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Redesigned in 2017, the museum’s galleries are full of ideas to create the best environment for fully appreciating the beauty of artworks: the exhibition cases modeled on the Japanese architectural feature known as toko, where works of art are typically displayed; the tatami floors with an engineered material based on washi Japanese paper; the special engineered glass panes with high transparency and low reflection; and the black plaster on the walls that further reduces the light reflections on the showcase glasses. The design was undertaken by New Material Research Laboratory (artist Sugimoto Hiroshi and architect Sakakida Tomoyuki).

A large bas-relief in bronze facing the main entrance is by French sculptor Antoine Bourdelle. This masterpiece measures 14 by 3 meters, and originally created in 1910 for the Théâtre des Champs Elysées in Paris. The version at the museum was cast using the original mold retained at Musée Bourdelle in Paris.

A pair of door panels at the museum’s main entrance is designed by artist Sugimoto Hiroshi and realized by Murose Kazumi, Japan’s Living National Treasure in urushi art. The contrast of black and vermilion is a reflection on the fashion style that was popular in the Momoyama period (16th century), known as katamigawari.

The spacious and convivial lobby area commands a spectacular view over the sea off Atami, accentuated by the remote islands, through its impressive floor-to-ceiling windows. Notable features include the crystalline limestone floor and bespoke benches with optical glass stands, designed by Sugimoto. A photographic work of Sugimoto, Seascape: Atami, is on display in the lobby.

This is a faithful replica of the portable golden tea room that Toyotomi Hideyoshi had erected in the Imperial Palace in Kyoto in the New Year of 1586 in order to hold an all-gold tea ceremony for the then Emperor - Emperor Ogimachi. Subsequently in 1587, Hideyoshi used this golden tea room at the famous Grand Kitano Tea Ceremony, and it is known that in 1592 he had it brought from Osaka to Nagoya Castle in Hizen (today’s Saga prefecture), where Hideyoshi was commanding his expeditionary force to the Korean peninsula. It is thought that the original tea room was lost in the fall of Osaka Castle.

A visit to the tea room is a chance to appreciate at first hand the aesthetics of the Momoyama period with its contrasting features of the dazzling rich splendor of the golden world with its tranquil, restrained simplicity of the wabi style of Sukiya architecture.

This replica was created based on the written accounts of court nobles, military commanders, tea masters and foreign missionaries, and under the supervision of the top authority in the Sukiya style of architecture Dr Sutemi Horiguchi. Just like the original, this tea room can be fully disassembled, and the size and mechanism of all its parts and components have been carefully calculated from historical documents.

An authentic Noh stage created inside the museum building has all the iconic features from the cedar-bark roof in the hip-and-gable style to the all-cedar stage structure. It hosts regular Noh performance programs as well as other events, such as classical/pop music concerts and various lectures.

A refreshing cup of house-roasted organic coffee is available at the café, offering a break with a view. It serves rare varieties of certified specialty coffee over a beautiful andesite counter.

The museum shop is a little treasure trove full of lovely trinkets and exclusive goods as well as exquisite works of kōgei art hand-crafted by established artists and renowned Living National Treasures of Japan. A touch of beauty can enhance your everyday life.

A coffee and cake shop by Japan’s first 3-start Michelin Chef Patissier Toshihiko Yoroizuka welcomes you with its specialty sweets and light meals. Plates and cups are specially designed for the establishment, produced by the master of urushi lacquerware Murose Kazumi. The delectable menu and the landscaped garden view from the large windows uplift your tea break with perfection.

This rustic house once belonged to Igi Tadazumi aka San’ensai (1818–1886), a top-ranking samurai official who served the Ikeda clan of Okayama. It features a sliding door with a painting of a woodcutter, which resembles the design on the writing box attributed to Hon’ami Kōetsu.

This tasteful gate marks the entrance to our Japanese Garden. It came from a family villa of the Mitsuis, an industrialist conglomerate.

There is a bamboo grove next to the Japanese Garden, a little haven and a perfect spot to enjoy a tranquil stroll. Bamboo has a symbolic significance in Japanese customs, a familiar feature in ceremonial contexts and Shinto rites. The serenity and purity felt in the sun-lit grove gives you an inner calm.

This imposing gate used to belong to a lodging house where Katagiri Katsumoto, a 16th-century chief retainer of the Toyotomi clan, resided while employed as civil engineering administrator at Yakushiji temple in Nara. It was moved to Jikōin Temple in Nara, then transferred to the private villa of the twentieth-century industrialist Mitsuis in Kanagawa, before acquired by the Museum.

Treat yourself with a delectable Japanese cuisine lunch in this authentic chaya-style restaurant. The meals are prepared using locally-sourced organic ingredients and 100%-organic seasoning and spices. The garden view enhances your lunch time in style.

This is a reconstruction of the final residence of the renowned artist Ogata Kōrin, faithfully executed based on archival documents (his own drawings and carpenter’s specifications, today known as the ‘Kōrin archive’ and designated as Important Cultural Properties). Built in the sukiya style, it represents an eighteenth-century town residence of wealthy classes in Japan. His upper-floor atelier has been restored, where it is believed he painted his famous masterpiece, the Red and White Plum Blossoms (National Treasure).

A display of refined chanoyu implements welcomes you for an enjoyable experience of matcha and seasonal dry sweets in this teahouse.

Japan’s all-time favorite buckwheat noodle soba served at Sobanobou is known for its rich flavor, aroma, and fine al dente texture.

A terrace in front of the main building is adorned with a bronze sculpture, The King and Queen, by the iconic English artist Henry Moore. This is a scenic vantage point over the panoramic view of the Sagami Bay.

Approximately 20 meters in diameter, this marble-adorned round hall boasts a beautiful tile-mosaic floor, representing marble collected from six countries. The domed ceiling exhibits the world’s largest kaleidoscopic installation, produced by Yoda Mitsuru and Yoda Yuriko and accompanied by an original piano composition by a world-renowned pianist, Nakamura Yuriko.

Seven flights of escalators, 200 meters in total, take visitors up to the museum from the main gate. The arched tunnel is lit in multiple of colors, staging a transitional journey into the realm of arts and beauty.

Redesigned in 2017, the museum’s galleries are full of ideas to create the best environment for fully appreciating the beauty of artworks: the exhibition cases modeled on the Japanese architectural feature known as toko, where works of art are typically displayed; the tatami floors with an engineered material based on washi Japanese paper; the special engineered glass panes with high transparency and low reflection; and the black plaster on the walls that further reduces the light reflections on the showcase glasses. The design was undertaken by New Material Research Laboratory (artist Sugimoto Hiroshi and architect Sakakida Tomoyuki).