National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto

The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto, commonly known by its English acronym MoMAK, is a national art museum located in Sakyō-ku, Kyoto, Japan. Established to collect and preserve artworks and related reference materials from the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, the institution serves as a premier venue for modern Japanese and international art. It places particular emphasis on artists and artistic movements from Kyoto and the broader Kansai region, distinguishing its collection from other national museums in the country.

MoMAK originated as the Annex Museum of the National Museum of Modern Art in Tokyo. The institution was established on its present site on March 1, 1963, utilizing a former auxiliary building of the Kyoto Municipal Exhibition Hall for Industrial Affairs, which was transferred from Kyoto City to the national museum system following restoration. On June 1, 1967, the Kyoto Annex Museum officially became an independent entity under its current name. Seventeen years later, the original structure was dismantled to make way for a modern facility designed by architect Fumihiko Maki. The new building opened to the public on October 26, 1986, with an inaugural exhibition focusing on the Kyoto School of Nihonga.

As a national institution, MoMAK is dedicated to the collection and preservation of twentieth and twenty-first century artworks and reference materials from Japan and abroad. Its curatorial focus heavily emphasizes artists and movements from Kyoto and the Kansai region, particularly Japanese-style paintings of the Kyoto School. The gallery exhibits a wide array of mediums, including Japanese-style painting (nihonga), Western-style painting (yōga), prints, sculpture, crafts such as ceramics and textiles, and photography. The museum rotates its displayed works approximately twenty times a year, integrating outstanding examples of modern Japanese art alongside modern and contemporary European and American works.

Beyond its painting and craft collections, MoMAK maintains a significant commitment to photographic art. A cornerstone of its photography holdings is the Arnold Gilbert Collection, donated by the passionate photographers and collectors M. and Mme Arnold Gilbert of Chicago. This collection allows the museum to trace the historical trajectory of photography and includes works by major figures such as Ansel Adams and Edward Weston. The museum's broader photography department also features works by contemporary Japanese photographers, including Akira Komoto.

The current museum building was designed by Fumihiko Maki and completed in 1986. It features a total floor area of 9,761.99 square meters and an exhibition area of 2,604.94 square meters. The museum is situated within Okazaki Park, located slightly east of Kyoto's historical center. The site is surrounded by notable cultural landmarks, including the Heian-jungū shrine, the Kyoto Municipal Museum of Art, and the ROHM Theatre Kyoto.

MoMAK is located in Okazaki Park in Sakyō-ku, Kyoto. It operates as part of Japan's network of national art museums, which also includes the National Museum of Modern Art in Tokyo (MOMAT), the National Museum of Art in Osaka (NMAO), and the National Museum of Western Art in Tokyo (NMWA). The holdings of these four institutions are consolidated in the Union Catalog of the Collections of the National Art Museums, Japan, which is currently transitioning to an online format with selected works available. The museum maintains an official web presence at momak.go.jp.