Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art

The Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art is a museum in Chuo Ward, Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture, fondly known by locals as the “House of Art.” Its collection—assembled through purchases and donations since the days of its predecessor, the Museum of Modern Art—includes sculpture and prints from Japan and abroad, works connected to Hyogo, contemporary art, and more, totaling around 9,000 pieces. Access is about a 10-minute walk from JR Kobe Line Nada Station, or about an 8-minute walk from Hanshin Railway Iwaya Station. Built as a symbol of cultural revival within HAT Kobe (Kobe East New City Center), a core project of the post–Great Hanshin Earthquake reconstruction plan, the museum was designed by renowned architect Tadao Ando. It was planned to blend with the seaside Nagisa Park in front, inviting visitors to appreciate the building itself as part of the experience. In addition to classic special exhibitions such as “Van Gogh” or “Prado Museum” shows, it also hosts popular, genre-crossing exhibitions like “The World of Yoshiyuki Tomino (Gundam)” and “The Secret World of Arrietty (Studio Ghibli) × Yohei Taneda Exhibition.”