[Matsuoka Museum of Art] A museum where you can hold your breath and hear the secrets whispered within the paintings

Art museums and galleries are very quiet spaces where time flows slowly, allowing you to calm your mind and enjoy a deep dialogue with the works to your heart's content.

That is one of the reasons I visit museums, seeking peace and tranquility. Most people think of them that way, and I, Nasunikibi, thought so too. However, in terms of the level of silence, it's not as if you can't hear anything, like in a deep forest. There are footsteps, conversations, the sound of people photographing the works... I'm quite the photographer myself, so I'm in no position to complain, but most museums in Tokyo have some level of noise. Museums in Ueno, especially the Tokyo National Museum, have many visitors and can be quite lively.

But this time! I, Nasunikibi, visited the Matsuoka Museum of Art, a private museum in Meguro/Shirokanedai, for the first time, and it was the quietest place I have ever enjoyed an art exhibition. While it was a weekday afternoon and there were few people, the museum is located in a quiet residential area of Meguro, and the exhibition rooms were incredibly silent, with signs posted saying, "Sound carries in the exhibition rooms, so please refrain from using smartphone shutter sounds or talking."

This time, to mark the 50th anniversary of the Matsuoka Museum of Art in 2025, they are recreating the opening exhibition from 50 years ago. Some of the explanatory texts are the original ones from back then, making the space feel as if 50 years had been frozen in time.

I felt that the charm of the works, which preserve a fleeting moment in time, was further enhanced!! I never knew I could be so absorbed in the works when it's this quiet!

My recommended way of viewing, Nasunikibi-style, is to hold your breath!

By holding your breath and not even making the sound of your own breathing, you create an ultimate silent space. This allows you to become even more immersed in the work. And since holding your breath for a long time eventually becomes dangerous for the human body, your brain shuts down all other states and thoughts, allowing you to focus entirely on the information obtained visually from the painting.

Eventually, your consciousness begins to fade, and you lose track of the distance between yourself and the work, allowing for a literal immersive experience!!!
※Please choose a viewing method that suits your physical condition. Naturally, I cannot take any responsibility.

I will post some recommended "time-stopping" works that I photographed in silence from the Japanese painting exhibition room. There is so much I want to talk about, but to maintain the atmosphere of the exhibition room, I will remain silent so as not to disturb anyone.

From top to bottom,
Kawai Gyokudo, "Evening Mountain with Charcoal Burning," 1940
Uemura Shoen, "Spring Evening," 1936
Teisai Hokuba, "Beauties of the Three Capitals" (partial), Edo period

All of these are perfect for the Matsuoka Museum of Art, a place where you can imagine the sounds within the paintings...!

The "50th Anniversary Exhibition: 1975 Revived - Shinbashi Matsuoka Museum of Art" runs until June 1st.

Breathe in, breathe out, hold your breath and take a look!