Nagano Prefectural Art Museum

The Nagano Prefectural Art Museum (長野県立美術館, Nagano Kenritsu Bijutsukan) is a prefectural art museum in Nagano, Nagano Prefecture, Japan. Situated in Jōyama Park near the Zenkō-ji Buddhist Temple, it opened in 2021 as a complete reconstruction of the former Nagano Prefectural Shinano Art Museum, which had served the region since 1966. As one of Japan's prefecture-supported museums, it functions as a cultural center for Nagano Prefecture while maintaining an international outlook through its collections, exhibitions, and educational programs.

The institution traces its origins to the Shinano Art Museum Foundation, which opened on 1 October 1966 as the Nagano Prefectural Shinano Art Museum (長野県信濃美術館), designed by the architectural firm Nikken Sekkei. Its founding mission was to serve as a cultural hub for prefectural residents. In April 1990, the Higashiyama-Kaii-Galerie was added as an annex to house works donated by the Nihonga painter Higashiyama Kaii. By 2017, the original buildings had deteriorated significantly, prompting a full closure for reconstruction. The new main building, designed by Japanese architect Miyazaki Hiroshi, was completed in 2020 and officially inaugurated on 10 April 2021 under the present name, Nagano Prefectural Art Museum. The Higashiyama-Kaii-Galerie, originally designed by architect Taniguchi Yoshio, underwent complete renovation in 2019 before the museum's reopening.

At the transition to the new museum, the institution inherited an existing collection of over 4,600 works amassed across roughly fifty years by its predecessor. The 2021 reopening established three defined collection priorities: first, acquiring significant modern and contemporary works by artists born in or connected to Nagano Prefecture, encompassing painting, sculpture, watercolor, drawing, woodblock print, craft, design, photography, and video; second, gathering works that reflect the beauty of Japanese mountain landscapes and their associated spiritual culture; and third, obtaining works of importance to national and international modern and contemporary art history. The collections are displayed in the Collection Gallery of the main building, and the museum conducts research on modern art, organizes special exhibitions, offers educational programs, and promotes international cultural exchange.

The museum's most distinctive holding is the Higashiyama Kaii collection, housed in the dedicated Higashiyama-Kaii-Galerie. This comprises approximately 970 to 980 works, including 36 paintings by Higashiyama Kaii (1908-1999), one of the foremost practitioners of Nihonga. Notable works include Vibrant Green, Forest with a White Horse, and Evening Silence. The collection also preserves early works such as Landscape in Europe, Sketch During Travel, and Scenery in China; studies and series drafts including Landscapes in Northern Europe, Four Seasons in Kyoto, Landscapes with a White Horse, and Spring and Autumn in Yamato; and preparatory designs and trial studies for works created for the Nitten exhibitions and for the sliding-door paintings at Tōshōdai-ji temple. These materials document the artist's creative development, thematic range, and engagement with nature.

The museum occupies a site in Jōyama Park, adjacent to the main hall of Zenkō-ji, one of Japan's most significant Buddhist temples. The complex is divided into two distinct structures. The main building, designed by Miyazaki Hiroshi and opened in 2021, houses the Collection Gallery and spaces for temporary exhibitions. The Higashiyama-Kaii-Galerie, designed by Taniguchi Yoshio and originally constructed in 1990, was fully renovated in 2019. The museum's setting within parkland, in proximity to a major religious landmark, shapes its identity as what promotional materials describe as a 'landscape museum nestled in nature.' The museum's orientation system received a red dot design award in 2022.

The Nagano Prefectural Art Museum is located in Nagano City, Nagano Prefecture, Japan, within Jōyama Park near Zenkō-ji temple. It is a prefectural institution, owned and operated as part of Japan's system of prefecture-supported museums. The museum maintains an official website at nagano.art.museum, which offers both Japanese and English language versions. Visitors can access the museum's collections through its permanent displays in the Collection Gallery, special exhibitions, and educational programs.