4 places you must visit around Okazaki

Submissions “based on Japanese sentiments” were widely recruited for the design of the main building, constructed in 1933. From art exhibitions by locals and laypeople to popular worldwide touring exhibitions of impressionists and other famous artists, this museum holds special exhibitions all year long.

Both a gathering place and launching ground for modern art in Kyoto, this museum exhibits Japanese modern art as well as art pieces from abroad. The “MoMAK Films” film center and the open terrace of the glass-sided “Cafe 505” are must-sees. The film center, jointly sponsored by the National Museum of Modern Art in Tokyo, shows domestic and foreign rare films for limited time periods, so film buffs should make sure to check the program.

Hosomi Museum is a new museum that was built very recently. Its exhibitions consist mainly of the collection of businessman Hosomi Ryo, and cover almost all periods and spheres of Japanese arts and crafts. They include everything from art pieces such as calligraphy and paintings to crafts such as cloisonné ware and ceramics. The museum also has a tea room offering tea ceremony experiences, and is recommended as a place to immerse oneself in Japanese culture.

This historical zoo is said to be the second oldest in Japan. Riding the wave of the “animal behavior exhibition boom” that happened in Japan around the year 2000, Kyoto City Zoo was magnificently renovated in 2015. Various techniques allow visitors not only to get close to the animals, but also enjoy seeing them in their natural environment even more realistically than in a safari park. Not too big and not too small, the zoo’s compact scale is also part of its appeal.