Though small and unassuming, the Ukiyo-e Ota Memorial Art Museum in Harajuku is a gem of a museum for Japanese art lovers. Fans of woodblock prints will find much to delight them here.
Ukiyo-e Ota Memorial Art Museum - image © Florentyna Leow
Just a minute away from the bustling, people-clogged thoroughfare of Omotesando-dori Avenue is the quiet and unassuming Ukiyo-e Ota Memorial Art Museum. Ukiyo-e are an Edo-period genre of woodblock prints depicting scenes from the ‘Floating World.’ For starters, think pictures of theaters, teahouses, beautiful women - images that take you away from the everyday.
Like many small museums in Japan, the works displayed here are part of a private collection. Major names like Hokusai and Hiroshige feature prominently in the collection, and you’ll almost invariably see their works in each themed exhibition. Past themes have included cross-dressers, villains, and Hiroshige’s 100 views of Edo.
Ukiyo-e Ota Memorial Art Museum - image © Florentyna Leow
Perhaps a little unusually for a museum, you’ll have to take your shoes off - almost as though you’re entering a temple. Avoid the bulky hiking boots for the day and slip on some sandals.
In addition to the exhibited works themselves, there’s also an illuminating display on the woodblock printing process, and a Japanese rock garden inside for visitors to appreciate.
Though the museum’s collection runs to around 12,000 works, only about 70-100 prints are displayed at any one time, with exhibitions changing every month or so. It does mean that there’s always new and different works to see at any given time, making it a place worth revisiting multiple times. Check the website to see what’s on before going.
English name:
Ota Memorial Museum of Art
Japanese name:
太田記念美術館
English address:
1-10-10 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, 150-0001
Japanese address:
〒150-0001 東京都渋谷区神宮前1-10-10
Opening hours:
10:30am-5:30pm (last entry 5pm)
Closed Monday or the following Tuesday when Monday is a national holiday
Admission:
Adults: 700 (Planned Exhibition), 1000 (Special Exhibition)
High school and university students: 500 (Planned Exhibition), 700 (Special Exhibition)
Junior high school students and younger: free
Nearest Transport:
Subway: 3-minute walk from exit 5 of Meiji-jingumae Station on the Tokyo Metro Chiyoda and Fukutoshin lines.
Train: 5-minute walk from Omote-sando exit of Harajuku Station on the JR Yamanote line.
Nearest Hotels:
:: Check availability and pricing for hotels near Ukiyo-e Ota Memorial Art Museum on Booking.com or Agoda.com.
Telephone:
+81-3-3403-0880
Website:
Official Website (English)
Near To Here:
Ukiyo-e Ota Memorial Art Museum is located in Tokyo's Harajuku And Aoyama district. See our complete list of things to do in Harajuku And Aoyama, including places to eat, nightlife and places to stay.
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