Idemitsu Museum of Arts
The Idemitsu Museum of Arts is a private art museum in the Marunouchi district of Chiyoda, Tokyo, founded in 1966 by Sazō Idemitsu, founder of the Idemitsu Kōsan oil company. Its collection of approximately 15,000 cultural properties — including two National Treasures, 57 Important Cultural Properties, Japanese paintings, East Asian ceramics, and Western works by Georges Rouault — ranks among the most distinguished private holdings in Japan.
At a glance
- Type
- Private art museum
- Period
- Founded 1966
- Style
- Modern institutional; 9th-floor gallery in the Teigeki Building
- Location
- Marunouchi, Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan
- Coordinates
- 35.6767° N, 139.7610° E
Overview
The Idemitsu Museum of Arts occupies the ninth floor of the Teigeki Building (Imperial Theatre Building) in the heart of Tokyo’s Marunouchi business district, with panoramic views of the Imperial Palace gardens. The museum presents only temporary exhibitions drawn from its own permanent collection, rotating works to allow visitors repeated discovery of its holdings over successive visits. A branch museum also operates in Moji Ward, Kitakyūshū, Fukuoka Prefecture.
History
Sazō Idemitsu began assembling his art collection in the early 20th century with a particular emphasis on preserving Japanese cultural heritage at a time of rapid modernisation. He established the museum as an incorporated foundation in 1966 with the explicit mission of making great art accessible to a broad public. The collection grew steadily to encompass around 15,000 works spanning Japanese and East Asian art, ceramics, and significant Western holdings. In 2019 the museum acquired 190 Edo-period artworks from American collectors Joe and Etsuko Price, significantly deepening its Japanese painting holdings.
What you see
The museum’s two National Treasures include Itō Jakuchū’s monumental Birds and Animals in the Flower Garden and the Ban Dainagon Ekotoba illustrated handscroll. Its 57 Important Cultural Properties span lacquerware, screens, scrolls, and ceramics from Japan and China. The Western holdings include an exceptional group of works by French artist Georges Rouault, representing one of the largest collections of his work outside France. Rotating temporary exhibitions present these treasures thematically, offering fresh perspectives on the collection with each visit.
Cultural significance
The Idemitsu Museum of Arts exemplifies the tradition of enlightened private patronage that has helped protect Japanese cultural heritage since the Meiji era. Its Jakuchū holding alone would make it nationally significant; together with the depth of its ceramics and calligraphy collections, the museum contributes substantially to scholarly understanding of pre-modern Japanese and East Asian art history.
Practical information
- Address
- 3-1-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo (Teigeki Building, 9F)
- Current status
- Temporarily closed from 25 December 2024 due to demolition and reconstruction of the Teigeki Building; reopening date not yet announced
- Website
- www.idemitsu.com/museum
Getting there
The museum is a short walk from Hibiya Station (Tokyo Metro Hibiya and Chiyoda lines; Toei Mita Line) and Yurakucho Station (JR Keihin-Tohoku and Yamanote lines). The Teigeki Building stands directly opposite the Imperial Palace outer gardens, making it easy to combine a museum visit with a stroll along the palace moat.