peaceful spaces can provide some much-needed calm amidst the hectic sightseeing and crowds. Here are five Osaka art museums we recommend you visit, along with notable current and upcoming exhibitions.

1. Nakanoshima Museum of Art

One of Osaka’s most popular art museums, often hosting exhibitions by world-renowned artists, Nakanoshima Museum of Art It is a must-visit destination for art lovers. This is especially true now, as the museum is currently hosting an exhibition by Chiharu Shiota titled “My eyes” The exhibition runs until December 1st. Yantian lives in Berlin and is a prolific installation artist who represented Japan at the 56th Venice Biennale in 2015. She uses common objects such as shoes, chairs and dresses, engulfing them in her signature thread structures. Her work often explores concepts of memory and consciousness. Osaka native Shiota holds his first major solo exhibition since 2008.

Located in the vibrant Nakanoshima Cultural Center, the museum has a permanent collection of approximately 6,000 works, focusing on domestic and Western art from the mid-19th century to the present. The series covers Western-style paintings by Japanese artists, Japanese feather (Japanese painting), European modern art, contemporary art, sculpture, etc.

2. Osaka National Museum of Art

also known as NanmuThis modern and contemporary art museum opened in 1977, becoming Japan’s fourth national museum. The museum is located in the Nakanoshima district, and its exterior is a stunning architectural marvel in itself. The striking building was designed by Argentinian-American architect César Pelli, who was inspired by the vitality of bamboo as a metaphor depicting the growth of contemporary art.

The museum houses more than 6,000 works by Japanese and international artists, mostly from the 20th century. NMAO is currently hosting an exhibition called “The possibility of linear expression” Endless possibilities surrounding lines. Featured works include Bernard Frieze’s Gulve (2003) and Kazumi Nakamura’s “Orange Plate” (1986). Visitors can also view “Her Portrait” An exhibition of works from the museum’s collection focuses on complex portraits of women as individuals rather than coded images.

[National Treasure] Xuanzang Scrolls Volume 3 Part 3: On display from December 1st. Courtesy of the Fujita Museum of Art

3. Fujita Museum

Fujita Museum It houses the private art collection of Meiji-era businessman Denzaburo Fujita. Built and maintained by the Fujita family, these stunning treasures contain approximately 5,000 objects, including but not limited to paintings, calligraphy, ceramics, and ancient archaeological materials. 50 of them are designated as cultural properties and 9 are designated as national treasures. The museum building itself was converted from the Fujita family’s treasure house. The Fujita Museum does not have a permanent exhibition, choosing instead to display its precious artifacts in temporary bases.

Denzaburo Fujita was born in 1841 in the late Edo period. He was highly sensitive to the cultural crisis in Japan after the Meiji Restoration. He felt it was his duty to prevent these heirlooms, passed down from feudal lords, temples and shrines, from being damaged or dispersed overseas. Denzaburo has been passionate about art and antiques since he was a child, and he hopes to share preserved art with the academic community and the world. The Fujita Museum opened in 1954.

4. Abeno Harukas Museum of Art

If you are visiting the Abeno Harukas, the second tallest skyscraper in Japan, please visit art museum. Known for its variety of temporary exhibitions, convenient location, and long opening hours, the museum aims to be a place where anyone can encounter and appreciate art. This is a great option for those looking for a slower-paced day of sightseeing. Currently, the museum is hosting impressionist exhibition In collaboration with the Worcester Museum of Art in Massachusetts, USA, the exhibition focuses on American and French Impressionist painters.

5. Osaka Ukiyo-e Museum

If you want to enjoy traditional Japanese ukiyo-e paintings without going to Kyoto during your trip to Japan, Osaka Ukiyo-e Museum is a reliable choice. Located in the Shinsaibashi-suji shopping district, the museum displays exquisite ukiyo-e woodblock prints by four traditional masters: Katsushika Hokusai, Utagawa Hiroshige, Kitagawa Utamaro, and Higashikasa Sharaku.

It is said to have originated in the second half of the 17th century and remained popular until the Meiji era (1868)–1912), ukiyo-e originally depicted entertainers such as kabuki actors, sumo wrestlers, and geisha in monochrome—the medium’s name translates to “painting of the floating world” because of its association with impermanence and escape from ordinary life . In the mid-18th century, with the advent of color prints, new genres of ukiyo-e (such as landscapes and historical events) began to gain widespread popularity.

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