National Museum of Art, Osaka

The National Museum of Art, Osaka is a fully underground museum with three basement levels (some floors above ground) that collects and exhibits contemporary art.

With the exception of works by some artists (Cézanne, Picasso, Ernst, Tsuguharu Fujita, Yasuo Kuniyoshi, etc.), the collection consists mainly of domestic and international contemporary art from 1945 onward.

The museum has the largest collection of contemporary art in Japan at approximately 8,000 works, and introduces changing exhibitions several times a year with attractive themes, and also holds special exhibitions other than contemporary art.

In addition, various exhibitions, lectures, symposiums, and gallery talks are held every month.

The new building, which was relocated from Expo ‘70 Commemorative Park to Nakanoshima and built in 2004, is unique in that the main part of the building that serves as the museum is entirely underground.

The exterior of the building was designed to resemble the bending of bamboo and the development and growth of contemporary art.

It was designed by Argentine-born architect Cesar Pelli, who is also responsible for the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, and Abeno Harukas.

The entrance, auditorium, restaurant, and museum store are located on the B1 floor, while the exhibition rooms and storage rooms are on the B2 and B3 floors.

The first basement floor is a free space with free admission and is crowded with many visitors.

The museum is equipped with a children’s room with approximately 300 picture books and childcare services (reservations and charges apply), offering a wide range of services for parents with small children.