The Ohara Museum of Art (大原美術館, Ōhara Bijutsukan) was Japan's first museum of Western art. It is a private museum consisting of three adjacent buildings next to the canal and a separate building located in Ivy Square.

The Main Gallery building was constructed when the museum was founded, and features most of the museum's highlights. On display are masterpieces of Western art by Picasso, El Greco, Gauguin, Modigliani, Rodin, Klee, Pollock and Kandinsky among others. The artists in the collection span a wide variety of periods and nationalities.

Beside the Main Gallery are the Annex building and a building housing the Craft Art Gallery and the Asiatic Art Gallery. The Annex features a number of works by Japanese artists, and includes both oil paintings and sculptures. The Craft Art Gallery displays ceramics, woodblock prints, stencil dyeing, and other crafts. The Asiatic Art Gallery includes artefacts from Egypt and antiques from China.

The final building, the Kojima Torajiro Memorial Hall (currently closed; scheduled to open on April 3, 2025), is a one minute walk from the main museum. The gallery, located inside a former bank building, is devoted to Kojima Torajiro (1881-1929), a Japanese artist who painted in the Western style. Kojima purchased much of the art on display at the Ohara Museum on behalf of Ohara Magosaburo, the owner of the Kurabo textile company and founder of the Ohara Museum. In fact, the Ohara Museum was built by Ohara in 1930 to commemorate Kojima, who had died the year before.

Getting there and around

The main buildings of the Ohara Museum are located at the northern end of Kurashiki's historic canal area. The Kojima Museum is located about 200 meters away from the other buildings, just across the canal within Ivy Square.

How to get to and around Kurashiki

Hours and Fees

Hours

Closed

Admission

Typical Visit Duration

Hotels around Kurashiki

Top rated in Kurashiki
Budget:
    • Nagi Kurashiki Hotel&Lounge
      Luxury
      Located in Kurashiki and with Shinkeien Garden reachable within 1 km, Nagi Kurashiki Hotel&Lounge provides concierge services, non-smoking rooms, free bikes, free WiFi throughout the property and a shared lounge. The property is situated 10 km from Tanematsuyama Park, 10 km from Mizushima Ryokuchi Fukuda Park and 25 km from Daitsu-ji Temple. The hotel features family rooms. Guest rooms are equipped with air conditioning, a flat-screen TV with satellite channels, a fridge, a kettle, a bidet, a hairdryer and a desk. The rooms include a private bathroom with a shower and free toiletries. With staff speaking English, Spanish, Japanese and Korean, guidance is available at the reception. Popular points of interest near Nagi Kurashiki Hotel&Lounge include Kanryuji Temple, Yumiko Igarashi Museum and Ohara Museum of Art. The nearest airport is Okayama Airport, 28 km from the accommodation.
      View on Booking.com
      9.1Booking.com
    • Ryori Ryokan Tsurugata
      Luxury
      Located in the Kurashiki Bikan Historical Quarter, Ryori Ryokan Tsurugata offers Japanese-style accommodations in a historical building from the Edo period. Free Wi-Fi is available at the public areas and guests can relax in the public baths. JR Kurashiki Train Station is a 10-minute walk away. The air-conditioned rooms feature tatami (woven-straw) floors and Japanese futon bedding. Each comes with a seating area with low tables and a flat-screen TV. Japanese Yukata robes and toothbrush sets are provided for all guests and the en suite bathroom comes with a hairdryer. Massages can be requested for an extra cost and local souvenirs can be purchased at the gift shop. Photocopying services and luggage storage is offered at the front desk. Guests can look out into the traditional garden and relax. Traditional multi-course meals are served for dinner and a Japanese set menu for breakfast. Meals are served at the guests' room. Tsurugata Ryori Ryokan is a 2-minute walk from Ohara Museum of Art and a 5-minute walk from Kurashiki Ivy Square. Achi Shrine is also a 5-minute walk away.
      View on Booking.com
      9.0Booking.com
    • Royal Park Hotel Kurashiki
      Mid-range
      Boasting a restaurant, Royal Park Hotel Kurashiki is situated in Kurashiki in the Okayama region, 700 metres from Shinkeien Garden and 10 km from Mizushima Ryokuchi Fukuda Park. Featuring a shared lounge, the 3-star hotel has air-conditioned rooms with free WiFi, each with a private bathroom. Private parking is available on site. Guest rooms in the hotel are fitted with a kettle. Rooms are equipped with a flat-screen TV, and some rooms at Royal Park Hotel Kurashiki have a city view. All rooms will provide guests with a fridge. A buffet, Italian or Asian breakfast is available each morning at the property. The accommodation offers a sauna. You can play billiards at Royal Park Hotel Kurashiki, and bike hire is available. Staff speak English, Japanese and Chinese at the 24-hour front desk. Tanematsuyama Park is 10 km from the hotel, while Rian Bunko Art Museum is 16 km from the property. Okayama Airport is 23 km away.
      View on Booking.com
      8.8Booking.com
    • Hotel Grand Cocoe Kurashiki
      Mid-range
      Boasting a restaurant, Hotel Grand Cocoe Kurashiki is situated in Kurashiki in the Okayama region, 600 metres from Shinkeien Garden and 10 km from Mizushima Ryokuchi Fukuda Park. The property is around 11 km from Tanematsuyama Park, 16 km from Rian Bunko Art Museum and 16 km from Kuni Shrine. The hotel has a sauna, a 24-hour front desk and free WiFi throughout the property. The hotel will provide guests with air-conditioned rooms with a desk, a kettle, a fridge, a safety deposit box, a flat-screen TV and a shared bathroom with a bidet. The rooms have a wardrobe. Saijo Inari Temple is 17 km from Hotel Grand Cocoe Kurashiki, while AEON Mall Okayama is 17 km from the property. Okayama Airport is 23 km away.
      View on Booking.com
      8.6Booking.com
    • Kurashiki Ivy Square
      Mid-range
      Originally built in 1889 as a red-brick cotton mill, this historical hotel is just 300 metres from the Bikan Historical Quarter. It features 2 restaurants, a bar and gift shop. The air-conditioned rooms at Kurashiki Ivy Square feature cherry-wood furniture and a flat-screen cable TV. Ohara Museum, Yurinso Villa and Kyodo Gangukan (Japanese Folk Toy Museum) are all about a 5-minute walk from the hotel. JR Kurashiki Train Station is a 20-minute walk or 10-minute taxi ride away. Kurashiki Ivy Square Hotel is an official Heritage of Industrial Modernisation site. The hotel features an art gallery. Tsuta Restaurant serves Japanese dishes in Japanese decor. Restaurant Ivy offers Western foods. Bar Akarenga pours drinks in a relaxed setting.
      View on Booking.com
      8.5Booking.com
    • GRAND BASE Kurashiki Chuo
      Mid-range
      Situated within 400 metres of Shinkeien Garden and 9 km of Mizushima Ryokuchi Fukuda Park, GRAND BASE Kurashiki Chuo features rooms with air conditioning and a private bathroom in Kurashiki. Among the facilities at this property are a lift and full-day security, along with free WiFi throughout the property. This 3-star aparthotel offers private entrance. Each unit comes with a sofa, a seating area, a flat-screen TV, a well-fitted kitchen, and a private bathroom with slippers. A microwave, a fridge and stovetop are also offered, as well as a kettle. The units are equipped with heating facilities. Tanematsuyama Park is 10 km from the aparthotel, while Rian Bunko Art Museum is 17 km from the property. The nearest airport is Okayama Airport, 23 km from GRAND BASE Kurashiki Chuo.
      View on Booking.com
      8.5Booking.com
    • Dormy Inn Kurashiki Natural Hot Spring
      Mid-range
      Dormy Inn Kurashiki is a 6-minute walk from Kurashiki Train Station and a 40-minute drive from Okayama Airport. It features a restaurant, free wired internet and free wifi and a public bath with hot spring water. Air-conditioned guestrooms are fitted with a fridge and a TV with satellite channels. Communal bath facilities are available. The hotel features a large open-air bath and an indoor public bath on the top floor. A coin launderette, massage services and sauna facilities are also available. English speaking staff can be found at the front desk. Kurashiki Dormy Inn is within 500 metres from Kanryuji Temple and Yumiko Igarashi Museum.
      View on Booking.com
      8.3Booking.com
    • Kurashiki Royal Art Hotel
      Luxury
      Located in Kurashiki, 300 metres from Shinkeien Garden, Kurashiki Royal Art Hotel provides accommodation with a restaurant, private parking and a bar. This 4-star hotel offers a 24-hour front desk and free WiFi. Rian Bunko Art Museum is 17 km from the hotel and Kuni Shrine is 17 km away. Mizushima Ryokuchi Fukuda Park is 8.9 km from the hotel, while Tanematsuyama Park is 10 km away. Okayama Airport is 23 km from the property.
      View on Booking.com
      8.3Booking.com
    • Kurashiki Kokusai Hotel
      Luxury
      Attractively located in the Kurashiki Bikan Historical Quarter district of Kurashiki, Kurashiki Kokusai Hotel is situated 100 metres from Shinkeien Garden, 9 km from Mizushima Ryokuchi Fukuda Park and 10 km from Tanematsuyama Park. Featuring a garden, the 4-star hotel has air-conditioned rooms with free WiFi, each with a private bathroom. Guests can enjoy French dishes at the restaurant or have a cocktail at the bar. At the hotel, every room has a desk and a flat-screen TV. At Kurashiki Kokusai Hotel rooms come with bed linen and towels. Guests at the accommodation can enjoy a buffet breakfast. Speaking English and Japanese, staff are always on hand to help at the reception. Rian Bunko Art Museum is 17 km from Kurashiki Kokusai Hotel, while Kuni Shrine is 17 km from the property. Okayama Airport is 23 km away.
      View on Booking.com
      8.3Booking.com
    • HOTEL R9 The Yard Kurashiki
      Mid-range
      Located within 7.9 km of Tanematsuyama Park and 8.6 km of Shinkeien Garden, HOTEL R9 The Yard Kurashiki features rooms in Kurashiki. The 3-star hotel has air-conditioned rooms with a private bathroom and free WiFi. The property is non-smoking and is situated 5.8 km from Mizushima Ryokuchi Fukuda Park. The rooms in the hotel are equipped with a kettle. All rooms in HOTEL R9 The Yard Kurashiki are fitted with a flat-screen TV and free toiletries. Daitsu-ji Temple is 22 km from the accommodation, while Hourseshoe Crab Museum is 23 km from the property. The nearest airport is Okayama Airport, 41 km from HOTEL R9 The Yard Kurashiki.
      View on Booking.com
      8.3Booking.com