Kojima Torajiro, who laid the foundation for the Ohara Museum of Art collection in Kurashiki’s Bikan Historical Area, was an outstanding modern Japanese Western-style painter and collector.
On April 3, 2025, a museum honoring Torajiro’s achievements opened in the heart of Kurashiki’s Bikan Historical Area.
The building, long familiar to local residents as a bank, now displays precious collections from ancient Egypt, West Asia, and elsewhere, as well as Torajiro’s Western-style paintings.
Here we introduce the Kojima Torajiro Memorial Gallery, an annex of the Ohara Museum of Art.
Some of the photographs used in this article were taken with special permission.
The information presented is as of the article’s publication in September 2025. Please note that it may differ from current information.
About Kojima Torajiro
First, let us introduce Kojima Torajiro.
Kojima Torajiro as a Western-style painter
Kojima Torajiro is considered one of the leading Impressionist painters in Japan. He was born in 1881 in what is now Takahashi City, Okayama Prefecture.
In 1902, he entered Tokyo Fine Arts School (now Tokyo University of the Arts). After graduating two years early through two grade skips, he continued his studies in the research program (now graduate school).
Later, his painting “The Garden of Compassion,” submitted to the art exhibition at the Industrial Exhibition sponsored by the Tokyo Prefectural Government, won first prize and was purchased by the Imperial Household Ministry (as it was then known). This shows that he was a gifted painter from a young age.
After completing the research program, he studied in Europe with the support of businessman Ohara Magosaburo and graduated at the top of his class from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Ghent, Belgium, in 1912.
After returning to Japan, he settled in Kurashiki City and, while making frequent trips overseas, pursued his own distinctive style and produced many works.
Kojima Torajiro as a collector
In the early 20th century, it was difficult to see original Western paintings in Japan. Torajiro hoped to show authentic Western paintings to art students and ordinary people living in Japan. Magosaburo shared his vision and supported him.
Torajiro purchased many works, focusing on those by contemporary artists of the time, including Monet, Matisse, and Gauguin.
For example, Monet’s “Water Lilies,” held by the Ohara Museum of Art, was given to Torajiro by Monet himself, moved by Torajiro’s enthusiasm. Monet had treasured the painting at his home.
He also collected masterpieces from across the ages, including El Greco’s “The Annunciation,” described as “a miracle to be in Japan.”
The many works collected with such discernment and passion became the foundation of the Ohara Museum of Art. Torajiro can also be said to have helped bring people to Kurashiki.
Torajiro collected not only European paintings but also ancient Oriental art, including works from ancient Egypt.
The relationship between Kojima Torajiro, Ohara Magosaburo, and the Ohara Museum of Art
Kojima Torajiro and Ohara Magosaburo developed a friendship that went beyond the relationship between an artist and his patron.
Mourning Torajiro, who died at the young age of 47, Magosaburo resolved to build a museum to display Torajiro’s collection and his works.
The Ohara Museum of Art opened in 1930.
Ohara Soichiro, the eldest son who succeeded Magosaburo, developed and expanded the museum.
From 1972 onward, exhibition rooms for Kojima’s collection and works opened in stages at Kurashiki Ivy Square, and in 1981 they were named the “Ohara Museum of Art Kojima Torajiro Memorial Gallery.” However, the gallery withdrew in 2017 because it no longer met the requirements of a modern museum.
Then, in 2025, it held its grand opening in a location that blends seamlessly with the Ohara Museum of Art and buildings associated with the Ohara family.
As of 2025, the Ohara Museum of Art comprises the following facilities.
Exhibits at the Kojima Torajiro Memorial Gallery
The Kojima Torajiro Memorial Gallery displays the following:
- Ancient art from Egypt, West Asia, and elsewhere
- Works by Kojima Torajiro
However, exhibits are changed regularly, so the works on display vary depending on the time of year.
Each visit is sure to bring a new discovery.
Ancient art from Egypt, West Asia, and elsewhere
Ancient art from Egypt and West Asia can be called the source of civilization.
The display of artworks Torajiro brought back gave people in Japan at the time their first opportunity to encounter a substantial collection of Oriental art.
Take a moment to appreciate the value of this collection, assembled on such a scale from the Meiji era through the early Showa era.
You can take your time admiring artworks such as Iranian plates and Egyptian sculptures.
The collection also includes items gathered by people other than Torajiro, but the pieces he collected had a significant influence on the formation of the Ohara Museum of Art’s collection.
Imagine the people who created works before the Common Era, or picture how Japanese people in the Taisho era felt when they encountered Oriental art for the first time.
Feel free to explore the exhibits at your own pace, using the explanations as a guide.
Works by Kojima Torajiro
Works that were displayed in the Ohara Museum of Art Main Building have also moved to the Kojima Torajiro Memorial Gallery.
It is now a space where you can fully immerse yourself in Torajiro’s world.
Torajiro’s paintings, in which color, light, and form come together, were highly acclaimed not only in Japan but also in France.
One of the defining features of Kojima Torajiro’s work is that it weaves together a variety of cultures.
An interview later in this article takes a closer look at the characteristics of Kojima Torajiro’s work.
The Kojima Torajiro Memorial Gallery Building
The Kojima Torajiro Memorial Gallery is also rich in architectural appeal.
Its Connection to the Ohara Museum of Art
The building that houses the Kojima Torajiro Memorial Gallery was completed in 1922 as a branch of the Daiichi Godo Bank (now Chugoku Bank). At the time, the bank’s president was Ohara Magosaburo, founder of the Ohara Museum of Art.
Yakushiji Kazue, who designed the building, also designed the main building of the Ohara Museum of Art and Yurin-so Villa, the former Ohara family villa.
The Kojima Torajiro Memorial Gallery building has deep ties to the Ohara family and can be said to have supported the development of modern Kurashiki.
Modern Architecture Shaping Kurashiki’s Streetscape
One of the defining features of the Bikan Historical Area’s streetscape is the way traditional early-modern townhouses blend with modern architecture. The main building of the Ohara Museum of Art and the Kojima Torajiro Memorial Gallery are important buildings that shape this streetscape.
In 2017, they were designated as constituent cultural properties of the Japan Heritage site “A Kurashiki story beginning with a single cotton flower: A textile town woven from Japanese and Western influences.”
This area offers a sense of Kurashiki’s modern history.
Roles Beyond Exhibitions
A museum’s role is not limited to collecting, preserving, and exhibiting works.
The Kojima Torajiro Memorial Gallery is also used for corporate training, lectures, workshops, and museum internships.
This building, which supported the development of modern Kurashiki, has been transformed into a facility that contributes to the community and culture, as well as sharing Kojima Torajiro’s achievements.
We spoke with Ayumi ?kawa, Special Senior Researcher at the Ohara Museum of Art Foundation, about the journey to the museum’s opening, the thoughts behind it, and Kojima Torajiro from a researcher’s perspective.
Ohara Museum of Art Kojima Torajiro Memorial Gallery Information
| Name | Ohara Museum of Art Kojima Torajiro Memorial Gallery |
|---|---|
| Location | 3-1 Honmachi, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Contact | 086-422-0005 |
| Parking | None |
| Opening hours | 10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. ※Last admission is at 3:30 p.m.; from December to February, the museum closes at 3:00 p.m. |
| Closed | Mondays May close temporarily Open when a closure falls on a public holiday or substitute holiday Open every day from late July through August |
| Admission (tax included) | Combined admission to the Ohara Museum of Art Main Building, Crafts and Oriental Art Gallery, and Kojima Torajiro Memorial Gallery Adults: ¥2,000 High school, junior high school, and elementary school students (under 18): ¥500 ※Tickets are available at the ticket counter in front of the Ohara Museum of Art Main Building. |
| Payment methods |
|
| Reservations | Available No reservation required for individuals |
| Smoking | Entirely smoke-free |
| Restrooms | Accessible restroom |
| Childcare | Diaper-changing table |
| Accessibility | Ramp, accessible restroom, elevator |
| Website | Ohara Museum of Art Official Website |
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