Art is fun!
Tokyo art museums are playlands for adults
There are numerous art museums in Tokyo where you can stroll around gardens admiring the art and enjoy good food! Let curator Sayako Mizuta guide you through the “adult playlands” that are Tokyo art museums. (Top photo: Brasserie PAUL BOCUSE Le Musee)
Sayako Mizuta
Born in 1981, she graduated from Musashino Art University with a master's degree in arts policy and management. Mizuta became an independent curator through supporting young artists. She has planned exhibitions such as "Hifu to Chizu II - Kioku to Jikan e no Chikazukikata (Shinjuku Gankaro/2011)" and "Hifu to Chizu - 4mei no Artist ni yoru Shintai to Chikaku e no Kokoromi (Aichi Triennale exhibition planning/2010)," and jointly planned "Yawarakanautsuwa." She also contributes exhibition reviews to Tokyo Art Beat and ART Yuran, and is involved in planning and running comos (http://comos-tv.com/).
For when you want to take a stroll
Art + Garden
"While it may seem strange, Tokyo actually is home to many garden-style art museums."
Mizuta's recommendation for enjoying Tokyo art galleries is to start with garden-style museums. Art museums with gardens are important spots to relax and refresh in greenery-poor Tokyo.
"What the NEZU Museum, the Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Museum, the Hara Museum, and other splendid garden-style art museums are historical manors. You can experience their art, take a stroll in the garden, and feel what it must have been like to live in these gorgeous manors!"
Guide Recommendation: NEZU Museum
"Konintei" Tea House
This Japanese-style garden is a metropolitan oasis at 17,000m². The four tea houses here give the garden an austere feeling.
Mizuta recommends the NEZU Museum. The Japanese style garden here is quieter than you would think possible in trendy Minamiaoyama.
"The museum focuses on the collection of the railroad baron Kaichiro NEZU. It encompasses a wide period and genre of Japanese and classical oriental art. Originally the private residence of NEZU, it still has an expansive garden that includes 4 tea houses."
After enjoying classical Japanese and oriental art, you can savor the feeling as you take a stroll in the garden. With good timing you can see the perfect blending of art and nature.
"At the end of every April the garden welcomes blooming Kakitsubata irises. In conjunction with this the museum holds a special exhibition of Korin Ogata's national treasure, the Kakitsubata Screen. The wisteria trellises are wonderful at this time too.
Lovely Kakitsubata irises bloom in the garden pond at the end of April.
Kakitsubata Screen (right side) - National treasure drawn by Korin Ogata under the pseudonym Rinpa.
Looking out over the garden through the windows of the NEZUCAFÉ is popular.
The museum was renovated under the plans of Kengo Kuma in 2009. It's a must see for architecture enthusiasts!
NEZU Museum
Minamiaoyama 6-5-1, Minato-ku, Tokyo TEL: 03-3400-2536
Hours: 10:00 - 17:00, closed Mondays Admission: Varies with each exhibition
http://www.nezu-muse.or.jp/
Bask in the glow of good art and good food
Art + Food
Next, Mizuta recommends enjoying art and food. There are more and more restaurants and cafes in museums to satisfy any tastes.
Many popular restaurants are opening new ventures in museums, such as French Chef Yutaka Ishinabe's restaurant in the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, or the café in the Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum under direct management of "Shimbashi Kanetanaka". There are also more and more restaurants featuring exquisite synergistic menus that add mood to the exhibitions. Appreciating art takes a lot of energy, so what could be better than sitting down and eating wonderful food?"
Guide recommendation: Brasserie PAUL BOCUSE Le Musee, National Art Center, Tokyo
Mizuta's recommend "art + cafe" spot is Brasserie PAUL BOCUSE Le Musee in the National Art Center, Tokyo, in the heart of Tokyo's Beverly Hills, Roppongi.
Here you can enjoy a casual French style meal by Paul Bocuse, a giant in the French cuisine world who holds the title Meilleur Ouvrier de France. The restaurant looks like it's floating in space, a perfect match for a museum with Japan's largest exhibition space.
The National Art Center, Tokyo does not have a collection. It is a new style of art museum that holds a variety of exhibitions.
Brasserie PAUL BOCUSE Le Musee, with its stage-like unusual location, perfectly matches the feel of the museum.
The brasserie offers special limited menus that provide synergy with major art exhibitions at the museum.
"One of the joys of art appreciation is sharing your feelings with your friends. But a synergistic menu named after the exhibition adds another layer of excitement to your chat."
The main dish is a special course (JPY 5250) named after the "American Art from the Philips Collection"exhibition currently being held (until Dec. 12).You'll find American-style spareribs paired with a traditional French sauce.
This is the dessert that comes with the special course. Pears, caramel, and nuts have been added to give a seasonal feeling to an all time American favorite, the American brownie. This is truly a Brasserie PAUL BOCUSE Le Musee dish.
National Art Center, Tokyo
Roppongi 7-22-2, Minato-ku, Tokyo Tel: 03-5777-8600 (toll free) Hours: 10:00 - 18:00 (open till 20:00 on Fridays) Closed: Tuesdays
Admission: Varies by exhibit *Admission to the museum is free
http://www.nact.jp/
Brasserie PAUL BOCUSE Le Musee
3rd Floor, National Art Center, Tokyo Tel: 03-5770-8161 Hours: 11:00 - 16:00, 16:00 - 21:00 (open till 22:00 on Fridays) Closed: Tuesdays
http://www.paulbocuse.jp/musee/
A fresh experience
Art + Fashion
The third way to enjoy Tokyo museums is "art + fashion." With a new exhibition space in Louis Vuitton Omotesando opened this year, even luxury brand goods are actively promoting art.
"You can check out the latest from your favorite brands and do some shopping while enjoying a little art. If nothing else, it lets you experience brands from a different angle for a fresh experience. Diversifying exhibitions, such as Chanel's Mobile Art Exhibition (2008) where we visited each country in a moving pavilion, are a must-see!"
Guide recommendation: Maison Hermes 8F Forum
Mizuta says that "there are a lot of works utilizing the lofty ceiling and bright space." The photo shows the Yuki Exhibition of snow crystals by Yutaka Sone (2011).
Mizuta highly recommends Maison Hermes 8F Forum, which is critically acclaimed even amongst art aficionados. It's an art gallery in Ginza's Maison Hermes.
"The exhibition space in the luxurious Maison hosts many unscheduled exhibitions. Since its opening in 2001 I've continued to be dazzled by the high quality exhibitions there!"
Four planned exhibitions are held annually under a lofty, naturally lit ceiling.
"Another feature is the diversity of the artists they choose. And if you miss an exhibition, they make a leaflet of the artist for you to review, which is great."
Mizuta says that the Sara Sze Exhibition (2008) leaves quite an impression. "It's like a mobile made from everyday items, an architectural structure, and a city-like sculpture. It's a beautiful work that combines ephemerality and humor."
The flagship store Maison Hermes, a famous building designed by Renzo Piano, is worth a look too. The window display in the front entrance is just like a media installation open to the public, with objets d'art vying for your attention.
Maison Hermes 8th Floor Forum
Ginza 5-4-1, Chuo-ku, Tokyo Tel: 03-3569-3300 Hours: Monday - Saturday 11:00 - 20:00, Sundays 11:00 - 19:00, open year round Admission: Free
http://www.art-it.asia/u/maisonhermes
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