Japan's Eight Must-Visit Museums: Art Meets Nature

In this outdoor museum, visitors can interact with the artworks of Kan Yasuda, exhibited around the park adjacent to a forest as if part of nature themselves. A restored wooden schoolhouse of a former elementary school and its gymnasium are also used as part of the exhibition space, providing a rare space for visitors to enjoy the seasonal changes of nature and art all in one place.

The Homma Museum of Art in Sakata City in Yamagata Prefecture is famed for its stunning Japanese gardens. The museum exhibits various objects, collected by the Homma Family, wealthy landowners in the Shonai area, including artworks, crafts and historical materials. Visitors can also explore Seienkaku, the main building which was used as the family's villa, and Kakubuen, a Japanese garden constructed for the villa.

Originally built as the residence of Prince Asaka in 1933, the main building of the Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum opened as an art museum in 1983. Though located in the city center, the museum is surrounded by a lush, beautiful garden. The expansive lawn space and a Japanese garden with a tearoom, designated as a National Important Cultural Property, have been handed down since the days as the residence of Prince Asaka. These two gardens and the Western-style garden welcome visitors with varying atmospheres for each season.

The Omiya Bonsai Village was born when the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 devastated the Tokyo area, and bonsai artisans who lived in Tokyo's Dangozaka area relocated to Omiya seeking soil appropriate for raising bonsai plants. Today, the area is at the center of the international bonsai community, attracting fans from all around the globe. The Omiya Bonsai Art Museum, Saitama, situated adjacent to the Omiya Bonsai Village, is actively introducing bonsai culture to the world.

Nestled deep in the beautiful nature of Shigaraki town in the city of Koka, Shiga Prefecture, the Miho Museum houses one of Japan's largest collections of valuable art, attracting attention from both Japan and overseas. The building was designed by architect I. M. Pei, who is renowned for works such as the large glass pyramid of the Louvre Museum in Paris.

Children and adults alike can appreciate contemporary art in an enjoyable way at this popular museum which opened its doors in 2004. The open and expansive space and the round, all-glass architecture, designed by internationally acclaimed architectural unit SANAA consisting of Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa, have become dear to the hearts of local residents.

After sightseeing at Tottori sand dunes, I went to a sand museum in the immediate vicinity. "Tottori sand dunes sand museum" in Fukabe-cho, Tottori-shi, Tottori Prefecture is the world's first professional art museum exhibiting sand statues. Parking is free. There are also sightseeing buses and bus lines for access, so those who do not have a car are also safe. The sand art museum changes exhibitions every year, so you can enjoy the charm of sand sculpture with various approaches each time you go.

The Adachi Museum of Art is located in Yasugi City, Shimane Prefecture. Founded under the concept of bringing together the arts of Japanese-style paintings and Japanese gardens, the museum is widely known for its beautiful gardens, which were awarded three stars by Michelin Green Guide Japan. Visitors can delight in the cleverly contrived “living Japanese paintings” and “living hanging scrolls,” the expansive Japanese gardens that incorporate the surrounding landscape into their design, as well as collections of Japanese-style paintings by renowned artists, including Yokoyama Taikan.