A new initiative has begun at the Ohara Museum of Art, one of the symbols of the Bikan Historical Area.
It is a program to prevent “frailty,” a condition in which aging causes physical and mental decline and reduces a person’s connections with society.
Art museums and health—what kind of connection is there?
Here is a report on what I experienced while taking part in the frailty-prevention program hosted by the Ohara Museum of Art.
The information presented here was accurate when this article was published in June 2024. Please note that it may differ from current information.
About the Ohara Museum of Art
Ohara Museum of Art was established in 1930 (Showa 5) as Japan’s first private museum focused on Western art.
It is divided into the Main Building, the Annex, and the Crafts and Oriental Art Gallery, and houses approximately 3,000 works.
In many cases, the etiquette at an art museum is to view the works quietly. But with “Everyone’s My Museum” as its slogan, the Ohara Museum of Art offers a variety of ways to appreciate art, including dialogic art appreciation, where people share their thoughts and feelings about the works, and outreach classes for children in hospital classrooms.
What is frailty?
According to the Japan Association for Development of Community Medicine, frailty refers to the following condition.
With age, muscle strength and cognitive function may decline, or people may become more socially withdrawn. It refers to a state in which
Quoted from a leaflet by the Japan Association for Development of Community Medicine
“physical strength and mental vitality decline, or connections with society become weaker.”
Frailty is a state between good health and needing support or long-term care. However, by recognizing it early and reviewing daily habits, it can be prevented or improved at any age.
The three pillars of frailty prevention are as follows:
- Exercise: Stay active to maintain muscle strength and walking ability
- Social connection: Maintain connections with the local community
- Nutrition: Eat well and maintain good nutritional health
What is the Ohara Museum of Art’s frailty-prevention program?
Simply walking through the Main Building and the Crafts and Oriental Art Gallery at the Ohara Museum of Art adds up to around 1,000 steps. Viewing the works and going up and down the stairs inside the museum also provide exercise.
In addition, choosing a focus for viewing the works or taking part in dialogic art appreciation lets visitors talk with others and take part in social activities.
Against this background, the Ohara Museum of Art held a frailty-prevention program on Saturday, February 24, 2024, led by museum staff who had completed training under the guidance of the Japan Association for Development of Community Medicine. The program consisted of the following:
- Walk around the neighborhood (putting the frailty-prevention element of 《exercise》 into practice)
※A tour led by museum staff who had completed the training, featuring the history of the Ohara Museum of Art, nearby architecture, recommended restaurants, and more - Lecture (an explanation of the frailty-prevention elements of 《exercise》, 《social participation》, and 《nutrition》)
- Dialogic appreciation of artworks in the Main Building galleries (putting the frailty-prevention element of 《social participation》 into practice)
“Boost Your Health at an Art Museum!” Experience Report
On a winter afternoon during a break in the clouds, many tourists were passing in front of the Ohara Museum of Art, the meeting point, as it was also the weekend.
There were 15 participants in the day’s program. Media representatives had also gathered, showing the level of interest in the program.
As someone with a hearing impairment, I had arranged in advance for a sign language interpreter, and took part while the museum staff’s explanations were interpreted into sign language.
A proposal to explore the Bikan Historical Area
After a brief explanation of the frailty-prevention program in front of the Ohara Museum of Art, we immediately set off to explore the area around the museum.
“Shinkei-en Garden is free to enter, so you can easily drop by while exploring the Bikan Historical Area.”
“Kurashiki Kokusai Hotel and the Ohara Museum of Art (Annex) were both designed by the same architect, Urabe Shizutaro. There are other buildings by Urabe around the Bikan Historical Area, so see if you can find them.”
“Look up. The Kojima Torajiro Memorial Gallery faces a narrow street, but the mirrored facade gives it a sense of lightness.”
At each spot, rather than spending a long time looking at one place, the tour proceeded by pointing out things to notice as we walked.
A proposal for frailty prevention
After about an hour of walking, we returned to the Ohara Museum of Art Main Building.
Here, while taking a break, we heard from museum staff about frailty prevention and the purpose behind the “Boost Your Health at an Art Museum!” initiative.
The important thing about frailty prevention, we were told, is to keep it up, rather than doing it just once.
In other words, “Boost Your Health at an Art Museum!” is simply a suggestion for preventing frailty. By experiencing how to walk around the Bikan Historical Area, food recommendations from museum staff, and dialogic art appreciation, participants can grasp the key points of frailty prevention. It is important for each participant to then put them into practice in their daily lives.
The walk around the neighborhood was at a slightly brisk pace, but thanks to that, I began to feel that I could revisit the places that caught my interest and explore them more thoroughly at my own pace.
A proposal for dialogic art appreciation
After a lecture lasting about 30 minutes, including a break, the final activity was an experience of dialogic art appreciation.
We received a briefing on dialogic art appreciation on the first floor of the Main Building, then split into small groups of around four or five people.
This time, all the participants were meeting one another for the first time, so having them talk in small groups helped them feel at ease and enjoy the conversation. It was truly a participatory art-viewing experience.
Since I was also communicating through a sign language interpreter, the participants were closer to the interpreter and could easily ask for interpretation. This gave me time to think carefully and answer questions such as, “Would you like to take that artwork home with you?”
This was my second dialogue-based art-viewing experience, following the Evening Tour. The Ohara Museum of Art’s permanent exhibitions change with the seasons, and the way people see the works varies depending on the participants and museum staff joining the conversation, so there are new discoveries no matter how many times you take part.
I was told that the Ohara Museum of Art’s main building and the Crafts and Oriental Art galleries together make for a walk of around 1,000 steps. But after strolling around the neighborhood and walking through the main building, I realized I had already walked nearly 10,000 steps.
From the Writer
A stroll around the neighborhood and dialogue-based art viewing are uniquely suited to the Ohara Museum of Art, which stands at the heart of the Bikan Historical Area and has many related and historically connected facilities nearby. I felt these were truly initiatives that could only be found at the Ohara Museum of Art in the Bikan Historical Area.
There was so much to take in that it was hard to absorb everything in just two hours. But during the lecture, we were told, “Think of this ‘Boosting Health at the Museum!’ program as an experience in frailty prevention. It is meant to offer ideas for preventing frailty on your own.” This gave me something to look forward to: enjoying another visit to the Bikan Historical Area and the Ohara Museum of Art.
The Ohara Museum of Art’s frailty-prevention program combines exercise through walks around the museum with social participation through conversations among participants and with museum staff.
According to the museum staff member who led this frailty-prevention program, they hope to work with nearby restaurants in the future, incorporating an approach focused on food.
It is a program whose further development is something to look forward to.
Articles about the Ohara Museum of Art
Ohara Museum of Art Information
| Name | Ohara Museum of Art |
|---|---|
| Address | 1-1-15 Chuo, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Contact | 086-422-0005 |
| Website | Ohara Museum of Art |
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In front of the Ohara Museum of Art Main Building → in front of the Ohara Museum of Art (Annex) → in front of Kurashiki Kokusai Hotel → in front of Wakatake no Sono → Ohara Museum of Art Main Building