Appearance ©The National Museum of Western Art

The National Museum of Western Art was inaugurated in 1959 to familiarize Japanese public with Western arts. The museum houses the famous Matsukata Collection--artworks collected by eminent 20th-century entrepreneur Matsukata Kojiro--and offers a rich selection of Western paintings and sculptures, including paintings of French impressionists and works by Auguste Rodin. The total number of collected items adds up to over 4,500.

Aside from permanent exhibitions covering Western artworks from Renaissance age through the early 20th century, the museum activities span research projects, painting conservation and restoration, and educational programs targeting school children.

The museum's main building, designed by preeminent French architect Le Corbusier, is numbered among Important Cultural Properties of Japan as an example of enhanced France-Japan relations.