event_2016/2950

Idemitsu Museum of Arts was founded in the fall of 1966 by Idemitsu founder Sazo Idemitsu in order to showcase artwork collected by Idemitsu over a period of 70 years. Upon opening Sazo Idemitsu said the following, “Museums consist of the artwork of people and therein must be the creativity and beauty of the Japanese people. The most important purpose of a museum is to collect the most magnificent works of art. This artwork is the knowledge and wisdom of its times and must be preserved and passed on to future generations. 

To further honor the words of our founder, in 2000 the museum opened a branch in Moji with the aim of promoting art research, preservation, and restoration while showing our collection to a wider public. Additionally, we have strived to introduce Japanese culture to the world with exhibitions in Europe, the US, Australia, Turkey, China, and elsewhere. 

Matabe Iwasa and “The Tale of Genji” - Challenge of the Classics