One of three national contemporary art museums in Japan

The National Museum of Art is a subterranean Japanese art museum occupies two underground floors on the island of Nakanoshima, Osaka. Inspired by the life force of bamboo, the museum’s current building was opened in 2007 and represents the growth and shape of a bamboo plant. Soaring titanium coated steel tubes, resembling the wings of a butterfly, rise from the lobby to become a sculptural icon on the Osaka skyline.

Located on an irregular and extremely tight below grade site, in a major arts district, the museum was conceived as a sculptural form that will serve as an important civic landmark. Titanium-coated stainless steel tubes, woven together, not only support the glass of the skylight/ lobby but also surround it, penetrate it and rise freely above it, as high as 170 feet, to create a sculptural landmark. The Osaka National Museum of Art clearly shows how art in Japan has developed over the years. The museum focuses on collecting, storing and displaying both Japanese and foreign contemporary art, with exhibitions from the museum collection as well as rotating special exhibitions. Most of the artwork in the collection is from the post-war era. Pre-war exceptions include work by Paul Cézanne, Pablo Picasso, Max Ernst, Tsuguharu Foujita and Yasuo Kuniyoshi. The museum facilities include a public space that creates interaction between people and art, and provides an even more comfortable environment to appreciate art.