Kitamura Museum

Highlight

Stand at the “folding screen” shaped window on the 2nd floor of the museum to see Shikunshien and its entrance built in the Sukiya-zukuri style

Tea aesthetics that fulfilled the dreams of a prominent tea master

This museum, resplendent with old works of art and tea utensils, nestles in a scenic spot on the west side of the Kamogawa River, close to Gosho, the Imperial Palace. The collection, amassed over half a century by the entrepreneur and tea master Kinjiro Kitamura, contains artworks such as tea utensils, pieces of calligraphy, paintings, ceramics, metalwork and textiles. Thus, visitors can enjoy the famous works that Kitamura himself valued as masterpieces of beauty, of which some 34 pieces are listed as Important Cultural Properties, within which nine pieces are classed as art treasures. Every spring and autumn, seasonally themed exhibitions are held for visitors to enjoy the ambience of a tea gathering while appreciating the art.
In addition, a part of Shikunshien – a tea house with gardens – can be seen from the museum entrance hall, and is open to the public for limited periods each year.