The Mizuno Museum of Art is a museum in the Wakasato district of Nagano City specializing in Japanese painting. Operated by the Mizuno Museum of Art Foundation, it opened in 2002 to showcase the collection of modern and contemporary Japanese paintings assembled over many years by Masayuki Mizuno (1940–2009), the founder of HOKTO Corporation, a company well known in Japan for its mushroom production.
The three-story museum contains four exhibition rooms, while a beautiful Japanese garden stretches out in front of the building. Visitors can also stop by the museum shop, which offers publications, original merchandise, and selected products from HOKTO Corporation. Facing the garden, the Japanese restaurant Shikisai MIZUNO provides a peaceful setting for enjoying a meal.
The museum also actively offers educational programs, including workshops and lectures, helping to make Japanese art more accessible while contributing to the development of the local cultural community.
The heart of the museum is the Mizuno Collection, which focuses on artists who embraced the ideals of Okakura Tenshin, a leading figure in the development of modern Japanese painting during the Meiji era. The collection includes works by such masters as Hashimoto Gaho, Yokoyama Taikan, Shimomura Kanzan, and Hishida Shunso, artists who played important roles in seeking new forms of expression in Japanese painting.
The collection also features works by Kawai Gyokudo and Katayama Nanpu, as well as major postwar Japanese painters such as Sugiyama Yasushi, Okuda Genso, Kayama Matazo, and Takayama Tatsuo. In total, approximately 500 works are held by the museum.
One of the museum’s particular strengths is its collection of works by Hishida Shunso, who was born in Iida, Nagano Prefecture. The museum owns 36 of his works, including paintings created in collaboration with his close friend and fellow artist Yokoyama Taikan. The collection is regarded as one of the most significant collections of Hishida’s work in Japan.
The museum also owns one of Yokoyama Taikan’s paintings entitled “Muga” (No-Self), created in 1897 when the artist was still relatively young. Two other works bearing the same title are held by the Tokyo National Museum and Adachi Museum of Art. The work at the Mizuno Museum is considered to be the last of the three to have been painted.
For many years, the painting was rarely shown to the public, but it is now displayed approximately once a year, offering visitors a special opportunity to encounter an important work from Taikan’s early career.
The collection also includes numerous examples of bijinga, the Japanese tradition of paintings depicting beautiful women. Works by artists such as Uemura Shoen, Kaburaki Kiyokata, and Ito Shinsui provide another fascinating perspective on Japanese art.
Together, these works allow visitors to explore a wide range of Japanese painting, from the innovative artists of the Meiji era to the masters of modern and postwar Japan.
The museum’s collection includes works by Hashimoto Gaho, Yokoyama Taikan, Shimomura Kanzan, Hishida Shunso, Kawai Gyokudo, Katayama Nanpu, Sugiyama Yasushi, Okuda Genso, Kayama Matazo, Takayama Tatsuo, Uemura Shoen, Kaburaki Kiyokata, Ito Shinsui, and Iwanami Akihiko.
The Mizuno Museum of Art opened in July 2002. In 2003, both the museum and its garden received the 16th Nagano City Landscape Award in recognition of their contribution to the city’s visual environment.
In 2006, the Mizuno Museum of Art Foundation was recognized as a Special Public Interest Promotion Corporation. Following the death of founder Masayuki Mizuno in January 2009, Masayoshi Mizuno became chairman of the foundation. In 2011, the organization was reorganized as the Public Interest Incorporated Foundation Mizuno Museum of Art.
From November 2019 through April 2020, the museum underwent major renovation work and temporarily closed. It remained closed for an additional period because of the spread of COVID-19 and reopened on June 2, 2020.
The museum can be reached conveniently by bus from Nagano Station. From the East Exit, take Nagaden Bus route 15 bound for the Nagano Red Cross Hospital area or Mizuno Museum of Art. Get off at Mizuno Bijutsukan, a journey of approximately 10 minutes. Buses generally run about every 30 minutes, and services bound directly for the museum stop in front of the building.
Another option is Alpico Kotsu. From bus stop No. 2 at the Zenkoji Exit of Nagano Station, take route 21 toward Matsuoka or Otsuka-Minami and get off at Mizuno Bijutsukan-mae. The journey takes approximately 15 minutes, with buses operating at intervals of around 10 to 30 minutes.
The museum can also be reached on foot from the East Exit of Nagano Station in approximately 35 minutes, making it a pleasant option for visitors who would like to explore the city along the way.