Asakura Museum of Sculpture — Attraction in Tokyo

I went on a whim when I happened to be nearby, had time to kill and noticed the high review score. I also noticed that this museum was on the "grutto pass" list of museums that had discounted or free entrance fees with the pass.

I was very glad I went. The visit was a highlight of the museum visits that I've made in the last 4 weeks.

I can confirm the house itself is gorgeous and well worth looking at, with fantastic views from the roof.

The exhibit at the time was a collection of bronzes of cats, which were fun. There were many other things to look at that were not the work of Fumio Asakura. The library and book collection he inherited and several of his personal collections were quite interesting. Even a small selection of photos of his family (his daughters, also artists) were interesting.

A high point of the visit was the guide that walked through the first floor with me. I believe her nametag said Keiko. I didn't fully understand that I wouldn't be seeing her again after the first floor or I would have made a point of noting her name. She was very helpful in answering questions and providing background about the house. Her English was very good. There's an audio highlight tour available for like 200 yen, but I had skipped that. I likely got lucky in that I was there early and could be afforded more attention. By the time I left quite a few more people were in the house and in line to get in.

The site does have a mishmash of rules. No photos except outside or from specifically labeled vantage points (this was a new one to me). The other is "no shoes in the house." You carry your shoes in a provided bag. No big deal, but you will be putting on and taking off your shoes a couple of times. Also, they warn you on the roof to be careful if you have stability issues or problems with heights and want to go to the roof. It's a fairly steep set of metal stairs to get to the roof garden.

Absolutely worth checking out. There's a unique nearby shopping street and some other touristy things to do so you're not necessarily going to the area for...

Located in close proximity to a beautiful cemetery and looking like a black box, the Asakura Museum of Sculpture is not high on a tourist's list of attractions in Tokyo. However, it is a wonderfully artistic snapshot of 20th century Japanese history that would a shame to miss.

A combined studio and residence of the sculptor Asakura Fumio, the museum shows highlights from his evolution as an artist. Beginning with very westernized pieces and showing his gradual but constant incorporation of traditional Japanese styles into his works, the works act as a testament to the strategy of adopting and personalizing that enabled Japan to quickly become a global superpower, for better or worse.

As a bonus to the sculptures, guests are also provided access to parts of the 3-story house itself, and can get a quick breakdown of traditional Japanese housing and design elements for that housing. Included is a vast library of books, multiple floors high, which is truly a sight to see, especially as the digital age tends to compress all the books into a little screen. My favorite parts were the rooftop garden, which even in the brutal summer heat was a lovely break, and the combination of cat sculptures and pictures. The artist definitely had a preference for the feline. Koi fish are visible in the garden pond, as well.

Some things to keep in mind - guests are required to remove their shoes and there is no photography allowed inside the museum. During the summer, these were not of any issue. English guidance is available, but the estate is far more enjoyable if you have an English speaking tour guide with you. It was also nice to notice some 'hidden' sculptures - pieces that you would likely ignore when you first walked into the establishment but then appear to be painfully obvious as you are leaving. The entire tour takes less than an hour, not including any time you spend on the rooftop or enjoying the...

This is a lesser known art museum in the Yanaka Area, and albeit not being that famous, it was surprisingly worth the visit.

Asakusa is a Museum that’s built in the former residence and studio of the Sculptor Artist, Asakura. So the building consists of his studio, which now houses some of his art, and his private house. However, as Asakura was also Sensei of the neigbouring Art University, some parts of it also was his teaching ground.

I visited as the studio architecture looked beautiful from the pamphlets, and it really was. But what I didn’t realize was that the house was also just as beautiful. The studio used big archers and made use of light perfectly, while the house provides an intimate viewing of the center garden. An amazing example of Japanese architecture all out.

The sculptures themselves are beautiful, a great example of portraiture and monument sculpting, which follows the western tradition. Asakura himself prides himself as being exact so that beside his studio he has an impressive book room with an immense collection he would use as inspiration. Notably also his studio is made out of concrete, mainly to accommodate a big machine in the middle of his studio from which he can get his sculpture up and down (because he used to have to take ladders to go to the top of his sculpture but as he ages, he was afraid that he won’t be able to do that anymore, so he installed this in his studio).

Impressive is also his rooftop garden which is way too early for his time. Very beautiful and poetic.

The only downside is that we are not allowed to take pictures in...