Chihiro Art Museum Tokyo

[Art] [Contemporary Art]

[Overall] Sightseeing
★★★★★★☆☆☆☆ (6.0/10.0)

Features
△ Enjoyable
◎ Beautiful
◎ Relaxing
◎ Unique
◎ Japanese

TRY JAPAN recommends ...

1: to see art works by Chihiro Iwasaki

Oldest Museum of Picture Book in World

If you visit Chihiro Art Museum Tokyo, you can see art works by Chihiro Iwasaki (1918-1974).

It is the oldest art musum of picture book in the world. It is also impressive to see art works by picture book authors in the world.

Thanks to wooden floor at the first floor and wooden stairs, it has the warm atmosphere. It is possible to see Chihiro's garden and Atelier.

Chihiro Iwasaki is a famous artist who drew children. She hoped peace and happiness for children in the world. Her "lovely" perspective is different from "Kawaii" world of Japanese pop culture in Shibuya and Harajuku.

The director of this museum is Ms. Tetsuko Kuroyanagi, an actress. "Reborn as a Picture Book! Totto-chan: The Little Girl at the Window" (from March 1, 2015 (Sunday) to May 24, 2015 (Sunday)) was a wonderful exhibition that pictures by Chihiro Iwasaki with texts by Ms. Tetsuko Kuroyanagi. "Girl Wearing Blown Hat," a famous picture on the book cover of Totto-chan, was exhibited. "St. Kojizuking'sTemptation" was simultaneously held. There were colorful pictures drawn by live painting of Mr. Koji Suzuki (1948-Present).

The exhibition "You Can Be the Next Chihiro Iwasaki! The Seven Rules: A Thorough DIssection of the Artist's Technique" (from May 21, 2014 (Wednesday) to August 3, 2014 (Sunday)) was a great  exhibition to see the masterpieces by Chihiro Iwasaki including "Girl Blowing Bubbles." Artistic technique seen in the art works by Chihiro Iwasaki was explained. In particular, it was impressive to see the contrasting density by the use of water and the rich sense of color by the application of the complementary color in water-color paintings. Also, it was interesting to see the difference between the face with thin and sharp line and the hair with thick and soft line.

It was also impressive to see the picture of creatures in the sea by international artists of picture books in "My Oh My! The Picture Book Aquarium."

It opened in 1977. It is a middle-sized private art museum at residential area in Kami-Igusa, Nerima City, Tokyo. Its nearest station is Kami-Igusa Station.

For information, there is Chihiro Art Museum Azumino in Matsukawa Village, Nagano Prefecture.

Event Information

"Commemorating the 10th Anniversary of Yasuo Segawa's Passing: Tan Un Tei Nichijo -Between the Picture and the Story-"
from March 1, 2020 (Sunday) to June 21, 2020 (Sunday)

"Chihiro Iwasaki: Children's Happiness -A 12 Year History-"
from March 1, 2020 (Sunday) to September 22, 2020 (Tuesday, National Holiday)

"Celebrating the 110th Anniversary of the Artist's Birth -Suekichi Akaba Exhibition: The Road to Picture Books"
from June 26, 2020 (Friday) to September 22, 2020 (Tuesday, National Holiday)

"Chihiro Art Museum Collection: Leaping Out of the Picture Book World"
from September 26, 2020 (Saturday) to January 31, 2021 (Sunday)

"Gazing at the Hearts of Children: Chihiro Iawasaki Exhibition"
from September 26, 2020 (Saturday) to January 31, 2021 (Sunday)

Finished Event Information

"Reborn as a Picture Book! Totto-chan: The Little Girl at the Window"
from March 1, 2015 (Sunday) to May 24, 2015 (Sunday)

"Project Exhibition: St. Kojizuking's Temptation"
from March 1, 2015 (Sunday) to May 24, 2015 (Sunday)

"Chihiro's Bookshelf"
from May 27, 2015 (Wednesday) to August 2, 2015 (Sunday)

"Project Exhibition: Commemorating the 10th Anniversary of Shinta Cho's Passing Exhibition of Shinta Cho's Brain Mapping"
from May 27, 2015 (Wednesday) to August 2, 2015 (Sunday)

"Related Event of Commemorating the 120th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations between Japan and Brazil -Roger Mello, a Travelling Artist: Mello&Bossa (Performance: Michinari Usuda)"
September 5, 2015 (Saturday)

"Commemorating 70 Years of Non-war -Chihiro's Wish for Peace"
from August 5, 2015 (Wednesday) to October 25, 2015 (Sunday)

"Project Exhibition: Commemorating the 120th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations between Japan and Brazil -Roger Mello, a Travelling Artist"
from August 5, 2015 (Wednesday) to October 25, 2015 (Sunday)

"All about the Chihiro Art Museum -The World's First Picture Book Museum"
from October 28, 2015 (Wednesday) to January 31, 2016 (Sunday)

"Chihiro's Mouvement (Chihiro's Movement)"
from March 1, 2016 (Tuesday) to May 22, 2016 (Sunday)

"Project Exhibition: Hashire Toto! (Run Toto!) Eun Young Cho's Picture Book Creation"
from March 1, 2016 (Tuesday) to May 22, 2016 (Sunday)

"Me in the Picture: Chihiro's Self-portraits"
from May 25, 2016 (Wednesday) to August 7, 2016 (Sunday)

"Project Exhibition: Haruki Murakami and Illustrators --Maki Sasaki, Ayumi Ohashi, Makoto Wada, and Mizumaru Anzai--"
from May 25, 2016 (Wednesday) to August 7, 2016 (Sunday)

"Chihiro Exhibition: Kawaii (Cute)"
from August 11, 2016 (Thursday, National Holiday) to November 6, 2016 (Sunday)

"Project Exhibition: Hiroshi Abe's Animal Kingdom"
from August 11, 2016 (Thursday, National Holiday) to November 6, 2016 (Sunday)

"Chihiro: Winter Preparations"
from November 9, 2016 (Wednesday) to January 15, 2017 (Sunday)

"Suekichi Akaba: The Lands of China and Mongolia"
from November 9, 2016 (Wednesday) to January 15, 2017 (Sunday)

"Commemorating the Grand Opening of Totto-chan's Square Presenting "Totto-chan: The Little Girl at the Window" through Piezography"
from November 9, 2016 (Wednesday) to January 15, 2017 (Sunday)

"1st Exhibition in Commemoration of the Museum's 40th Anniversary / Celebrating the 150th Anniversary of Japan-Denmark Diplomatic Relations: My Andersen by Chihiro and International Picture Book Illustrators"
from March 1, 2017 (Wednesday) to May 14, 2017 (Sunday)

"1st Exhibition in Commemoration of the Museum's 40th Anniversary / Celebrating the 150th Anniversary of Japan-Denmark Diplomatic Relations Project Exhibition: Ib Spang Olsen -The Soul of Denmark-"
from March 1, 2017 (Wednesday) to May 14, 2017 (Sunday)

"2nd Exhibition in Commemoration of the Museum's 40th Anniversary Project Exhibition: Welcome to the Inside of a Chihiro Illustration! -A Chihiro Exhibition by Isao Takahata-"
from May 19, 2017 (Friday) to August 20, 2017 (Sunday)

"2nd Exhibition in Commemoration of the Museum's 40th Anniversary Project Exhibition: Takeshi Motai the Dream Traveler, by Yoshitomo Nara"
from May 19, 2017 (Friday) to August 20, 2017 (Sunday)

"3rd Exhibition in Commemoration of the Museum's 40th Anniversary: The Poetry of Chihiro -Pictures Like Poems-"
from August 24, 2017 (Thursday) to November 5, 2017 (Sunday)

"3rd Exhibition in Commemoration of the Museum's 40th Anniversary Project Exhibition: Yosuke Inoue's Oddball, Delightful, Suspicious and Agreeable Picture Books"
from August 24, 2017 (Thursday) to November 5, 2017 (Sunday)

"4th Exhibition in Commemoration of the Museum's 40th Anniversary: The History of Chihiro"
from November 8, 2017 (Wednesday) to January 31, 2018 (Wednesday)

"4th Exhibition in Commemoration of the Museum's 40th Anniversary: The 100-Year History of Japanese Picture Books"
from November 8, 2017 (Wednesday) to January 31, 2018 (Wednesday)

"Exhibition Series: Life -The 100th Anniversary of Chihiro Iwasaki's Birth- Where the Gaze Falls / Shinnji Ohmaki"
from March 1, 2018 (Thursday) to May 12, 2018 (Saturday)

"Exhibition Series: Life -The 100th Anniversary of Chihiro Iwasaki's Birth- Enjoying Fashion spoken words project"
from May 19, 2018 (Saturday) to July 22, 2018 (Sunday)

"Exhibition Series: Life -The 100th Anniversary of Chihiro Iwasaki's Birth- Play plaplax"
from July 28, 2018 (Saturday) to October 28, 2018 (Sunday)

"Exhibition Series: Life -The 100th Anniversary of Chihiro Iwasaki's Birth- To Create, To Bring up as a Mother and Artist Yurie Nagashima"
from November 3, 2018 (Saturday, National Holiday) to January 31, 2019 (Thursday)

"Chihiro Art Museum Collection: Enjoying Picture Book Fashions"
from March 1, 2019 (Friday) to May 6, 2019 (Monday, Substitute Holiday)

"Chihiro Art Museum × Bunka College Collaboration: Chihiro's Kid's Fashion"
from March 1, 2019 (Friday) to May 6, 2019 (Monday, Substitute Holiday)

"Japanese Children's Literature Illustrated by Chihiro Iwasaki"
from May 11, 2019 (Saturday) to July 28, 2019 (Sunday)

"Project Exhibition: The World of Shaun Tan -Welcome to Nowhere-"
from May 11, 2019 (Saturday) to July 28, 2019 (Sunday)

"Project Exhibition: Chihiro's Children -Shuntaro Tanikawa × Torafu Architects-"
from August 2, 2019 (Friday) to October 27, 2019 (Sunday)

"Tale of Two Women -Miyako and Chihiro-"
from November 1, 2019 (Friday) to January 31, 2020 (Friday)