Nariwa Museum

Takahashi Nariwa Museum (Takahashi Nariwa Museum) is a complex of art museum and natural history museum located in Takahashi City, Okayama Prefecture. == Overview == The former Nariwa Town was opened in 1953 to honor Kojima Torajiro, a Western painter from Shimohara Village, Kawakami District, Okayama Prefecture (currently Shimohara, Nariwa Town, Takahashi City), who is known for being responsible for collecting art at the Ohara Museum of Art. The current third-generation building was built in 1994 on the stone wall of the Nariwa Jinya ruins (Yamazaki family palace ruins), which is a designated historical site in Takahashi City, and was designed by Tadao Ando, ​​and the building itself has a presence as a work of art. In addition to Torajiro Kojima's works, the museum will display ancient art from Egypt and other countries collected by Torajiro Kojima, as well as Japan's oldest plant fossils mined in Nariwa Town. === History === August 8, 1953 (Showa 28) - Opened as "Nariwa Town Art Museum" August 1967 - Opened in the second building November 1994 - Opened in the 3rd generation building April 2009 (Heisei 21) - Name changed from "Nariwa Art Museum" to "Takahashi City Nariwa Art Museum" == Facility == Kojima Torajiro Painting Exhibition Room - In addition to Kojima Torajiro's works, oil paintings, drawings, and self-made furniture such as ``Going to School,'' ``Shion and the Girl,'' ``Belgian Girl in Japanese Clothes,'' and ``Sakazu Farmer,'' works by Hitoshi Tokunaga, Kijiro Ota, Kunishiro Mitsutani, Yoshida Ginzo, Kataoka Ginzo, Kobayashi Kazusaku, Tamura Konosuke, and Sato Kazusho are on display. Orient Exhibition Room - Displays mainly ancient Egyptian art that Torajiro Kojima collected during his many overseas trips, and also introduces history through panels. Fossil Exhibition Room - Japan's oldest plant group fossils produced from the Nariwa Group, approximately 100 species and several hundred items, including more than 30 world-class new species, are on display. Multipurpose exhibition room lecture room Museum shop museum cafe == Collection items == Paintings - 111 works by Torajiro Kojima, 84 works by Kunishiro Mitsutani, Hitoomi Tokunaga, and others Sculpture - 30 works Other works of art - 601 pieces from Torajiro Kojima's collection (Egypt, China, Europe) Fossils - Approximately 700 fossils from the Nariwa region == Architectural overview == Design - Tadao Ando / Tadao Ando Architectural Institute Completion - 1994 Structure - Reinforced concrete, 2 floors above ground, 1 floor below ground Site area - 7,607.89m2 Building area - 1,601.98m2 Total floor area - 2,691.98m2 Notes - There is an artificial pond called ``Flowing Water Garden'' around the building that uses groundwater, and a ``Still Water Garden'' inside the building. == Gallery == == Access == Approximately 20 minutes by Bihoku bus from JR Hakubi Line Bicchu-Takahashi Station, 1 minute walk from "Nariwa" stop Approximately 50 minutes from Sanyo Expressway Kurashiki IC or Kasaoka IC Okayama Expressway: Approximately 30 minutes from Kayo IC, approximately 40 minutes from Okayama Soja IC/Ukan IC Approximately 50 minutes from Hokubo IC or Niimi IC on the Chugoku Expressway == Related Literature == “Kojima Torajiro and Takahashi City Nariwa Art Museum” Nihon Bunkyo Publishing “Okayama Bunko”, 2019 “Torajiro Kojima Another Eye” edited by Takahashi City Nariwa Art Museum, Clevis, 2020 A photo collection taken by Torajiro Kojima.