For my last day in Kyoto, I decided to visit the Kyoto City Kyocera Museum of Art. I had a flight to catch in the afternoon, so I wanted to ensure I had enough time in my schedule. I chose to visit the Kyoto City Kyocera Museum and have a meal at Yamamoto Menzou as my main agenda for the last day. Looking back, it was a fantastic choice!
I visited the Kyoto City Kyocera Museum of Art in early September, and they had a special exhibition called ‘Painting Love in the Louvre Collection’ underway. It sounded intriguing, so I bought two tickets: one for the Collection Room (the permanent exhibition) and another for the Louvre Collection (the special exhibition).
Once you’re inside the museum, you’ll find the two collections (exhibitions) on both your left and right sides. The layout is straightforward.
Don’t forget that there are coin lockers near the main gate. They require you to insert a coin, but you’ll get it back when you leave, so it’s essentially free! I only discovered this after I finished viewing the Louvre exhibition but was able to explore the second exhibition (Collection Room) without my bags. It was really convenient.
Painting Love in the Louvre Collection (¥2,100)
I started by looking around the special exhibition, the Louvre Collection.
When I checked Google, it said the museum opens at 10 am. So, I decided to arrive a bit earlier, have some coffee at a nearby cafe, and then visit the museum. I reached the museum around 9:30 am on a Saturday morning and noticed a not-too-long line of people waiting to enter. I joined the line and inquired about the situation. It turns out that the special exhibition starts at 9 am, while the Collection Room (permanent exhibition) starts at 10 am. If you plan to visit the Kyoto City Kyocera Museum of Art, please be aware that the hours for the special exhibition can differ from the permanent one!
It was very crowded in the Louvre Collection, mostly the local citizens of Kyoto, I assume.
Out of the 4 collection rooms, only the last one was allowed for taking photos.
I’m a big fan of audio guides, especially in art museums. They add so much fun and make the experience memorable by providing context and stories about the artists and their work.
Unfortunately, there was no audio guide for the Louvre Collection (there was one for the Collection Room!). I had to rely on reading the information cards for each piece, but the tiny font size made it quite challenging. I had to stand right in front of the wall to read the text.
The Louvre Collection was a decent exhibit that I could explore in about an hour. Its overarching theme was love, and the collection featured artworks related to various aspects of love. This included not only romantic love but also themes like familial love, jealousy, and love-related conflicts and wars.
Collection Room (¥630)
After visiting the Louvre Collection, I moved on to the next exhibit, which was the Museum Collection. I learned that the Collection Room was a new addition following the museum’s renovation in 2020. It showcased pieces by popular artists representing Kyoto art across the seasons. During my visit in early September, the collection was themed around summer.
The Collection Room offered an audio guide (which was great!), and it was much less crowded. In fact, there were very few people, allowing me to take my time and explore the exhibits more comfortably.
The Collection Room had many pieces that depict women in traditional clothing.
Kyoto City Kyocera Museum of Art Garden
After looking around the both collections, I found out this beautiful view through the window.
It was a beautiful day, a stark contrast to the days of cloudy weather since my arrival in Kyoto. Of course, it had to be the day I leave. That’s life…
I went outside and there was a nice garden where I could take a quick walk.
There was a lovely pond and pretty trees around it.
So green!
I didn’t take the full walk as I had to run to Yamamoto Menzou, which was right across the street.
FAQ
Who is the architect of the Kyoto City Kyocera Museum of Art?
Aoki Jun and Nishizawa Tezzo.
Aoki Jun
Architect. Born in 1956 in Yokohama. Completed the University of Tokyo Master’s Degree Program in the Department of Architecture. Representative works: “Mamihara Bridge” (Kumamoto Landscape Award), “S” (Yoshioka Award), “Fukushima Lagoon Museum” (Architectural Institute of Japan Annual Award), “Louis Vuitton Omotesando” (BCS Award), “Aomori Museum of Art,” “Omiyamae Gymnasium,” and “Miyoshi City Hall, Kiriri.”
Nishizawa Tezzo
Architect. Born in 1974 in Kyoto. Graduated from the Tokyo University of the Arts Fine Arts Department. Representative works include: “Louis Vuitton Matsuya Ginza store renovation,” and “Aomori Museum of Art” (at Jun Aoki & Associates), The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo Collection Gallery renovation, and the “Hachinohe City Museum of Art.”
source: kyotocity kyocera museum