Naruto is one of Tokushima’s tourist attractions. There is an art museum that has a rare exhibition in the world. The museum is called “Otsuka Museum of Art” and is famous for its high level of customer satisfaction.
What does it mean that there are many art museums in Japan, but the Otsuka Museum of Art exhibits unique exhibits not only in Japan but also worldwide? The mystery becomes clear from the keyword “Toban” (ceramic plate).
A ceramic plate is a plate-shaped pottery. All works at the Otsuka Museum of Art are displayed in full-scale form called art ceramics, baked on ceramics. For this reason, it is sometimes confused as an art museum with no original drawings, but it has the charm of the Otsuka Museum of Art that can only be made with ceramic masterpieces.
All the works in the hall can be photographed. The use of flash is prohibited, but any work can be taken with your own camera and brought back as an image. You can also see them up close, and of course upload your own photos against a background of masterpieces to SNS. There is almost no place where you can do this in the original exhibition.
You can also touch the masterpiece. You should refrain from applying power to it as much as possible, but if you touch it gently, there is no problem. You don’t have to take a small child and get angry, and it may be easier for the child to enjoy than the original exhibition.
At the Otsuka Museum of Art, you can see not only the paintings themselves, but also many “environmental exhibits” that reproduce the entire space of churches and cathedrals. All of the masterpieces are made in full-scale, and the “Cappella Sistina” and “Cappella degli Scrovegni”, which are reproduced in space, can enjoy the space as it is from the walls and ceiling.
Because ceramic plates are highly durable, an exhibition method that cannot be an original painting for outdoor viewing is possible. Monet’s “Les Nymphéas” is on display outdoors! Since the original picture is sensitive to ultraviolet rays, it is probably impossible to display it directly exposed to sunlight. Because it is a masterpiece of ceramic plate, you can enjoy the work even under natural light.
This exhibition is more than just an outdoor exhibition. Monet and other so-called impressionists were leaving the atelier and creating under the sun. It is said that he drew the moment on the canvas while looking directly at the changing nature.
Monet wanted to see this “Les Nymphéas” in natural light. For this reason, museums around the world exhibiting “Les Nymphéas” have created a viewing place that incorporates natural light as much as possible. However, the original picture cannot be displayed outdoors. The Otsuka Museum of Art has such an exhibition that is normally impossible.
The Otsuka Museum of Art is easily accessible from the Kansai area via Awaji Island. It takes 2 hours from Osaka and 1 and a half hours from Kobe. There is also a direct bus service from Osaka and Kobe, but one round trip a day. If you use an airplane, you can access it from Tokushima Airport in about 30 minutes by bus or taxi.
The Otsuka Museum of Art, where you can see the charm once you go there. You can also see that visitors are very satisfied if you go there. The difference from a general museum is obvious, and it is an art museum where you can enjoy various ways.
Please enjoy the world of masterpieces around the world at Naruto in Tokushima.
Mmore than 1,000 well-known Western paintings
Do you think you would like to see world famous masterpieces such as Van Gogh’s “Sunflower” and Leonardo da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa”? In “Otsuka Museum of Art” in Tokushima Prefecture, you can appreciate more than 1,000 well-known Western paintings, including ancient mural paintings and contemporary paintings held by over 190 art museums in 25 countries around the world. Otsuka Museum of Art was opened in 1998 as “It is an art museum where you can see the masterpieces of all over the world” which can not be readily seen in the usual way.
It is from the third basement level to start appreciation of the arts. From there, it is possible to see work in chronological order such as ancient, medieval, renaissance, baroque, modern, which constitutes the history of Western paintings. Among them, it is the environmental exhibition area on the 3rd basement floor that can overcome anyway. A chapel, ruins, etc. are reproduced with reality in details. As you enter the room, you feel like you are in a real place. Beyond time, you can feel the atmosphere of those days closely. Although it is an art museum, you can enjoy it like a theme park, so let’s take a closer look at it.
“The Judgment”, “Mona Lisa”, “Guernica” in Japan?
I bet you don’t know that there was splendid work of art like “The Judgment”, “Mona Lisa”, “Guernica” in Japan? The masterpiece which you thought “you can’t appreciate it without going to Europe!”, surprisingly enough, you can see it in Tokushima, Japan.
Ｔhe name is “Otsuka Kokusai Bijutsukan” (Otsuka Museum of Art).
Stored more than 1,000 of works
The “Otsuka Museum of Art” is an art museum in Naruto-shi, Tokushima. Famous Western masterpieces are stored more than 1,000 of works.
The masterpieces which everyone knows
The masterpieces which everyone knows like “The Judgment” (Michelangelo), “Mona Lisa” (Leonardo da Vinci), “Guernica” (Pablo Picasso), etc. are displayed there. There are world‐famous works only.
All are “imitations”?
But, in fact, the displayed works of this art museum, all are “imitations”. In addition, surprisingly the admission is the most expensive in Japan as art museum. However, this art museum is extreme popularity, so more than 400,000 people visit Tokushima to look at this many “imitation masterpieces” every year.
Faithfully reappears on ceramic plate at actual size
It is the Fine Art Masterpiece Museum which is the largest of its type in Japan and hardly no real precedent in international. It faithfully reappears on ceramic plate at actual size of western masterpieces more than 1,000 works from the ancient times to the present age. It is the facility where is most suitable as both an art educational facility and a tourist attraction.
Information(Access, Price/Charge, Tel, Address, Official site, etc.)
| Name: | Otsuka Museum of Art |
| Adresse: | Narutochotosadomariura 65-1 Naruto, Tokushima 772-0053 Japan |
| Access: | JR Naruto-sen Line “Naruto-eki Station” (15 minutes by bus) |
| Tel: | (+81) 88-687-3737 |
| Price/Charge: | 3,300 yen (Adult) 2,200 yen (Student) 550 yen (Under 18 years old) Please refer the official web page. |
| Official site: | https://o-museum.or.jp/ |
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