The museum is closed. We're active in town.
Himeji City Museum of Art is scheduled to be closed until the end of December 2027 due to renovation work on its air conditioning and other facilities. To ensure the museum remains an open presence for everyone, we have prepared a special program exclusively for this period. Why not embark on a "journey" to experience art in the city of Himeji?
Himeji City Museum of Art Outreach Program (August-November) Flyer
Front of Flyer
Back of Flyer
PDF available here
d73910-450-d2212fefbbda92bf5adac1bbbdd13c9e.pdf
This map introduces cultural properties and recommended scenic spots within a radius of approximately 2km centered on Himeji Castle and Himeji City Museum of Art, along with illustrations. Please enjoy it like a travel itinerary for exploring the city of Himeji with "art" as the theme.
The venues for each event are indicated by numbers on the map. Please use them as landmarks when heading to event venues and as clues to discover new points of interest during your town walk.
Event Applications
- Please apply via the application form or by postcard.
- The application deadline varies for each event.
- If the number of applicants exceeds the capacity, a lottery will be held.
- Application results will be notified by email or mail approximately two weeks before the event.
- Children elementary school age and younger must be accompanied by a guardian.
(Please note that applications for the workshop "9. Mosaic Art Using Colored Glass" (August 11 (Tue., holiday) & August 13 (Thu.)) can only be made through the online application portal and are on a first-come, first-served basis.)
If using the application form
Please apply from the application form for each event listed below.
For details, please check the Himeji City Online Application Portal.
Proceed to "List of Procedures That Can Be Applied For," then to "Procedures for Individuals," and select the "Culture/Arts" category to proceed with event applications.
- New registration or login to the Himeji City Online Application Portal is required for application.
- It may not be available depending on the operating environment.
- Notification emails will be sent from the system. If you have spam filters enabled, please change your settings to allow emails from "@city.himeji.lg.jp" to be received.
Application results will be sent by email approximately two weeks before the event.
If using a postcard
Please write one event per postcard.
In principle, one postcard per person. However, if applying as a group (e.g., parent and child, family, with caregiver), the representative can fill out one postcard with information for all accompanying persons.
Please be mindful of insufficient postage. Postmarks on the application deadline date are valid.
<Front>
To: Himeji City Museum of Art "Outreach Program (August-November)" Secretariat 68-25 Honmachi, Himeji City, 670-0012
<Back>
- Event name and date you wish to attend
- Name (write the names of all participants)
- Address
- Age
- Phone number where you can be reached
Application results will be sent by mail approximately two weeks before the event.
Event List
[Town Walks]
1. Experience the Master Craftsman's Skill at the Myochin Blacksmith Shop
2. Museum Architecture Walk
3. Let's Visit the Places Depicted
[Lectures]
4. The Museum Goes Out into Town - Curators Speak About Their Love for the Collection
5. The Charm of Claude Monet
6. My Story with Kenzo Takada - Won't You Share Your Memories of His Clothes?
[Garden Events]
7. Film Screening: "Ashes and Diamonds" (No application required)
8. Himeji City Museum of Art Friends Association Presents: A Gentle Autumn Afternoon Under the Shade (No application required)
[Workshops]
9. Mosaic Art Using Colored Glass
10. Design Your Original Book Cover by Combining Materials
11. Let's Create the "That Thing" of Museums and Galleries Using Panels
12. Washi Paper Lampshade Workshop
Inquiries for all events should be directed to Himeji City Museum of Art (Phone: 079-222-2288).
Please note that this is not the venue for each event.
Content and schedules are subject to change. Thank you for your understanding.
Town Walks
1. Experience the Master Craftsman's Skill at the Myochin Blacksmith Shop
Visit the blacksmith shop of Munetaka Myochin, the 53rd head of the Myochin family, to witness firsthand the superb craftsmanship and experience a simple blacksmithing session. The route to the Myochin Blacksmith Shop, through the Nosato area, will also introduce traditional townhouses registered as Tangible Cultural Properties of Japan.
Date and Time
1 September 26 (Sat.) 1:30 PM - 3:30 PM 2 October 24 (Sat.) 1:30 PM - 3:30 PM
Course
Himeji City Museum of Art → Nosato Area → Myochin Blacksmith Shop
Lecturers
Munetaka Myochin, Museum Curator (Nosato Town Walk)
Participation Fee
Free
Capacity
10 people per session
Application Deadline
1 September 12 (Sat.) Apply here!
2 October 10 (Sat.) Apply here!
2. Museum Architecture Walk
An architectural tour visiting Himeji City Museum of Art (Registered Tangible Cultural Property), Senkantei (Kisho Kurokawa architecture), Hyogo Prefectural Museum of History (Kenzo Tange architecture), and Himeji City Museum of Literature (Tadao Ando architecture + Registered Tangible Cultural Property, Bokeitei). Curators from each institution will explain the highlights and charms of their respective buildings.
Date and Time
October 10 (Sat.) 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Course
Himeji City Museum of Literature → Senkantei → Himeji City Museum of Art → Hyogo Prefectural Museum of History
Lecturers
Curators from each institution
Participation Fee
Free
Capacity
15 people
Application Deadline
September 26 (Sat.) Apply here!
3. Let's Visit the Places Depicted
A tour to compare current locations with artworks from the Himeji City Museum of Art's collection. After gathering at the museum, we will visit various locations, with explanations about the charm of the artworks and the places they depict.
Date
October 17 (Sat.) 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Course
Himeji City Museum of Art → In front of the Civic Hall → Himeji Station → Himeji Castle surroundings
Lecturer
Museum Curator
Participation Fee
Free
Capacity
15 people
Application Deadline
October 3 (Sat.) Apply here!
Lectures
4. The Museum Goes Out into Town - Curators Speak About Their Love for the Collection
Himeji City Museum of Art opened on April 1, 1987, with the objective of "promoting the artistic and cultural elevation of citizens." Since then, we have collected masterpieces of modern and contemporary art from Japan and abroad, as well as art related to the local region. Here, specialist curators will introduce the appeal of these collection works.
(1) Art That Transcends Time - Rediscovering the Charm of the Collection Through Contemporary Art
Date and Time
August 16 (Sun.) 2:30 PM - 4:00 PM (Reception starts 30 minutes prior)
Venue
MONZEN QWELL Building, 2nd Floor
Lecturer
Haruko Yoneda, Museum Curator
Participation Fee
Free
Capacity
25 people
Application Deadline
August 2 (Sun.) Apply here!
(2) Himeji City Museum of Art's Collection and Belgium
Date and Time
September 12 (Sat.) 2:30 PM - 4:00 PM (Reception starts 30 minutes prior)
Venue
MONZEN QWELL Building, 2nd Floor
Lecturer
Haruyuki Takase, Museum Curator
Participation Fee
Free
Capacity
25 people
Application Deadline
August 29 (Sat.) Apply here!
(3) Base for Your Journey - Japanese Paintings from the Local Art Collection
Date and Time
October 31 (Sat.) 2:30 PM - 4:00 PM (Reception starts 30 minutes prior)
Venue
MONZEN QWELL Building, 2nd Floor
Lecturer
Mitsuyo Yoshinaka, Museum Curator
Participation Fee
Free
Capacity
25 people
Application Deadline
October 17 (Sat.) Apply here!
5. The Charm of Claude Monet
Commemorative Lecture for the 100th Anniversary of Monet's Death Research Project: The Charm of Claude Monet
Focusing on "In the Petit-Gennevilliers Garden, Sunset" from the Himeji City Museum of Art collection.
2026 marks the 100th anniversary of Monet's death. To commemorate this, we invite Akinori Mutobe, a leading Monet scholar in Japan and Professor Emeritus at Japan Women's University, as a lecturer to explore the charm of the master Monet, focusing on works in our collection.
Date and Time
September 27 (Sun.) 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM
Venue
Japan Castle Research Center, 2nd Floor Conference Room
Lecturer
Akinori Mutobe (Professor Emeritus, Japan Women's University)
Participation Fee
Free
Capacity
80 people
Application Deadline
September 13 (Sun.) Apply here!
6. My Story with Kenzo Takada - Won't You Share Your Memories of His Clothes?
Public Archive Record Survey! My Story with Kenzo Takada - Won't You Share Your Memories of His Clothes?
A participatory program where individuals who own clothing or accessories by the world-renowned fashion designer Kenzo Takada, who has ties to Himeji, are invited to share their memories associated with these items. Please tell us your unique stories, such as where you bought them, when you wore them, your favorite patterns or designs. By listening to and recording each person's memories, we will connect the encounters with clothes and the atmosphere of the times, which are difficult to preserve through works and documents alone, to the future.
Date and Time
October 25 (Sun.) 2:30 PM - 4:00 PM (Reception starts 30 minutes prior)
Venue
MONZEN QWELL Building, 2nd Floor
Lecturers
Yayoi Motohashi (Associate Professor, Kyoto Institute of Technology),
TSUTSU (Creative Designer)
Participation Fee
Free
Capacity
20 people
Application Deadline
October 11 (Sun.) Apply here!
Garden Events
7. Andrzej Wajda 100th Anniversary Project: Film Screening "Ashes and Diamonds"
In November 2024, Himeji City Museum of Art signed a cooperation agreement with the Manggha Museum of Japanese Art and Technology in Krakow, Poland (commonly known as Manggha Museum). This year marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Polish film master Andrzej Wajda, who was also one of the founders of the Manggha Museum. To commemorate this, we will screen Wajda's early masterpiece "Ashes and Diamonds" (1958).
Date and Time
September 22 (Tue., holiday) 6:30 PM onwards (tentative)
Venue
Museum Garden (In case of rain, it will be held in the museum auditorium)
Participation Fee
Free; no prior application required
8. Himeji City Museum of Art Friends Association Presents: A Gentle Autumn Afternoon Under the Shade
In the beautiful front garden with the signs of autumn, enjoy gazing at the changing leaves, lounging on the lawn, listening to music, or participating in workshops. Spend your time as you please.
Date and Time
Scheduled for mid-October and mid-November
Venue
Museum Garden (In case of rain, a scaled-down version will be held in the museum auditorium)
Participation Fee
Free; no prior application required
Workshops
9. Mosaic Art Using Colored Glass
Himeji Special Seminar kids 2024: Mosaic Art Using Colored Glass
Organized by: Himeji Commerce Town Development Council, Himeji City Shopping Street Federation
Using colored glass fragments from the stained glass production process of Etsuko Tachibana, an artist whose works are in our collection, participants will create original pieces.
Date and Time
August 11 (Tue., holiday) 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
August 13 (Thu.) 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Venue
Machizukuri Station "Machi no Eki" (27 Nikaimachi, Himeji City)
Lecturer
Museum Curator
Participation Fee
500 yen
Capacity
10 people per session
Target Audience
Elementary school students and younger (must be accompanied by a guardian)
Application Period
Applications start July 23! (Ends when capacity is reached!)
Application form here
Applications are accepted only through the Himeji City Online Application Portal (first-come, first-served basis). Please note that applications by postcard are not accepted.
10. Design Your Original Book Cover by Combining Materials
Using various materials such as flyers and fabric scraps, participants will create an original book cover inspired by their favorite book.
Date and Time
August 26 (Wed.) 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Venue
Himeji City Museum of Literature, North Building, 3rd Floor Auditorium
Lecturer
Museum Curator
Participation Fee
Free
Capacity
20 people
Target Audience
Anyone
Application Deadline
August 10 (Mon.) Apply here!
11. Let's Create the "That Thing" of Museums and Galleries Using Panels
After observing the pictograms actually used in exhibition rooms and learning about their design and intent, participants will design their own original pictograms.
Date and Time
October 3 (Sat.) 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Venue
Himeji City Museum of Literature, North Building, 3rd Floor Auditorium, Exhibition Room
Lecturer
Museum Curator
Participation Fee
Free (Separate admission fee required)
Capacity
20 people
Target Audience
Anyone
Application Deadline
September 19 (Sat.) Apply here!
12. Washi Paper Lampshade Workshop
This workshop introduces Japanese paintings from our collection while participants design lampshade patterns using washi paper.
Date and Time
November 3 (Tue., holiday) 2:00 PM - 4:30 PM
Venue
Himeji City Museum of Literature, Bokeitei
Lecturer
Museum Curator
Participation Fee
400 yen
Capacity
10 people
Target Audience
Upper elementary school students and above
Application Deadline
October 20 (Tue.) Apply here!
Himeji City Museum of Art Official Website
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