Tanabe Art Museum, Art museum in Matsue, Japan
Tanabe Art Museum is a museum in Matsue, Shimane Prefecture, opened in 1979. Its main building, designed by Kiyonori Kikutake, has a two-storey irimoya-style roof clad in steel sheeting and a total floor area of 854 sqm. From the street in the Shiominawate preservation district only the nagayamon gate is visible; the museum appears after passing through it.
The museum opened on 3 November 1979 as the Tanabe Art Museum, founded by Tanabe Chōemon XXIII, who had been a member of the House of Representatives, president of the Shimane Shimbun, and governor of Shimane Prefecture. He donated the Tanabe family's tea-ceremony art, which forms the core of the collection. The building by Kiyonori Kikutake was completed the same year.
The museum focuses on tea ceremony objects, including bowls, kettles, and lacquerware tied to the Izumo region. Walking through the rooms, visitors can see how closely these objects were woven into everyday life and local craft practice.
The museum sits in central Matsue, close to the castle, so it pairs well with a visit to the surrounding area. Allow around an hour to move through the galleries at a comfortable pace.
From the street only the long nagaya-mon gate of the outer wall is visible; the main building by Kiyonori Kikutake, completed in 1979, appears once you pass through. Its structure is irimoya-zukuri with a steel-sheet roof, two storeys, and 854 sqm of floor space. Inside, a tea room serves matcha to visitors.
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