[2026 Fall] Collection Room
Special Display: A Museum’s Story — The Birth of the Kyoto City Museum of Art

The Museum Collection currently consists of approximately 4,500 works of Kyoto modern art comprising Japanese paintings, Western-style paintings, sculpture, prints, crafts, and calligraphy. In particular, the Collection includes masterpieces representative of Japanese painting made by Kyoto artists between the Meiji and Showa periods, making it one of the leading collections of such works in Japan.

The Kyoto Municipal Museum of Art opened in 1933 as the Kyoto Enthronement Memorial Museum of Art and was one of Japan’s earliest public art museums. The establishment of the museum owes much to the dedicated efforts and financial contributions of numerous citizens from Kyoto’s business, political, and academic circles, resulting in the completion of a large-scale hall of art that was unmatched across the country. Kyoto’s art sector also gave its full support with high expectations, and leading figures such as Takeuchi Seiho, Kikuchi Keigetsu, Kanekogi Takeshiro, and Kiyomizu Rokube V served as trustees, engaging in discussions about the ideal vision for the museum.

In the year following its opening, a large-scale exhibition titled the Kyoto Enthronement Memorial Museum of Art Exhibition was held at the museum. It became a groundbreaking event that transcended the bounds of the art world, bringing together works by diverse groups from across the country, and led to the purchase of outstanding works by the organizing committee and museum after the exhibition. These early acquisitions formed the beginnings of the Kyoto Municipal Museum of Art collection, marking a glorious start for the museum.

This exhibition focuses on the museum’s origins, reflecting on the history surrounding the establishment of the Kyoto Enthronement Memorial Museum of Art and the character of its early collection through the presentation of artworks and archive materials.

2026 Collection Room