About the Museum of Art, Ehime

The Museum of Art, Ehime, located within the nationally designated historic site of Matsuyama Castle, opened in 1998 as a participatory and creative museum. It invites visitors to enjoy three core experiences: appreciating artworks (“see”), creating their own works (“create”), and learning through these activities (“learn”).

The collection of the Ehime Prefectural Museum of Art began with its predecessor, the Ehime Prefectural Museum of Art (opened in 1970) , which focused on collecting works by local artists. When it reopened in November 1998 as the Museum of Art, Ehime, it expanded its collection to include internationally renowned artists such as Claude Monet and Paul Cézanne, as well as prominent modern Japanese artists like Yasuda Yukihiko and Nakamura Tsune. Additionally, it boasts extensive collections from local artists such as Sugiura Hisui, Yanase Masamu, Noma Hitone, Manabe Hiroshi, and Azechi Umetaro, bringing the total collection to approximately 12,000 works.

The museum showcases its collection through themed rotating exhibitions. Special exhibitions highlight connections to local artists and cultural heritage while introducing outstanding domestic and international works, promoting diverse cultural and artistic perspectives.
Unique among museums, the atelier allows visitors to engage in creative activities at their own pace. Supported workshops include printmaking, woodworking, dyeing, photography, and clay art, providing an open space for artistic exploration.

Through these programs, the museum seeks to assist visitors in their journey to “see, create, and learn” while becoming a familiar and enriching part of everyday life.

Completion Year: 1998
Design: Ehime Prefecture Civil Engineering Department + Nikken Sekkei
Construction: Taisei-Noma Joint Venture
Structure: Steel-reinforced concrete (SRC), 1 basement floor, 3 above-ground floors

The main building is located on the site of the San-no-maru (third compound) of Matsuyama Castle. To preserve the Edo-period road remains discovered during archaeological surveys, the museum was divided into two wings. The design ensures the building does not overpower its surroundings, incorporating large camphor trees preserved on-site. A courtyard encircling three camphor trees harmonizes with the historical and natural environment.
The second-floor lobby offers a panoramic view of Shiroyama, providing a space for relaxation. The building’s monochrome exterior evokes a castle-like appearance, with softly curved precast concrete forming independent gallery spaces, reminiscent of jewelry boxes.

Completion Year: 1970
Design: Sanza Architects
Construction: Noma Construction

Initially opened in 1970 as the Ehime Prefectural Art Museum, the South Wing now serves as an atelier and Citizen Gallery. Designed by Tokunaga Masami, a contemporary and classmate of Kenzo Tange, the building originally stood alongside Tange's earlier creation, the Ehime Prefectural Hall (1953), making it a unique convergence of two architects’ works.

The modernist structure features symmetrical gallery spaces flanking a central staircase and a piloti-style entrance created by the extended second-floor overhang. Its design emphasizes the functional flow of spaces, with well-defined connections between exhibit areas and transition spaces such as staircases and ramps. The building underwent seismic retrofitting in 2017 to enhance safety.