About MIHO MUSEUM
"MIHO MUSEUM" is located in the mountains of Shigaraki, Shiga Prefecture, in a rich natural setting. The museum is based on the concept of the peach garden depicted in the Chinese poet Tao Yuan Ming's “The Book of the Peach Blossom Garden,” and an ideal paradise is recreated in a healing space surrounded by tranquility.
MIHO MUSEUM opened in November 1997, following the idea of its founder, KOYAMA Mihoko, to “make the world more beautiful, peaceful, and enjoyable through art”. The museum houses a wide range of masterpieces of Japanese art and ancient art from around the world, including Egypt, West Asia, Greece, Rome, South Asia, and China.
There is also a museum store selling original goods, a restaurant using ingredients grown by the Shumei Natural Farming Method, and a café. We recommend that you take your time and enjoy this peachy museum that will make you forget your busy daily life.
Access and Visitor Information of MIHO MUSEUM
Address | 300 Momotani, Tashiro, Shigaraki-cho, Koka-shi, Shiga |
Tel | 0748-82-3411 |
Access from the nearest station | Approx. 50 minutes from JR Ishiyama Station after taking the Teisan Bus bound for Miho Museum. |
Opening hours | 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (last admission at 4:00 p.m.) |
Closed | Spring, Summer, Fall, and Mondays during each open period (or the following weekday if the Monday is a national holiday) *Closed during exhibition changes and other times. Please check the calendar on the official website. |
Admission | 1,300 (1,100) yen for adults, 1,000 (800) yen for high school and university students, free for elementary and junior high school students Group admission fees for more than 20 people are shown in ( ). |
Facilities | Free parking (300 standard-sized cars), Free electric car service between the reception building and the museum building, Barrier-free access throughout the building, Wheelchairs, strollers, and canes are available for rent, Nursing room and diaper changing sheets available, Free lockers |
Note | 【About the audio guide ( charge applies)】 ・Permanent exhibitions are available in Japanese, English, and Mandarin Chinese (Cantonese, German, and French are available for limited content). ・Special exhibitions are available in Japanese, English, and Mandarin. |
Official Website |
Highlights of the MIHO MUSEUM
collections
The collection of MIHO MUSEUM began with Japanese art, including tea ceremony utensils, Shinto and Buddhist art, calligraphy, ceramics, and lacquerware, collected by founder KOYAMA Mihoko over a period of more than 40 years. As her vision for the museum grew, the collection was expanded to include ancient art from around the world. The museum's collection is centered on the ancient Orient, and currently consists of approximately 3,000 items, of which 250 are open to the public. Approximately 250 of them are on display at any given time.
architecture
I.M. Pei designed the MIHO MUSEUM. He is a Chinese-American architect famous for designing the glass pyramid “Pyramide du Louvre” at the Louvre Museum.
In the Chinese classic “The Book of the Peach Blossom Garden,” there is a story of a fisherman who wandered into a cave as if guided by a forest of peach blossoms, beyond which stretched an ideal paradise, “Peach Blossom Garden. The MIHO MUSEUM, conceived with this story as its motif, is characterized by an approach that “leads you down a tree-lined avenue of weeping cherry trees and over a tunnel and suspension bridge to the museum". The unique design of the museum allows visitors to enter the world of art as if they were lost in a Shangri-la.
The impressive entrance hall, with its glass roof supported by silver space frames rising with the pace of the visitors, and the exhibition rooms and corridors decorated with hexagons everywhere in a space based on silver and gray tones, including the color of the wood surface and space frames, provide a space where visitors can forget about time and enjoy the art works. The rotary, where light pours in through square skylights in the high ceiling that leads from the octagonal walls, is another must-visit spot.
Representative Past Exhibits
MIHO MUSEUM, which handles a wide range of domestic and international art, offers a rich variety of exhibitions. Special exhibitions are held in spring, summer, and fall, attracting many visitors each time to view masterpieces from around the world.
Major Exhibitions
“The Bizen: Formative Beauty Born of Clay and Fire” (2019)
“Masterpieces of Japanese Painting at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts” (2021)
"Linking Civilizations: Central Asia” (2022)
“Treasures of Kinpusan and the Gods and Buddha” (2023)
Museum Shop
The museum store at MIHO MUSEUM is based on the concept of “Enjoying Beauty and Life”. There are two stores, one in the North Wing and the other in the South Wing, located on the expansive grounds of the museum.
The stores offer a wide variety of original goods that will enrich and enrich your mind, including not only exhibition catalogs, but also crafts, cutlery, handkerchiefs, picture books, CDs, and other colorful items.
Café and Restaurant Information
There are two places to eat at MIHO MUSEUM. Both use carefully selected ingredients grown using the Shumei Natural Farming Method.
Restaurant Peach Valley
This is a bright and open restaurant located in the reception building. The menu includes seasonal dishes such as “omusubi zen” and “soba” (buckwheat noodles). In addition, homemade bread, MIHO tofu, drinks, and other items are sold in the restaurant.
Opening hours: 11:30 - 14:30
Café Pine View
This stylish café is located in the museum building. It offers seasonal menus such as “sandwiches made with hot-water bread” and “three kinds of mousse classics. The grains, such as wheat and azuki beans, and fruits, as well as sugar, butter, and coffee, are carefully produced in a particular process, so you can use them with peace of mind.
Opening hours: 10:30 - 16:30
Recommended Spots around MIHO MUSEUM
Shiga Prefectural Ceramic Cultural Park
The Shiga Prefectural Ceramic Cultural Park is a lush, green art park with ceramics as its theme. The park is divided into four areas: the Ceramic Museum, which is a museum specializing in ceramics; the Shigaraki Industrial Exhibition Hall, where Shigaraki ceramics are sold; the Creative Training Hall, where ceramic artists stay and work; and the Plaza, which is rich in nature. In addition, there are many outdoor exhibits in the park, allowing visitors to experience “pottery x art x nature."
The Museum of Ceramic Art
This museum features contemporary ceramics and ceramic design from Japan and abroad, old ceramics nurtured over a long history, and pottery related to Shiga. The museum holds exhibitions every year with attractive themes, such as “Lisa Larson: The Unknown World of Creativity” (2024) and “Taro Okamoto: The Dream of Art - Ceramic Walls, Ceramic Boards, and Figure Modeling in the 21st Century” (2023). The museum holds exhibitions with fascinating themes every year.
Shigaraki Industrial Exhibition Hall
This facility, which exhibits various types of Shigaraki ware products, provides the “present” of Shigaraki ware as an industry. Since the products are also available for sale, visitors can purchase them as a memento of their trip. At the attached restaurant “Gingetsusha,” you can enjoy rice balls cooked in a Shigaraki ware cauldron.
Address | 2188-7, Tento, Shigaraki-cho, Koka-shi, Shiga |
Tel | 0748-83-0909 |
Access from the nearest station | 20 minutes by walk from Shigaraki Station on the Shigaraki Kogen Railway. |
Opening hours | 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (However, admission to the Ceramics Museum and the Shigaraki Industrial Exhibition Hall is until 4:30 p.m.) |
Closed | Mondays (or the following day if Monday is a national holiday or a substitute holiday), year-end and New Year's holidays *The Ceramics Gallery is closed during exhibition change periods and during the winter season. |
The Ceramics Gallery Admission | Varies according to the exhibition (but admission is free) |
Facilities | Free parking (approx. 250 regular cars, 10 large buses) |
Official Website |
Koka City Shigaraki Traditional Industry Hall “Shigaraki Pottery Museum"
The Koka City Shigaraki Traditional Industry Hall was built in 1977 with support from the national and prefectural governments following the designation of Shigaraki ware as a traditional craft in 1975, and was relocated and rebuilt in 2020 in the current building, which also houses a tourist information center, making it easier to visit. In addition to the permanent exhibition “Shigaraki Museum,” special exhibitions related to Shigaraki ware are held in the special exhibition room. Visitors can learn about the history of Shigaraki ware while appreciating the artworks.
Address | 1203 Nagano, Shigaraki-cho, Koka-shi, Shiga |
Tel | 0748-82-2345 |
Access from the nearest station | 3-minute walk from Shigaraki Station on the Shigaraki Kogen Railway |
Opening hours | 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. |
Closed | Thursdays (if Thursday is a national holiday, the museum is closed the following day), Year-end and New Year holidays |
Admission | Free |
Facilities | Parking available (large buses can park, wheelchair parking available) |
Official Website |
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