Shimose Art Museum, a must-visit spot in Hiroshima!
#MustVisitSpot
Since a popular art museum in Hiroshima is located near Iwakuni Station, I decided to stop by on my way to Iwakuni Airport. I hadn't initially planned to visit this place during the travel planning stage; it was a case where I ended up choosing it at the very last minute.
Initially, I bought a 3-night, 4-day flight ticket to Hiroshima and booked three hotels there. Then, expanding my travel horizons like King Gildong, I added a 1-night, 2-day stay in Tokyo for days 2 and 3. I canceled my accommodation in Hiroshima for day 2 and booked a hotel in Yokohama for that night instead.
I also booked a multi-city flight from Iwakuni to Haneda and from Haneda to Hagi-Iwami. I was scheduled to depart from Iwakuni for Haneda around 2 PM. I planned a half-day trip. While looking around the area between Hiroshima and Iwakuni, lo and behold! To think that Shimose is right here! In Odake City, the westernmost part of Hiroshima Prefecture, facing the Seto Inland Sea, Shimose Villa, a French restaurant, and an art museum are all situated together. I reread reviews from those who had visited before and purchased my tickets in advance, taking advantage of the 10% discount for online reservations.
However, about a month before my trip, I came across news about a new manhole cover featuring KAF Boya, the mascot of the Hiroshima KAF. I ended up getting a manhole card, going on a KAF manhole pilgrimage, visiting the art museum, and even booking a French lunch right next to the museum. I had to cram it all into half a day.🤣
Well, somehow, if you manage to come up with a plan, a kind of magic works that makes it possible. The way to save time is by utilizing taxis. A round trip by taxi from Odake Station to the Shimose Art Museum costs around 4,000 yen—ten times more expensive than the 400 yen community bus—but it saves nearly 70 minutes.
By buying time with money like that, I doubled the time allocated to the Shimose Art Museum from the 20-minute range to the 40-minute range. Later on, the power of the taxi service comes into play during lunch as well. The taxi takes you right to the museum entrance. You can enter immediately using the QR code you purchased in advance.
The current exhibition runs from February 11 to April 19. Two exhibitions are being held simultaneously in Halls A and B, allowing you to view both with a single ticket. Hall A is filled with dolls by Shimon Yotsuya, known as the master of jointed dolls.
While some of the dolls are quite explicit and exceed the 29+ rating, this remains strictly within the realm of art, and the museum's admission rating is for all ages. Reflecting the Shimose family's intention to instill the spirit of art in children, the price is 2,000 yen for adults and 1,000 yen for high school and university students. However, surprisingly,
admission is free for middle school students and younger. Consequently, there are many children at the museum. Surprisingly, they approach you not making noise but appreciating the artwork. It is a scene of early art education. The dolls express the mysteries of the human body without any filter.
I have to tone down the content and am sharing only a few pieces from the quieter ones. We tour the site following the route, starting with Hall A and then the Émile Gallé Garden. The garden is small enough to walk around in just one to two minutes. However, the landscaping is excellent, and the flowers are beautiful.
Next, the automatic doors open for Hall B. All exhibition halls in Hall B feature automatic doors. Since the theme this time is dolls, Hall B is also themed around dolls. Compared to the intense atmosphere of Hall A, Hall B is dominated by Japanese-style dolls. There are also scenes depicting the Chinese zodiac and Hina Matsuri.
I appreciate the artwork with my eyes and only take two photos. After going in and out of about 30 automatic doors, the tour is automatically completed. To the right of the exit, another entrance appears, revealing a different sky. This is the Skywalk leading to the Omoyo Terrace.
From here, you can view the colorful, floating exhibition halls composed of eight colors, as well as the islands floating in the Seto Inland Sea, including Miyajima. It is said that at night, it is open only to hotel guests, allowing you to fully enjoy the factory's night view and the "Moonlight Sonata" with your own eyes.
The weather that day was exceptionally sunny, allowing me to fully admire the beautiful Seto Inland Sea and the clouds. It felt like receiving a lucky gift during my birthday week. The visual and spatial beauty of the building blends with the sky, sea, and nature, swirling before my eyes, yet it is serene.
Bearing in the good vibes of Shigeru Ban, I head off for a French lunch. Since I am going for French food, I skip the Museum Café and head out through the back entrance. The back entrance is the Silk Road that connects to the restaurant. Incidentally, this is a private place created by the Shimose family. Thank you.