Ota Memorial Museum of Art

The Ota Memorial Museum of Art is a small but remarkable institution tucked in a quiet lane off Omotesando in Harajuku, entirely dedicated to the art of ukiyo-e, the genre of Japanese woodblock prints that flourished from the 17th to the 19th century and profoundly influenced Impressionist artists in Europe. The museum was established in 1980 based on the lifelong private collection of Seizo Ota, a former chairman of Toho Insurance, who spent decades accumulating over 15,000 prints in response to the widespread export of Japanese art to Western collectors and museums. Rather than keeping the collection private, Ota’s dying wish was to make it available to the public, and the museum was founded in his memory. The collection includes works by all of the great ukiyo-e masters, among them Katsushika Hokusai, Utagawa Hiroshige, Kitagawa Utamaro, and Toshusai Sharaku. Because the museum’s prints are highly sensitive to light and humidity, exhibitions rotate monthly, with between 70 and 100 pieces on display at any one time, organized around carefully conceived themes. This means that regular visitors are always rewarded with something new. A tranquil Japanese-style rock garden within the museum provides a restful interlude. The museum shop in the basement carries an excellent selection of print reproductions, art books, and hand-dyed handkerchiefs. The museum is a five-minute walk from JR Harajuku Station.