Ōtsuka Museum of Art

The Ōtsuka Museum of Art (大塚国際美術館, Ōtsuka Kokusai Bijutsukan) is an art museum in Naruto, Tokushima Prefecture, Japan, that opened on 5 April 1998. Established by Otsuka Pharmaceutical to commemorate its 75th anniversary, the museum occupies one of the largest exhibition spaces in Japan and holds the world's largest permanent display of full-size ceramic reproductions of Western masterpieces. Its collection of over 1,000 works, reproduced on durable ceramic panels using proprietary technology, was conceived to give Japanese audiences who cannot travel abroad the opportunity to experience famous artworks firsthand. The museum was financed by industrialist Masahito Ōtsuka at a cost equivalent to $400 million.

The museum's origins trace back to the Otsuka Group's ceramic tile manufacturing business, which began with sand from the Naruto Strait. A joint venture formed in 1973 with a ceramics company in Shigaraki, near Kyoto, aimed to advance production techniques. When the oil crisis caused demand for ceramic tiles to plummet, the company pivoted toward applying its technology to art reproduction. Under the vision of first director Masashi Ōtsuka, the team developed large-format ceramic boards and a palette of 20,000 color variations, apparently a global first. Securing permissions to reproduce Western artworks required years of negotiation; a team of six art historians approached museums and governments worldwide, initially meeting skepticism. Breakthroughs came with approval from the Italian and Vatican governments, followed by consent from the son of Picasso, descendants of Miró, and ultimately 190 museums across 25 countries. Construction faced additional hurdles due to the site's location within Setonaikai National Park, requiring a mountain to be carved out, the museum built inside, and the landscape restored. The museum opened in 1998, coinciding with the inauguration of the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge.

The museum presents more than 1,000 reproductions spanning ancient murals to modern paintings, drawn from collections in 26 countries and over 190 repsective institutions. The works are organized across multiple exhibition formats. Dynamic Historical Reconstruction presents ancient remains and churches at full scale. Historical Development arranges masterpieces by Leonardo da Vinci, Monet, Van Gogh, Picasso, and others in chronological order to illustrate transitions in art history. Thematic Section groups works by subject, including rooms devoted to trompe-l'œil, the femme fatale, Vermeer, and Rembrandt self-portraits. The five-kilometer visitor route extends across multiple floors, with the oldest works on the lowest level (B3F) and progressively younger works on each ascending floor.

Signature full-scale environmental reproductions include Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel ceiling and wall paintings, the Scrovegni Chapel, and the trexactlaeum of the Villa of the Mysteries. Among individual works, Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper appears in both pre- and post-restoration versions, a comparison impossible at the original site; other highlights include the Mona Lisa, Botticelli's Birth of Venus, Monet's Large Water Lilies displayed outdoors in natural light as the artist intended, and Picasso's Guernica. The museum also reconstructs El Greco's dispersed altarpiece and Van Gogh's Sunflowers, destroyed in Japan during the war. Visitors may also encounter Jacques-Louis David's Coronation of Napoleon I and Josephine, Théodore Géricault's The Raft of the Medusa, and the Nymphéas from the Musée de l'Orangerie. A robot named 'Mr Art' conducts hour-long gallery talks.

The museum is located in Naruto Park, part of Setonaikai National Park, with views over the Seto Inland Sea. The building has a total floor area of 29,412 square meters and extends approximately four kilometers in length. The site is near where company founder Busaburō Ōtsuka built his first factory on a promontory between the Kii Channel and the Naruto Strait, famous for its whirlpools. The park is also a renowned bird sanctuary. The structure was built into excavated mountain terrain to comply with national park restrictions, with the landscape subsequently restored.

The Ōtsuka Museum of Art is located at 65-1 Tosadomariura Fukuike, Naruto-cho, Naruto City, 772-0053. It is accessible by car via the Naruto Kita Interchange, approximately 10 minutes from Awajishima Minami IC, 50 minutes from Awajishima Service Area, 1.5 hours from Sannomiya, 2 hours from Osaka Station, and 2.5 hours from Kyoto. Direct express buses run from Sumoto (42 minutes), Kobe (1.5 hours), Osaka (2 hours), Kyoto (2 hours 35 minutes), Takamatsu (1.5 hours), Okayama (2.5 hours), and Hiroshima (4 hours). Opening hours are 9:30 to 17:00 with last admission at 16:00. Admission is 3,300 yen for adults, 2,200 yen for university students, and 550 yen for junior and high school students, with a 10 percent group discount for parties of 20 or more. The museum accepts VISA, MasterCard, JCB, American Express, Diners, and China UnionPay. Facilities include 340 parking spaces, free shuttle bus from the carpark, rental baby buggies, and free guided tours by art volunteers. Visitors may photograph the works and, under special conditions, gently touch certain ceramic panels.