The Must-See Miho Museum
Barry LouieThe Miho Museum is unforgettable for its I.M. Pei design, rare, ancient pieces, and natural surroundings. A must-see.
Nestled in the dense, green hills of Shigaraki about an hour’s drive from Kyoto is one of Japan’s least-known architectural gems. In the 1970’s, Mihoko Koyama, wealthy benefactor and the leader of a religious organization (dare I say, cult) Shinji Shumeikai, commissioned world-renowned architect I.M. Pei to design a bell tower for the religion’s headquarters - in fact, the bell tower can be seen from the Miho Museum.
Advance reservations are currently required to visit the Museum. For the time being, the restaurant is closed; the cafe is open but its hours/menu are limited.
The Miho Museum is unforgettable for its I.M. Pei design, rare, ancient pieces, and natural surroundings. A must-see.
I.M. Pei - world renowned architect designed Miho Museum as one of his masterpiece. The architecture of this museum itself is a work of art.
Miho Museum in the hills of Shiga Prefecture is a beautiful building, but it totally upstages the art exhibited there.
A special event at the Shiga Prefectural Ceramic Forest looks into the soil of Shigaraki, often dubbed as "miraculous clay". The exhibition will look at pottery pieces made in this part of Japan from three different perspectives.
A special exhibition at the Shiga Prefectural Ceramics Forest looks at humans and animals as depicted by 5 ceramic artists: Beth Cavener (USA), Susan Halls (UK), Yoshitomo Nara (Japan), Stephanie Quale (UK), and Kim Simonsson (Finland).