Meiji Memorial Picture Gallery, Art museum in Meiji Shrine Outer Garden, Japan
The Meiji Memorial Picture Gallery is a museum in the Kasumigaoka area of Meiji Shrine Outer Garden, Japan, housing a monumental collection of 80 large-format paintings. The reinforced concrete structure clad in Mannari granite stretches 112 meters in length, crowned by a 32-meter dome that rises above a wide entrance hall.
Construction finished in 1926 to preserve the memory of Emperor Meiji, who passed away in 1912. The paintings were commissioned from leading Japanese artists to record key moments from his reign between 1868 and 1912.
The paintings show the imperial family during a time of deep change in clothing, architecture and social rituals. Visitors see how Western suits appeared alongside traditional robes and new ceremonies took place next to old customs.
The museum sits within walking distance from Shinanomachi Station and opens daily from 9 AM to 5 PM. Visitors should plan enough time to view the large paintings and the interior architecture of the building at a comfortable pace.
A competition with 156 submitted designs led to the selection of the building plan, with domestic marble used throughout the central hall. The construction stands as one of the early examples of monumental reinforced concrete architecture in Japan.
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