【Chiba City Museum of Art】 A museum that is nationally acclaimed for its exhibitions with a unique perspective, focusing on ukiyo-e prints, Edo paintings, and contemporary art. With the renovation in July 2020, it has been reborn as a facility that is familiar to a wide range of age groups, including a permanent exhibition room where you can see ukiyo-e and Edo paintings at Anytime, and an atelier where children can work and create together in a space created by artists. In addition to the permanent exhibitions, we Held in special exhibitions and a variety of Events based on specific themes, so you There are discover something new every time you visit. 〇 Held in special exhibitions "Edo Paintings Vertical and Horizontal! First semester: June 28 (Fri) ~ July 28 (Sun) Second Semester: July 30 (Tue) ~ August 25 (Sun) "Akiki Okamoto: The Edo Painter Who Challenged the Hundred Flowers and Hundred Birds" Okamoto Shuki (1807-62) was a painter of the late Edo period who made a name for himself as a master of rich and brilliant flower and bird paintings, especially peacocks. First semester: June 28 (Fri) ~ July 28 (Sun) Second Semester: July 30 (Tue) ~ August 25 (Sun) * For details, please search for "Chiba City Museum of Art". 〇Sayado Hall A hall that contains modern architecture in the neo-Rene Mr./Ms. style that preserved the former Kawasaki Bank Chiba Branch built in Showa 2) (about 90 years ago). Used as a cultural property of the city, its historic appearance is used as a venue for concerts and exhibitions, and is also popular as a filming location for commercials. ■ Access: ・About a 6-minute walk from Chiba Monorail Yoshikawa Park Station ・ About 15 minutes on foot from JR Chiba Station ■Address: 3-10-8 Chuo, Chuo-ku, Chiba City ■ Admission: Paid ■ Parking lot: Restrooms available (charged) Attractive Spot There are such as Chiba Shrine, Chiba City Science Museum, and Chiba Castle (Chiba City Township Museum) are within walking distance. After visiting the museum, Enjoy together as you stroll through these facilities.

Masahiro Sawada Memorial Museum of Art It is a museum that collects representative works of Masahiro Sawada, a recipient of the Order of Culture from Atami, and exhibits works of art that span all fields such as paintings, inks, ceramics, prints, and calligraphy, as well as many wood carvings. It is popular that if you hold hands under the stained glass "Hiten" on the ceiling of the entrance, you will be happy forever. The "flying sky" reflected in the red granite floor is also beautiful, and you can enjoy the stained glass both overhead and underfoot. ●Masahiro Sawada(1894~1988) Real name, Torayoshi. Recipient of the Order of Culture, Honorary Citizen of Atami City. Growing up on the seaside of Atami, he aspired to become a sculptor at the age of 19 and studied under Yamamoto Zuun, a younger brother of Koun Takamura. Until his death at the age of 93, he created many wood carvings, paintings, ceramics, prints, calligraphy, and other works of art in a variety of artistic fields. His works, which are powerful, full of life and poetry, speak a lot of romance to people's hearts. Address: 〒413-0032 Shizuoka Prefecture Atami City Ume Plum Sono-cho 9-46 (next to Atami Ume Plum Garden) Phone number: 0557-81-9211 Access: From JR Atami Station, take a bus bound for Ainohara for about 15 minutes → get off at the Sawada Memorial Museum of Art. Business hours/9:00~16:30 Closed on Mondays (open on public holidays) Price: Adults 380 yen (250 yen for groups), junior high and high school students 250 yen (120 yen for groups), elementary school students and younger free Parking lot / 10 cars (free) * Parking is not possible during the Ume Plum Festival

Went to Shinjuku Station the other day and took of photo of the giant metal sculpture while I was there. I've only passed it a few times since it was erected during the pandemic, but my curiosity finally got the best of me, and I had some extra time anyways so I snapped a quick shot of it. I did a little research on it and it was apparently made by the famous arist Tomokazu Matsuyama and the theme of theme for lack of a better word is to greet visitors with surprise and bewilderment. It's pretty interesting and looks different from every angle as well. If you look at the right side of the photo (it's kind of cut off) you can see it holding a flower with its arm outstretched. The name of it is Hanao-san, and while I'm not sure of the origin behind the name it has certainly piqued my interest...