A Museum Where Nature, Architecture, and Contemporary Art Resonate | COMICO ART MUSEUM YUFUIN (Yufu City, Oita Prefecture)

Yufuin, located in Oita Prefecture, is famous for its beautiful nature and hot springs. Tucked away in a side street off the main road lined with souvenir shops typical of a hot spring town, a building with an impressive black wooden exterior appears.

This is an art museum that exhibits contemporary art called COMICO ART MUSEUM YUFUIN. It opened in 2017 and expanded its exhibition area in 2022. It is a museum where you can enjoy works by seven of Japan's leading contemporary artists amidst calm architecture and magnificent nature.

▍Exhibiting representative works by 7 of Japan's leading contemporary artists

I booked online and visited at the reserved time, so I was able to enter without waiting, even on a weekend. The limit is 15 people per slot (20 minutes) so I was able to view the exhibits at a leisurely pace. (There is no time limit for your stay after entering.)

After receiving a map of the building, I walked through the exhibition rooms of the two buildings, each with two floors, in order.

Exhibited in this museum are 46 works by seven of Japan's leading contemporary artists: Yayoi Kusama, Tatsuo Miyajima, Hiroshi Sugimoto, Takashi Murakami, Yoshitomo Nara, Kohei Nawa, and Mariko Mori.

The works on display were also groups of works from series that are representative of those artists.

For example, Yayoi Kusama's works featuring the "Pumpkin" motif are also on display, ranging from prints to paintings. Furthermore, many works created from the 1960s to recent years are exhibited.

Takashi Murakami's exhibition room features seven paintings centered on works with flower motifs.

I was able to fully enjoy the world of Takashi Murakami's art, which combines classic motifs like the "flowers, birds, wind, and moon" of Japanese painting with contemporary Japanese subculture and character culture, elevated into art based on international art history.

Hiroshi Sugimoto's exhibition room features five large-format works from the "Seascapes" series, along with two "Optical Glass Five-Element Pagodas" in which those seascapes are enclosed within glass pagodas.

In the quiet exhibition room with black walls, the horizon lines from different lands emerge at the same height, evoking a solemn feeling.

It is also a nice touch that you can scan a QR code with your smartphone to listen to a free audio guide. I enjoyed the experience while listening to very clear and concise explanations of the works for each artist and the building itself.

▍The Fusion of Kengo Kuma Architecture and Contemporary Art

A chic building covered in black "yakisugi" (charred cedar). The museum building, designed by architect Kengo Kuma, is said to be based on the concept of a "village" that blends into the Yufuin townscape and nature.

Among the buildings, the most impressive part was the exhibition room for Yayoi Kusama's works, which spans two rooms.

The two exhibition rooms are separated by a glass wall with a water basin in between. It is a beautiful space where, in the darkness, each room and the works within them emerge like a reflection in a mirror. (Photography is not permitted in this exhibition room.)

The museum is divided into two buildings, so you go outside to move between them during your visit. The path between them also features a beautiful garden called the "Garden of Eight Seasons."

Walking along the path, you reach another building with sharp, reverse-sloping walls and a beautiful water basin.

Here, there is also Tatsuo Miyajima's work "Time Waterfall - panel #COM." As you look through the glass at the greenery outside, the digital counter numbers shift on a display integrated into the building's pillars, much like a hanging scroll.

▍Large-scale Outdoor Works Viewed Against the Backdrop of the Majestic Mt. Yufu

After enjoying the indoor exhibits, head to the second floor. Here, large-scale three-dimensional works are lined up in the rooftop garden.

The first thing that catches your eye is Yoshitomo Nara's "Your Dog." A large white dog sculpture stood there against the backdrop of the majestic Mt. Yufu.

A large dog said to have been born from childhood memories where everything felt big. With no buildings to block the view, it is a place where you can quietly engage in a dialogue with the artwork and nature.

Beyond that is Kohei Nawa's "Ether (lava)," a sculpture depicting a single drop of water falling from the sky as it changes form. And then, Mariko Mori's "Eternal I," which is themed around the universe.

Along with the fascination of viewing works that deal with grand themes of natural laws against a backdrop of magnificent nature, it was an interesting exhibition in the sense that both felt like a mysterious atmosphere where CG had appeared right before my eyes, and I could also feel the conflicting sensations of nature and artificiality.

It was a wonderful museum where you can enjoy contemporary art works in a relaxed atmosphere, combined with beautiful architecture and nature.

[MUSEUM DATA] COMICO ART MUSEUM YUFUIN

URL: https://camy.oita.jp/
Address: 2995-1 Kawakami, Yufuin-cho, Yufu City, Oita Prefecture 879-5102
Closed: Every Wednesday
Opening Hours: 9:30 – 17:00 (Last admission 16:00)
Admission: General ¥1,700, University/Vocational Students ¥1,200, Junior/Senior High School Students ¥1,000, Elementary School Students ¥700, Disability Certificate Holders (General/Individual only) ¥1,200, Children (Preschoolers) Free

[Summary of things to know before visiting the museum]

Photography: Allowed except for some works. (Not allowed in the Yayoi Kusama exhibition room)
Admission Reservation: Reservations possible. (200 yen discount for online reservations)
Audio Guide: Free audio guide available to listen to on your smartphone. (Please bring your own earphones)
Catalog: None
Other: There is no dedicated parking lot.

If you go to Yufuin, why not try visiting these architectural sites as well?