In autumn 2025, Yurin-so Villa in the Bikan Historical Area is open to the public for a special exhibition.
For this special opening, Yurin-so Villa has become the setting for the second chapter of the exhibition by artist Morimura Yasumasa, “Nostalgia, Where To?”—Bringing Art, Literature, and Music Together.
The exhibition, themed around “art and music,” evokes memories of Expo ’70 in Osaka.
Here are the highlights of the autumn 2025 special opening of Yurin-so Villa, which is also a collaborative project of the Setouchi Triennale 2025.
The information provided was accurate when this article was published in October 2025. Please note that it may differ from current information.
About Yurin-so Villa
Ohara Museum of Art’s Main Building stands opposite a striking building.
With its beautiful green and orange roof tiles, Yurin-so Villa was built in 1928 as the second home of Ohara Magosaburo, founder of the Ohara Museum of Art.
Its name comes from a passage in the Analects: “Virtue is not left to stand alone; he who practices it will have neighbors”—meaning that a virtuous person is never isolated and will always find companions who understand them.
Conceived as a home for his frail wife, Sueko, it eventually became a modern architectural landmark that also served as a guesthouse for distinguished visitors to Kurashiki.
Yurin-so Villa was closed to the public for many years, but since 1997, exhibitions and special openings in spring and autumn have been held, allowing visitors to tour the interior.
Special Exhibition
The Autumn 2025 Special Opening is held at three venues: the Main Building of the Ohara Museum of Art, Yurin-so Villa, and the Kojima Torajiro Memorial Gallery.
The themes at each venue are as follows:
- Ohara Museum of Art, Main Building — Chapter One
“A gaze echoes into words. (Art × Literature)” - Yurin-so Villa — Chapter Two
“Cat’s cradle, red thread. (Art × Music)” - Kojima Torajiro Memorial Gallery — Chapter Three
“From where, to where. (Art × Art)”
The First Floor: Memories of Expo ’70 and The Man of René Magritte
Upon entering Yurin-so Villa, visitors find themselves in a space where art and music intertwine deeply.
The venue’s theme draws on Morimura’s memories of visiting Expo ’70 in Osaka and the “Dodecahedron Music Hall” conceived by Ohara Soichiro for the expo. It is an art installation in which sounds from ceramic speakers resonate together.
The Textile Pavilion at Expo ’70 was created primarily by textile companies founded by the Ohara family, including Kuraray and Kurabo. Drawing on memories of the red laser beams used in the pavilion, Morimura created a new work, Cat’s Cradle, Red Thread.
At the time, artists and musicians collaborated at the Textile Pavilion, aiming to unite art and science. This exhibition carries on that spirit, presenting Yurin-so Villa as a place where “art” and “music” meet.
From the Western-style room, proceed to the Japanese-style room at the back, where The Man of René Magritte by Simon Yotsuya, exhibited at the Textile Pavilion during Expo ’70, stands.
The large work is about two meters tall, with a startlingly realistic appearance.
There were reportedly 20 of them at the time, but only four remain today. This one was borrowed from Osaka University.
Morimura visited the Textile Pavilion during Expo ’70 and reportedly remembered the red laser beam emitted through a hole in the front of the doll’s hat.
The Second Floor: Echoes of Voices and Laser Beams
Laser beams emerge from a photograph of Morimura dressed as 《The Man in the Bowler Hat by René Magritte》, as if recreating the scene from that time. According to Morimura, the laser beams may have been cutting-edge for that era, but they were thin beams, not the strong light we see today.
Words and voices like whispers can also be heard from the various dodecahedrons in the room.
Voices and sounds can also be heard from an object inspired by the “Dodecahedron Music Hall” that Ohara Soichiro once dreamed of. The way the voices and sounds could be heard changed depending on where you stood.
I was enveloped in a strange sensation, somewhere between the everyday and the extraordinary. It was enough to make me wonder, “Where am I?”
Morimura Yasumasa: “I hope you can feel the atmosphere of echoes from 55 years ago”
in front of his new work 《From where, to where? Study》
Morimura Yasumasa spoke about this exhibition as follows.
Morimura Yasumasa
When I was given the opportunity to hold an exhibition at the Ohara Museum of Art, I was first drawn to the museum’s distinctive “atmosphere.” In the Meiji, Taisho, and Showa eras, art, literature, and music were inextricably linked.
I felt it would be a terrible shame for that fascinating world to be forgotten.
The idea of looking back at that era once more and creating new encounters was what gave rise to this exhibition.
Yurin-so Villa is rooted in my memories of Expo ’70 in Osaka, which I experienced at the age of 19. The sight of rows of 《The Man in the Bowler Hat by René Magritte》 that I saw at the “Textile Pavilion” is still vividly etched in my memory. However, rather than recreating the bustle of the Expo 55 years ago, I wanted to create a space where those memories would resonate quietly, like an echo.
The “voice” of mine that can be heard from the second floor is also a self-portrait for me. I hope you will feel the resonance of the era when art and music met, within the setting of Yurin-so Villa.
Commentary by Yanagisawa Hideyuki, who oversaw the project
Yanagisawa Hideyuki, Senior Advisor to the Foundation Headquarters of the Ohara Art Foundation, a public interest incorporated foundation, who oversaw the project, spoke as follows.
Yanagisawa Hideyuki
Although Ohara Soichiro was a business leader, he was also a cultural figure who supported modern Japanese Western-style painting and the Mingei movement, and he had a particularly deep love of music.
In particular, what he found wonderful was the experience of walking through the forest and listening closely to birdsong and the sound of the wind, heard from somewhere or other. To give shape to this ideal, he proposed an advanced concept called the “Dodecahedron Music Hall” for Expo ’70 in Osaka, but it was never realized.
For this exhibition, Morimura focused on “Ohara Soichiro’s dream.”
The “dodecahedron objects” placed throughout Yurin-so Villa are a response to Ohara Soichiro’s concept.
At Yurin-so Villa, please take a moment to listen closely.
The entire building resonates like a musical instrument. The sound also changes between the first and second floors. On the second floor, the music disappears, and instead you should hear “voices” like whispers or muttering.
After the “melodic music” on the first floor of Yurin-so Villa, both words and music are ultimately dismantled, opening onto a world where only pure “sound” exists.
This progression will be one of the important experiences running through this exhibition.
The special exhibition at Yurin-so Villa runs through Sunday, November 9, 2025
The special autumn 2025 exhibition at Yurin-so Villa is held through Sunday, November 9, 2025.
In the beautiful interior of Yurin-so Villa, I felt how wonderful it is when art and music overlap. The sounds you hear change depending on where you stand, so I think it would be enjoyable to move around, listen closely, and experience the sounds.
In 2025, when Expo was held once again in Osaka, I enjoyed an art space that evokes memories of Expo ’70 in Osaka. The works by Morimura at the Ohara Museum of Art Main Building and the Kojima Torajiro Memorial Gallery are also wonderful, so please be sure to see them.
Please note that the Setouchi Triennale 2025 common passport allows one admission to the special opening of Yurin-so Villa. Whether you are an art fan who has enjoyed the Setouchi Triennale or would like to experience the art and music resonating together at the special opening of Yurin-so Villa, along with the art of Morimura Yasumasa, please take this opportunity to visit.
special autumn 2025 opening of Yurin-so Villa: Morimura Yasumasa, “Nostalgia, Where To?”—Bringing Art, Literature, and Music Together Information
| Name | Special autumn 2025 opening of Yurin-so Villa: Morimura Yasumasa, “Nostalgia, Where To?”—Bringing Art, Literature, and Music Together |
|---|---|
| Dates | October 7–November 9, 2025 10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. (last admission at 3:30 p.m.) |
| Location | 1-3-18 Chuo, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Admission (tax included) | Ohara Museum of Art combination ticket Admission to all venues of the Morimura Yasumasa exhibition (Main Building, Yurin-so Villa, and Kojima Torajiro Memorial Gallery). [Combination ticket] Yurin-so Villa + Ohara Museum of Art: Adults ¥2,500 [Combination ticket] Yurin-so Villa + Ohara Museum of Art: High school, junior high, and elementary school students (under 18) ¥1,000 Yurin-so Villa only ※Admission to some venues of the Morimura exhibition. Adults ¥1,000 High school, junior high, and elementary school students (under 18) ¥500 ※Please present a disability certificate (Mirairo ID) to receive a discount. ※Free for preschool children. |
| Website | Ohara Museum of Art Official Website |
What would you like to know about Kurashiki?
Enter a search term to find articles on this site
