The National Museum of Western Art_Tokyo

One of the few museum designed by Le Corbusier, it is located in the Ueno Park in Taito, central Tokyo, together with other important museums, such as the Tokyo National Museum, the National Museum of Nature and Science and also the Zoo. The museum is also known by the English acronym NMWA (National Museum of Western Art) and in Japanese as 国立西洋美術館 Kokuritsu Seiyō Bijutsukan. The National Museum of Western Art was established in April 1959 and was based on the Matsukata Collection focusing on the Impressionist paintings and Auguste Rodin's sculptures previously stored by the French government. The museum's purpose is to provide the public with opportunities to appreciate western art. Since its opening, the museum, as Japan's only national institution devoted to western art, has been involved in exhibitions, art work and document acquisition, research, restoration and conservation, education and the publication of materials related to western art. The museum exhibits works from the Matsukata Collection as well as works created from the Renaissance to the early 20th century that have been acquired since the museum's opening. The museum has purchased art work every year since its establishment in its efforts to build and develop its permanent collection. These permanent collection works are displayed in the Main Building (Le Corbusier, 1959) and New Wing (MAEKAWA Kunio, 1979) throughout the year. | Photos by Martin Grossmann, September 2019 | URL: https://www.nmwa.go.jp/en/index.html