Hiroshima is somewhat spoiled for choice when it comes to looking at art. If you count galleries and exhibitions in coffee shops and other venues, the possibilities immediately expand to fill more time than you probably have. For the moment, then, let’s talk about conventional museums in and around the city.
Hiroshima Prefectural Art Museum
Hiroshima Prefectural Art Museum (HPAM) is located north of the downtown shopping center, adjacent to Shukkeien Garden. Downstairs, there are a number of public gallery spaces available for exhibitions. Calligraphers, textile artists, student shows and even English-language kagura are all on offer here at different times. The main floor has a restaurant and gift shop, as well as an excellent art library for browsing on rainy days. The museum’s permanent collection is on the second floor and is well worth a visit. Go more than once, in fact, because even if the main pieces on display don’t change over time, you will. On the third floor, traveling exhibits are shown. These vary wildly both in kind and appeal, but if you keep an eye on the schedule you’ll be pleasantly surprised at various points throughout the year. This is a good place to bring kids, and if they start to get bored, you can exit through a back door on the main floor directly into Shukkeien Garden to feed the carp and stroll through the trees along the river.
Admission: Permanent Collection: Adults, 510 yen; College, 310 yen; High School and below, free.
Special exhibits: Varies by exhibit, but a special ticket also gives access to the permanent collection.
Website: https://www.hpam.jp/museum/
Hiroshima Museum of Art
Founded in 1978, this private art museum is just north of the Rihga Royal Hotel. The focus here is on 19th and 20th-century European masters, as well as modern Japanese paintings done in a “Western” style. The space is lovely, surrounded by trees with wide doors leading into the eight curving galleries within. If you’re in the mood for a van Gogh or Gaugin, a Matisse or Modigliani, this is the place to go. There are less frequent traveling shows here as well, and the Japanese galleries are an excellent introduction to the impact of European painting on Japanese artists in the first half of the 20th century. The museum also offers concerts and gallery talks, all kept updated on the museum’s website, but unfortunately only in Japanese.
Admission: Adults, 2,200 yen; Students, 1,000 yen; Children, 500 yen.
Website: https://www.hiroshima-museum.jp/en/
Hiroshima Museum of Contemporary Art
Located atop Hijiyama Mountain just east of downtown (where Peace Boulevard crosses the river and enters twinned tunnels), the museum of contemporary art is something of an acquired taste, although plenty of locals and visitors love it. The emphasis here is on the word “contemporary” – so come expecting the avant garde and exhibits that may sometimes stretch conventional descriptions of art. More traditional are some of the sculptures and paintings in the permanent collection, including works from Henry Moore, Frank Stella and Andy Warhol, among others.
Admission: Permanent collection: Adults, 350 yen; University, 250 yen; High School and Senior, 150 yen; Junior High and Below free.
Special Exhibits: Varies by exhibit.
Website: https://www.hiroshima-moca.jp/?moca-lang=en
Izumi Museum of Art
This small, cosy, and attractive museum in Hiroshima City opened in 1997 and is something of a gem for those looking for art finds outside of the “big three” in Hiroshima. It features a range of Japanese art, including classics, modern, and contemporary work, as well as a selection of tea ceremony crafts and ceramics. There is also a nice café and garden area. It’s worth keeping an eye on events here, as there are frequent special exhibitions, talks, and tea ceremonies.
Admission: Adults, 300 yen; Students and high school, 150 yen; Younger groups, free.
Website: https://izumi-museum.jp/en/
Shoen Uemura, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
