Hara Bijutsukan is a small museum of contemporary art housed in a mansion in the back streets of Shinagawa.
About a fifteen-minute walk from Shinagawa station, this relatively unknown museum, which also includes some lovely gardens, and a little café, is devoted to contemporary international and Japanese art.
The art begins with the building itself, which is a gorgeous, 1930s art-deco mansion that belonged to the business tycoon Kunizo Hara. Designed by Jin Watanabe, the mansion alone is worth a trip, as it’s one of the few remaining examples of Showa architecture. Don’t miss a visit to the downstairs toilet!
There are three floors of art, each with several permanent works in addition to the rotating exhibitions.
The exhibitions rotate regularly, usually about four times a year. They often display new work from around the world, but at least once a year they have an exhibition of works from their personal collection of paintings and sculptures, mostly from the 1950s and 1960s, including Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg, Roy Lichtenstein, Claes Oldenburg, Jackson Pollock, Karel Appel, and Frank Stella.
As well as the exhibitions, there are regular events such as lectures, live music, and performances, promoting the newest international and domestic talent.
The gorgeous, peaceful gardens don’t skimp on the art, either, with a few sculptures scattered among the trees and bushes.
The museum itself won’t take you long to get around, as it’s nice and compact, but when you’re done with your tour, stop in at the sunny Café de l’Art which overlooks the inner garden. Their menu is the final, perfect touch to this quaint museum, as it changes to reflect the current exhibits. They also have specials, such as brunches and champagne evenings.
One of the best things about this museum, actually, is the website. It is one of the best designed Japanese websites I’ve seen; minimalistic, clear and not only easy to use, but enjoyable to use.
As the exhibitions change so frequently, it’s worth checking the website before you go, to see what’s on and make sure it’s open, as it will close for about a week between exhibitions.
