Osaka, the second-largest city in Japan, is most well known among visitors for its incredible street food culture, colorful nightlife and friendly people. The city is also home to an impressive series of art museums not to miss on your next trip. Visiting an art museum is a great rainy-day activity, and these tranquil spaces can offer some much-needed peace in the midst of a hectic day of sightseeing and crowds. Here are five Osaka art museums we recommend checking out, along with notable current and upcoming exhibitions.
1. Nakanoshima Museum of Art
One of Osaka’s most beloved art museums with frequent exhibitions by world-renowned artists, Nakanoshima Museum of Art is a must-visit destination for art lovers. This is especially true right now, as the museum is currently featuring an exhibition by Chiharu Shiota titled “I to Eye,” on view until December 1. Based in Berlin, Shiota is a prolific installation artist who represented Japan at the 56th Venice Biennale in 2015. She uses ordinary found objects such as shoes, chairs and dresses, engulfing them in her signature thread structures. Her works often explore concepts of memory and consciousness. An Osaka native, Shiota is presenting a large-scale solo exhibition for the first time since 2008.
Located in the vibrant cultural hub of Nakanoshima, the museum features around 6,000 works in its permanent collection focusing on domestic and western art from the mid-19th century up to the present. The collection spans Western-style paintings by Japanese artists, Nihonga (Japanese paintings), European modern art, contemporary art, sculptures and more.
2. The National Museum of Art, Osaka
Also known as NMAO, this modern and contemporary art museum became Japan’s fourth national museum when it opened its doors in 1977. Located in the Nakanoshima district, the museum’s exterior is an architectural marvel to admire in itself. The striking structure was designed by Argentine-American architect César Pelli, who was inspired by the vitality of a bamboo plant as a metaphor to portray the growth of contemporary art.
The museum boasts a collection of more than 6,000 works from Japanese and international artists, mostly from the 20th century onwards. NMAO is currently holding an exhibition titled “The Possibilities of Linear Expression,” revolving around the endless possibilities of the line. Featured works include Bernard Frize’s “Gulve” (2003) and Kazumi Nakamura’s “Orange Plate” (1986). Visitors can also view “Portraits of Her,” an exhibition of works from the museum collection that focuses on complex portraits of women as individuals, rather than as encoded images.
[National Treasure] Scroll of Xuanzang, Volume 3, Section 3: On display starting December 1. Courtesy of Fujita Museum
3. Fujita Museum
Fujita Museum houses Meiji-era businessman Fujita Denzaburo’s private art collection. This stunning assortment of treasures, built and maintained by the Fujita family, encompasses approximately 5,000 articles — including, but not limited to paintings, calligraphy, ceramics and ancient archaeological materials. Fifty of these items are designated as cultural assets, and nine are national treasures. The museum structure itself is a renovated treasury of the Fujita residence. Fujita Museum has no permanent exhibitions, opting to showcase its precious artifacts on temporary bases.
Born at the end of the Edo period in 1841, Fujita Denzaburo was highly attuned to Japan’s cultural crisis 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. A true lover of art and antiques from a young age, Denzaburo wished to share the preserved artworks with academics and the world at large. The Fujita Museum opened in 1954.
4. Abeno Harukas Art Museum
If you are visiting Abeno Harukas, Japan’s second-tallest skyscraper, pay a visit to the art museum. Known for its variety of temporary exhibitions, convenient location and longer opening hours, the museum aims to be a place where anyone can access and enjoy art. It’s a great option for those looking for an activity on a slower sightseeing day. Currently, the museum is holding an impressionist exhibition in collaboration with Worcester Art Museum in Massachusetts, United States, highlighting both American and French impressionist painters.
5. Osaka Ukiyoe Museum
If you want to take a look at traditional Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock prints but will not be heading to Kyoto during your Japan trip, the Osaka Ukiyoe Museum is a solid alternative. Located in the Shinsaibashisuji Shopping Arcade, this museum displays beautiful ukiyo-e woodblock prints by four great masters of the tradition: Katsushika Hokusai, Utagawa Hiroshige, Kitagawa Utamaro and Toshusai Sharaku.
Said to have originated in the second half of the 17th century and remaining in fashion until the Meiji Period (1868–1912), ukiyo-e originally depicted entertainers like kabuki actors, sumo wrestlers and geisha in monochrome — the medium’s name translates to “paintings of the floating world” for its association with impermanence and escape from ordinary life. Gaining mass popularity in the mid 18th century as polychrome prints, new genres of ukiyo-e such as landscapes and historical events emerged.
