[🎨 Exhibition Report] Toyota Municipal Museum of Art: 'Shinya Hitsuda: Landscapes Passed By', 'Collection 2026 Phase I', and more

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Toyota Municipal Museum of Art for the first time and viewed |Shinya Hitsuda: Landscapes Passed By, 'Collection 2026 Phase I', and more. Here are my thoughts and review.

▶︎ Conclusion

My long-awaited visit to the Toyota Municipal Museum of Art was highly satisfying! This was mainly due to the fact that the design by Yoshio Taniguchi was magnificent. The exquisite balance, comfort, and ease of viewing where the design seems to have no ego were outstanding. Even though the Shinya Hitsuda exhibition was understated, it was impressive that there were many young visitors because of the appeal of the architecture. Even if you are not particularly interested in architecture or art, I highly recommend visiting the Toyota Municipal Museum of Art!

▶︎ Reason for visiting

I planned a two-day, one-night museum tour in Mie Prefecture. However, after visiting four museums in Mie, there was nothing left that caught my eye.

I was planning to take the Shinkansen from Nagoya Station on my way home. I decided to go ahead and extend my trip to the Toyota Municipal Museum of Art, which I had always wanted to visit. This was mainly because it is said to be the most famous museum in Aichi Prefecture, and I wanted to experience the architecture by Yoshio Taniguchi.

▼ Impressions of the Taniguchi Yoshiro, Yoshio Memorial Kanazawa Architecture Museum

▶︎ Access

The Toyota Municipal Museum of Art is a 15-minute walk from Toyota-shi Station. When I go to a museum by train, I look forward to things like signage from the nearest station to the museum. For someone like me, this time was a shock.

It makes me laugh, but this is the first museum I've seen with so many signs! There was a huge variety, including signs, pillar wraps, and road markings! It was clear that Toyota City is serious about attracting visitors to the museum.

As I walked, following the signs, I ended up entering through the back door of the museum. I was disappointed that I couldn't immediately see the architecture reflected in the water that I had been looking forward to (bitter laugh).

I became worried that if someone without prior knowledge of Yoshio Taniguchi's architecture walked from the station to the Toyota Municipal Museum of Art, they might not notice the magnificence of the architecture.

▶︎ What is the Toyota Municipal Museum of Art?

Toyota Municipal Museum of Art opened in 1995 as a museum housing a collection of art from the late 19th century to the present day, as well as design and crafts. In addition to special exhibitions, it focuses on collection exhibitions.

✔️ The biggest attraction is the architecture by Yoshio Taniguchi!

Toyota Municipal Museum of Art is built on a corner of the high ground where Koromo Castle once stood in Toyota City. I had seen photos of the building from the front many times online. Surprisingly, this was not the first floor, but the second floor section.

I also wanted to take a photo from the front. However, in reality, I think this is a photo taken specially from a restricted area.

The garden, including the fountain, is by landscape architect Peter Walker (the same goes for the Marugame Genichiro-Inokuma Museum of Contemporary Art).

The fountain is a device with only good points, as it is not only pleasant to look at, but children also enjoy playing in it. Even without seeing the exhibition, just coming to the garden or entering the museum is fun. Sitting on a bench in the garden, I could hear the birds chirping and felt in a great mood, so I felt like I could read for hours.

▼ Impressions of the D.T. Suzuki Museum, where the water surface is impressive

And the architecture with its sharp, eave-like features and the dignified straight lines of the slope, I felt a strong sense of Yoshio Taniguchi's style in all of them.

Also, the walls inside the building are glass, and the light spread softly. Because the entire space has just the right amount of brightness, the works were easy to see. And the interior is basically a textbook white cube space. As expected of Yoshio Taniguchi, who believes in "work-first principle."

I like Tadao Ando's personality and architecture. Tadao Ando and Yoshio Taniguchi, both are characterized by architecture that highlights nature and art. While Tadao Ando's architecture looks simple and unobtrusive, I also feel a strength of will. And his personality is "the quintessential Osaka guy."

On the other hand, Yoshio Taniguchi has a scholarly air in his career and way of speaking. While his design shows humility, I also feel the Yoshio Taniguchi-esque quality that firmly attracts people. If Tadao Ando is a red flame, I got the impression that Yoshio Taniguchi is like a sleek blue flame.

Among the spaces in the Toyota Municipal Museum of Art, the second-floor exhibition space, in particular, looks just like the Marugame Genichiro-Inokuma Museum of Contemporary Art. I thought that if the Toyota Municipal Museum of Art were to host a "Shinro Ohtake Exhibition," it would be a perfect match. My impression of the exhibition at the Marugame Genichiro-Inokuma Museum of Contemporary Art was a bit "meh," but because the architecture was so wonderful, my overall satisfaction was high. The result was the same at the Toyota Municipal Museum of Art this time (bitter laugh).

▼ Impressions of the Marugame Genichiro-Inokuma Museum of Contemporary Art

Although it seems that the floors and other parts of the building have been repaired several times, some areas showing signs of aging were visible. However, because the architecture as a whole gave a modern, stylish, and philosophical impression, I didn't feel its age at all.

Also, what I found impressive and wonderful about the Toyota Municipal Museum of Art was the large number of young people and children among the visitors. I think the effect of Yoshio Taniguchi's design is significant here. Yoshio Taniguchi's architecture is great!

✔️ The permanent art is also interesting

Several permanent art pieces were also installed. Among them, the one that entertained visitors the most was Daniel Buren's "Floating Colors." While mirror works require effort to maintain, they are popular content in the age of social media. I also end up taking pictures unconditionally... (laughs).

Around this work, there were many children playing happily and people taking photos. Just seeing such a scene cleansed my heart.

▼ Impressions of Noe Aoki's exhibition

✔️ Next door is the Toyota City Museum designed by Shigeru Ban!

In 2024, the Toyota City Museum opened next to the art museum. The design of the Toyota City Museum is by Shigeru Ban. It was impactful to have two distinctive buildings standing side by side.

▼ Impressions of the Oita Prefectural Art Museum designed by Shigeru Ban

When I think of Shigeru Ban, the roof with its hexagonal wooden frame comes to mind. A very similar shape was also adopted at the Toyota City Museum.

▶︎ Impressions of 'Shinya Hitsuda: Landscapes Passed By'

I was not familiar with Shinya Hitsuda. It seems this is his first solo exhibition at an art museum in about 15 years, since the exhibition held at the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo and other venues in 2008.

Every work was very abstract, and I found it difficult to interpret anything from them. Other visitors were sharing similar impressions, but everyone seemed strangely happy.

For me, the 'landscape' of young people chatting and laughing while looking at the works at this exhibition was memorable. Also, there was a family consisting of a father, mother, and two daughters; the three women were chatting on a bench while looking at their phones, while the father was intently admiring the art. Seeing that 'landscape,' I sympathized, thinking, 'That's exactly me' (bitter laugh).

Because it is a space full of sense designed by Yoshio Taniguchi, I felt I was able to appreciate the works of Shinya Hitsuda, which are difficult to grasp, in a positive way. However, for example, if this exhibition had been held at the Mie Prefectural Art Museum (which I visited the day before), I wonder if there would have been fewer visitors and if it would have been less of a topic of conversation.

▼ Impressions of the tempera exhibition

Seeing such abstract works win prestigious awards, and knowing that Shinya Hitsuda was able to teach at Aichi University of the Arts (1975–2001) and Tokyo University of the Arts (2001–2009), I thought, 'I don't get it, but there must be points that experts can see.'

In the latter half, there was a space with no works placed at all (out of ideas?). I really felt that if they didn't put something there, it would leave a strong negative impression.

It is said that Shinya Hitsuda has had difficulty moving his body due to Parkinson's disease since 2008. At the end of the venue, there were also works from 2026. However, I found myself tilting my head, wondering, 'Hmm, is this... a work worthy of being hung on a wall?'

I once read that Akira Tomita, director of the Tokyo Station Gallery, aims for exhibitions that attract a decent number of visitors.

In recent years, the Toyota Municipal Museum of Art has held many traveling exhibitions that are expected to draw large crowds, such as the 'Monet Exhibition' and the 'Anti-Action Exhibition.' Is the 'Shinya Hitsuda Exhibition' positioned as a decently attended exhibition to balance those out?

▶︎ Impressions of 'Collection 2026 Phase I'

The collection exhibition on the first floor featured works displayed under themes such as "Shinya Hiteda and the Collection," "Richter and Palermo," and "Resonating Boundaries."

Compared to typical public art museums, I had the impression that there were (in a good way) many idiosyncratic works, so it was fun to view.

I also saw Richter's "8 Glass Panels" at the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo in 2022. It seems that in 2025, the Toyota Municipal Museum of Art purchased it for 299,200,000 yen (tax included).

▼ Impressions of the exhibition where "8 Glass Panels" was displayed

Klim⚫︎t and Chris⚫︎to were displayed in close proximity. Was that a pun...?

Works by the couple Haru and Ayako Miyawaki were displayed side by side. Western-style painter Haru Miyawaki was born in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture. This was my first time seeing works by Ayako Miyawaki (born in Tokyo). They were all charming and very cute. In particular, the appliqué of the character 'A' that looked like a seal was playful.

▼ Impressions of the 'Ah' exhibition

▶︎ Impressions of the Setsuro Takahashi Memorial Museum

For a permanent exhibition, it was a quite luxurious use of space. Setsuro Takahashi (1914–2007) was not born in Aichi Prefecture, but was born in Azumino City, Nagano Prefecture. In his hometown, there is also the Azumino Setsuro Takahashi Memorial Museum (opened in 2003).

The design is by Plants Associates. With the slate, eaves, water surface, and round pillars, the moment I saw the photo, it looked so similar that I thought, 'Did I mistake this for a photo of the Toyota Municipal Museum of Art?' (Honestly, isn't it a bit too similar...)

Visiting three exhibitions in one museum was a bit tiring. Perhaps because other visitors felt the same way, and because the Setsuro Takahashi Memorial Museum has a somewhat faint presence, the museum was sparsely populated.

▶︎ Summary

How was it? While none of the exhibitions really resonated with me, I felt satisfied because the architecture was wonderful. If I had to pick one thing, the collection exhibition was good because the items collected had that distinct Toyota Municipal Museum of Art feel. Whether you are interested in architecture or not, Yoshio Taniguchi's masterpiece, the Toyota Municipal Museum of Art, is a must-see! Seeing so many young people visiting the museum thanks to that architecture, I thought it was a model for how a museum should be.

▶︎ Recommended for you

▼ Past travelogues of Nagoya sightseeing

▼ Recommended museums related to Toyota

▶︎ Next preview

Next time, I plan to post about the 'Gaze at the Source' exhibition held at the Ota City Ryushi Memorial Museum (Tokyo).

▶︎ Today's museum meal