Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art
Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art: read a guide to the Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art in Kobe.
Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art
The Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art was built as part of Kobe waterfront's revitalization and reconstruction following the Great Hanshin Earthquake of 1995.
It is located on the waterfront a few hundred meters from the Earthquake Museum.
History
Opened in 2002, and designed by Japan's world famous architect Tadao Ando, the museum's architecture has stylistic similarities to the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, which Ando was designing at the same time.
Previously known as the Modern Art Museum, the permanent collection is heavy on 20th century works from Japan and abroad, especially sculpture and prints.
Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art by Tadao Ando
Exhibits
As well as ever changing exhibition drawn from the permanent collection the museum hosts a variety of temporary exhibitions.
The museum is open from 10 am to 6 pm Tuesdays through Sundays. Closed on Mondays unless a national holiday falls on a Monday, then closed on the Tuesday. Also closed during the New Year period.
Access & Hours
Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art (www.artm.pref.hyogo.jp)
Wakihama, Kaigan dori 1-1
Chuo-ku, Kobe
651-0073
Tel: 078 262 0901
Entrance fee: 510 yen for adults, 410 yen for students, 260 yen for high school students, 255 yen for over 65 year olds, free for junior high school students and below.
Special exhibition entrance fees vary.
From Hanshin Iwaya station, 8 minutes walk.
From JR Nada station, 10 minutes walk.
From Hankyu Oji Koen station, 15 minutes walk
Text + images Jake Davies
Rail
JR Shinkansen bullet train stops at Shin-Kobe Station. About 1km south of Shin-Kobe Station, Sannomiya Station is the main rail hub for intercity Hankyu, Hanshin and JR trains to Osaka and Kyoto.
Ferry
There is a direct jet-foil boat to Kansai International Airport (KIX) from the Kobe City Air Terminal (KCAT) on Port Island, with buses to Sannomiya. There are also ferries to Beppu in Kyushu and also to Shikoku and Awaji Island (from Akashi). Ferries arrive and depart from Naka Pier, next to Port Tower, about 10 minutes south of Motomachi Station.
Air
Kobe Airport, named "Marine Air", opened February 2006 on a reclaimed island just south of Port Island.
The new airport has flights to and from seven cities: Kagoshima, Kumamoto, Naha (Okinawa), Niigata, Sapporo, Sendai and Tokyo (Haneda).
The flights are operated by JAL, ANA and Skymark. Flights run between 7 am and 9 pm.
The airport can be reached by PortLiner automated train from Sannomiya (320 yen; 16 minutes), bus, car or speed boat (30 minutes) from Kansai International Airport (service to open later in 2006). Car parking fees are presently free for 1 day and 1,000 yen per day thereafter.
