原美術館。
Hara Museum in Shinagawa is one of my favourite museums in the world. It's not one of the major museums in Tokyo, it's small but tasteful and is like a hidden treasure box, or that's how I think of it. This Bauhaus-inspired architecture was designed in 1938 by Jin Watanabe who was one of the leading architects in the Showa period. It was originally a residence of Mr Hara, a businessman and art collector, and was turned into a private Museum in 1979 by his grandson.

Hara Museum showcases the latest developments in contemporary art and design including architecture, music and dance.

It has a really charming cafe overlooking a courtyard, which makes me love this museum more! Unfortunately like most Japanese museums no photographs are allowed inside the building so the top three photos are mine taken from outside and the bottom two are from their website.

Hara Museum of Contemporary Art
4-7-25 Kitashinagawa Shinagawa-ku Tokyo (google map)
5 mins by taxi or 15 mins on foot from JR Shinagawa Station Takanawa Exit.

8 comments

  1. Hello Hiki-san!
    I have tried to go to this gallery once and I got all the way there and then discovered it was closed that day :( and sadly I have never been back :( but it looks so super cute! We should go together when I come to Tokyo!
    Hope you have had a lovely weekend!
    Love Love
    Hello Sandwich
    xxx

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  2. It is now on my list of places to visit in Tokyo...which prefecture is it in and how far is it from the Tokyo Prince Hotel, Do you know?
    Domo arigato.
    Your Canadian Friend

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  3. WOW.
    This looks amazingly beautiful ! The view of the garden is beautiful !

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  4. in know it's shallow - but i really love it hen there's a good café attached to a gallery :)
    just thinking about it now, it's one of the downsides to living in france. most galleries don't have cafés :(

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  5. i am drooling over that architecture! how gorgeous. simple, clean, modern, beautiful.

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  6. hi ebony!
    oh no you went all the way there to find it closed!!!!!? kawaisou! i am adding this place to our list now ;)

    hi Baron's Life,
    thre are some prince hotels around Tokyo so I don't know which one you know (actually there is Shinagawa prince hotel near this museum), but Shinagawa station is on JR yamanote line. It's a bit far from the station though.

    hi marion,
    They are open till 8pm on Wednesdays and they have an occasional candle night events at the cafe which I really want to go one day!

    hi mary,
    oh i would've thought most museums in france have cafes! i love Musée Picasso in Paris, it had a nice cafe at the back of the gallery.

    hi jenna,
    yes i love every detail of this architecture. i wish i could take photos so I can share them with you all here!!!

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  7. hi Hiki,
    I have finally arrived in Brooklyn and am back online, and wanted to say thank you for the nice note and packaging with the Mina catalogue you sent me! It's a lovely book, very inspiring!
    by the way, I went to see the SANAA serpentine pavilion in London before I left, I'll post some pictures on my blog in a minute.
    All the best,
    Christine

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  8. hi christine!
    i'm so happy to know you finally got the catalogue!! i left a comment but i loooooove your SANAA post it's wonderful!
    and I will be looking forward to seeing Brooklyn through your eyes :)

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your kind words are always welcome and appreciated! arigato :)

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