About The National Museum of Art, Osaka
The National Museum of Art, Osaka opened in 1977 as an art museum that handles mainly contemporary art from Japan and abroad. It is one of seven museums under the jurisdiction of the Japan National Museum of Art, an independent administrative agency. When it first opened, the museum utilized the building of the World Exposition Museum, which was constructed for the Japan World Exposition (held in 1970), but was renovated in 2004 and reborn as a completely underground museum with an eye-catching, innovative design.
The location of the museum is also one of its attractions, as it was moved from Suita City, Osaka Prefecture, to the western Nakanoshima district in the center of Osaka City when it was renovated. There are other museums and art galleries within a walking distance, so many people enjoy them as well.
Today, the National Museum of Art, Osaka, continues its role as an art museum that disseminates contemporary art, while at the same time, as an art museum that introduces a wide range of domestic and international art trends, it also holds special exhibitions other than contemporary art.
It also offers opportunities for learning and experience, including events for children that deepen their understanding of art and events that infants and their parents can enjoy together.
Access and Visitor Information of the National Museum of Art, Osaka
Address | 4-2-55, Nakanoshima, Kita-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka 530-0005 |
Tel | 06-6447-4680 |
Access from the nearest station | 【Keihan Line】
【Osaka Metro】
【JR】
【Hanshin Line】About 10 minutes by walk from "Fukushima" station [Exit No.3] on the Hanshin Line. 【Hankyu Line】Approx. 20 minutes by walk to the southwest from "Osaka Umeda" station on the Hankyu Line. |
Opening hours |
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Closed | Mondays, year-end and New Year holidays, and during exhibition change periods, If Monday is a national holiday, the museum will be open on Monday and closed on the following Tuesday. (The museum may be temporarily closed in addition to the above.) |
Admission | Adults 430 yen (group 220 yen), college students 130 yen (group 70 yen), Free for high school students, those under 18, and those over 65 (ID required). Fees for collection exhibitions. Fees for special exhibitions vary depending on the exhibition. |
Facilities | Coin lockers, wheelchairs for rent, strollers for rent, children's room/nursing room, AED available |
Note | Guide dogs, service dogs, and hearing dogs are allowed; written communication is available. |
Official Website |
Highlights of the National Museum of Art, Osaka
Collections
The National Museum of Art, Osaka collects a wide range of contemporary art works, primarily from Japan and abroad, with the aim of clarifying the relationship between global art trends and the development of art in Japan. The museum's collection amounts to approximately 8,200 works of art ( current as of March, 2022).
The symbol of the National Museum of Art, Osaka is Joan Miró's "Laughter of Innocence" on the B2 floor. Created to coincide with the Japan World Exposition, the vivid colors of this work are typical of Miró.
The collection has also been enriched over the years to include a collection of 828 works by OHASHI Yoshikazu, a chemist and industrialist, which shows the transition of postwar art in the Kansai region; prints and drawings by HAMAGUCHI Yozo, numbering approximately 400 pieces; and posters by YOKOO Tadanori, numbering more than 900 pieces. The majority of the collection consists of paintings, sculptures, prints, and photographs, but in recent years the museum has also turned its attention to new genres such as video and performance.
*The works in the collection are exhibited according to themes, mainly through collection exhibitions.
Architecture
Cesar Pelli and Associates Japan was contracted to design the new building for the renewal. Argentinian architect Cesar Pelli is widely known for designing skyscrapers, and was recently involved in the construction of the skyscraper complex "Abeno Harukas.
The National Museum of Art, Osaka is one of the few museums in the world to be completely underground. The futuristic monument with a steel frame at the ground level is said to be inspired by the "vitality of bamboo" and the "development and growth of contemporary art.
Representative past exhibitions
The museum has held many special exhibitions of world-class contemporary artists such as YOKOO Tadanori, KUSAMA Yayoi, and Christian Boltanski, as well as frequent large-scale exhibitions of masters such as Van Gogh and Picasso. In 2022, the museum and the Nakanoshima Museum of Art, Osaka will jointly hold a retrospective exhibition tracing the history of the Gutai Art Association (Gutai), an avant-garde art group founded in Ashiya City, Hyogo Prefecture.
Main Exhibitions
Van Gogh Exhibition" (2005)
All Posters by YOKOO Tadanori" (2010)
KUSAMA Yayoi: Eternity of Eternity of Eternity" (2012)
Christian Boltanski - Lifetime" (2019)
All to the Unknown - GUTAI: Segmentation and Integration" (2022) *Simultaneous exhibition with Nakanoshima Museum of Art, Osaka
Picasso and His Time: Exhibition at Kunstmuseum Berggruen, Berlin (2023)
Museum Shop
At the Museum Shop on the B1 floor, visitors can find original goods of the National Museum of Art, Osaka, as well as exhibition-related items and art-related books. The shop offers a variety of rare items that are not easily found elsewhere, such as a soft vinyl model of the Tower of the Sun, the symbol of the Expo, and long glasses featuring TAKAMATSU Jiro's "Shadow," a work from the collection of the National Museum of Art, Osaka.
Opening hours | 10:00 - 17:00 (10:00 - 19:00 on Fridays and Saturdays) |
Closed | Museum of Art, Osaka |
Café and Restaurant Information
Nakanoshima Muse, a restaurant that operated at the National Museum of Art, Osaka, has closed. No restaurants are currently operating in the museum.
Recommendations around Osaka Nakanoshima Museum of Art
Nakanoshima Museum of Art, Osaka
The Nakanoshima Museum of Art, Osaka, which was established on February 2, 2022, has been long awaited for almost 40 years since its basic conception in 1983 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Osaka's municipal organization. The museum is holding exhibitions from a variety of perspectives, including Modigliani, SAEKI Yuzo, GUTAI, Japanese painting from Osaka, and design, based on its fascinating collection acquired over a long period of time.
YANOBE Kenji《SHIP’S CAT(Muse)》
"SHIP'S CAT (Muse)" is a work by contemporary artist YANOBE Kenji installed outdoors at the Nakanoshima Museum of Art, Osaka. It is one of the internationally acclaimed "SHIP'S CAT" series, created in 2021 to coincide with the construction of the Osaka Nakanoshima Museum of Art.
This giant sculpture is 3.5 meters high and features a white cat wearing a suit that looks like a space suit. The work is a guardian cat that watches over the museum, and it is hoped that it will become a symbol for the museum to transmit its message to the world. If you visit the Nakanoshima Museum of Art, Osaka, be sure to stop and admire it.
Osaka University Nakanoshima Centre
The Osaka University Nakanoshima Centre is the fourth campus of Osaka University, a 10-storey building located in the center of Nakanoshima. It actively holds exhibitions and public lectures, and is popular with many citizens.