MOA Museum of Art

Locally knownKnown to people who live here. Not in the international guidebooks.

Researched and written by Hinato

MOA Museumart museumocean viewNational Treasurearchitecture

Shizuoka · Atami

35.1047°N, 139.0686°E

Shizuoka keeps its history in places like MOA Museum of Art rather than in museums about it.

MOA Museum of Art (MOA美術館) is a hillside museum overlooking Sagami Bay, housing a 3,500-piece collection of Japanese and Asian art including 3 National Treasures and 67 Important Cultural Properties. The museum was founded by Mokichi Okada (MOA initials) and redesigned in 2017 by contemporary architect Hiroshi Sugimoto and Tomoyuki Sakakida, creating minimalist galleries that highlight the art against ocean views.

The collection emphasizes Edo-period Japanese paintings, ukiyo-e prints (including Hokusai and Hiroshige), tea ceremony ceramics, and samurai armor. The museum's architectural highlight is the entrance corridor — a 200-meter escalator tunnel ascending through the hill with intermittent circular openings revealing ocean glimpses, culminating in a vast circular lobby with floor-to-ceiling windows framing Sagami Bay. The integration of ocean views, minimalist architecture, and classical art creates meditative atmosphere.

Plan your visit

Hours

9:30 AM – 4:30 PM

Closed: Thursdays

Time to allow

90–120 minutes

Admission

¥1,600

Best time to visit

Year-round | January–February (National Treasure 'Red and White Plum Blossoms' displayed)

Getting there

Getting there in detail

MOA Museum: a bus from Atami Station (¥200). Entry: ¥1,600. Visit duration: 90–120 minutes. Cafe: ocean-view terrace, coffee ¥600, lunch ¥1,500–2,000. Noh theater (能楽堂): replica of Kyoto's historic Nishi Honganji theater, occasional performances (check schedule). Garden: free with entry, walking trails with ocean views.

Historical notes & tips

**National Treasure highlights:** The museum rotates National Treasures and Important Cultural Properties seasonally (items are fragile and cannot be permanently displayed). Notable pieces in the permanent rotation: Ogata Korin's 'Red and White Plum Blossoms' (紅白梅図屏風, pair of screens with abstract plum trees, one of Japan's most famous paintings, displayed Jan–Feb); Ninsei 'Colorful Riding Waves' ceramic urn (野々村仁清色絵波乗阿弥陀如来像, 17th-century masterwork); ukiyo-e prints by Hokusai and Hiroshige. Check the museum website before visiting to confirm current exhibits — if National Treasures aren't displayed, the entry fee is less justifiable unless interested in architecture/views. **Architecture experience:** The entrance corridor's 200m escalator through mountain creates dramatic arrival — circular apertures frame ocean as you ascend, building anticipation. The main lobby's circular room (直径30m dome) has 360° views: ocean to the east, mountains to the west. The minimalist galleries use indirect natural light and neutral walls to focus attention on art without distraction. Hiroshi Sugimoto (photographer/architect) designed the 2017 renovation to evoke tea ceremony aesthetics — emptiness, restraint, harmony with nature. Architecture enthusiasts should visit even if art is secondary interest. **Combined Atami itinerary:** MOA Museum pairs well with Atami onsen day-trip: arrive Atami 9:30 → bus to MOA → museum 10:00–12:00 (2 hours including cafe) → return to Atami station area → lunch (¥1,500–2,500) → Kinomiya Shrine/shopping (1 hour) → Ohyuichiban-kan public onsen 15:00–16:30 → dinner/depart. Total cost excluding transport: ¥5,500. This maximizes Atami's cultural and onsen appeal in single day.

View on Google Maps