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Ken Domon Museum of Photography opened in 1983 as Japan's first museum specializing in photography, housing approximately 130,000 works by Ken Domon, a photographer from Sakata, Yamagata. The museum introduces his masterpiece "Pilgrimage to Ancient Temples" series, as well as his documentary photographs that vividly depict the turbulent Showa period, such as "Kazabo," "Hiroshima," and "Chikuho Children," and his immortal masterpieces that pursue the beauty and spirit of Japan from a variety of angles. In addition to the spirited photographic work, the museum also features a variety of work by artists associated with Domon, including architecture by Yoshio Taniguchi that blends beautifully with the surrounding natural environment, a sculpture by Isamu Noguchi entitled "Domon-san," a nameplate designed by Yusaku Kamekura, and a garden created by Hiroshi Teshigawara. In 2009, the museum was awarded two stars by the Michelin Green Guide Japon. In Iimoriyama Park, where the museum is located, the double-flowered cherry blossoms bloom in late April, and the hydrangeas and irises are at their best from late June to early July.

Ihei Kimura and Ken Domon