Nomura Museum of Art

The Outline of the Nomura Art Museum
Art objects and crafted products collected from the Meiji era through the Showa era by Tokushichi Nomura (Well-Known under the nom de plume of Tokuan) are considered to be cultural assets sorted out with the spirit of tea as a basis. Nomura, a well-known ardent collector of art works, was the owner of a financial clique and a man of refined taste with the tea spirit in mind. With our hearty wish to contribute much to the cultural development of our country by making all these assets in public instead of confining them to our private property, the Nomura Bunka Foundation was established, and our art museum under the Museums Act came into being. We sincerely hope that by functioning as a much more soul enriching space the museum will convey benefit derived from the virtue of Tokuan to our descendants forever through a wide variety of cultural activities which help create new cultures well-harmonized with our modern cultures at large. Worth of special mention is that the establishment of this foundation was made possible thanks to support and co-operation of the following four companies: The Daiwa Bank Co. Ltd., The Nomura Securities Co. Ltd., The Tokyo Life Insurance Company, The Nomura Construction Industrial Co. Ltd.

The Art Master Tokuan Nomura
Named Tokuan, his given name in art world, born in Osaka in the 11th year of the Meiji era (1878), who succeeded to his father’s Nomura Money Exchange Shop at the age of 27, he was an accurate observer of the future prospects for the stocks and bonds business. He opened Osaka-ya Shoten as a securities firm and with his brilliant talents he founded The Daiwa Bank Co., The Nomura Securities Co., Tokyo Life Insurance Co., and the like successfully enough to pave the way for the Nomura Financial Group, under which were established a large number of companies in many different fields covering securities business, finance and over enterprise. He once acted as a member of the Japan’s House of peers before the war, who was so eager to serve for social work as to expend his own funds upon public undertaking. He also devoted his energies to the founding of the French-Japanese Cultural Association and was given a cultural medal by the French government in honor of his efforts. He left this world at the age of 67 in the 20th year of the Showa era (1945). Having a collection of hobbies, especially well-versed in tea ceremony, noh, painting and calligraphy, he also gave full play to his genius in the world of gardening as well.

Information
61, Shimogawara-cho, Nanzenji, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8434
Phone (075) 751-0374

Hours:
10:00 A.M. unti1 4:30 P.M.
Closed every Monday. Also closed at summer and winter

Directions to the Museum:
From Kyoto Station, Sanjo Keihan (Keihan Line) and Shijo Kawaramachi (Hankyu Line): Take a City Bus for Iwakura (No.5)
Get off at “Nanzenji-Eikando michi” Bus Stop. (5 minutes walk to Museum)
Subway Tozai LineGet off at “Keage” Station. (10 minutes walk to Museum)