Simose Art Museum
January 2025, I needed to make a brief trip to Kyoto while I was visiting my parents in Yokohama, so I decided to extend the trip a little further to visit this new art complex combined an art museum, villa, and restaurant, called “Simose Art Museum”.
Simose Art Museum opened on the seaside in Otake, Hiroshima in March 2023, with the concept of “seeing art in art,” and houses a collection of approximately 500 items that Yumiko Shimose, CEO of Marui Sangyo Co., Ltd., a general manufacturer of building materials headquartered in Hiroshima, and her parents have collected over half a century. The architect is Shigeru Ban, and the graphic designer is Kenya Hara. The museum was awarded the Prix Versailles for the “World’s Most Beautiful Museum” in December 2024.
I took Shinkansen (bullet train) from Shin-Yokohama at 6:11am, and arrived at Hiroshima at 9:39am. Then took JR Sanyo line to Kuba station, the closest station to the museum.
From the station, you can get to the museum by bus, cab or walk.
It was around 11am when I got to Kuba. I found a local Okonomiyaki place in front of the station.
After lunch, I walked to the museum. Flat terrain all the way. For about 30 minutes.
The main entrance.
House of Double-Roof.
Cross Wall House.
The Entrance Hall.
Inside of the Entrance Hall. A ticket counter on the right, a museum shop on the left, and also a cafe behind me.
A french restaurant in separate building.
On the sea side of the entrance hall, eight of movable galleries are placed on the water. The rooms are covered with colored glass.
Emile Gallé’s Garden.
The Villa, accommodation facilities facing the Seto Inland Sea. A gate is set up so that only guests staying could enter the villa.
A "Road Closed" sign made with wood and stone.
On the mountain side of the entrance hall, there is a slope to the Seaview Terrace.
Looking down on the movable galleries from the Seaview Terrace.
The Forest Villa from the front.
The Waterfront Villa.