The Adachi Museum of Art opened in Yasugi City in 1970, with art works collected by Adachi Zenko (1899-1990), an entrepreneur born in the city. The museum houses 1,500 works in total, including modern Japanese paintings, ceramic works, wood carvings and lacquerware, and exhibits them in accordance with the seasons so that the visitor can appreciate the seasonal works and gardens. The modern Japanese paintings play a main role in the museum’s features, and it is notable that the museum has extensively collected art works without focusing on certain painters or schools. Adachi Museum’s collections encompass the works by masters representative of the Japanese art world, including Yokoyama Taikan, who flourished in the Japan Art Institute, Takeuchi Seiho, Kawai Gyokudo and Hashimoto Kansetsu, who released their greatest works for government-sponsored exhibitions, Kawabata Ryushi, who established the art organization Seiryu-sha, and Sakakibara Shiho, who flourished in the Association for the Creation of New Japanese-style Painting (Kokuga Sosaku Kyokai).
The year 2015 marks the 45th anniversary of the founding of the Adachi Museum of Art. In commemoration of this anniversary, we will exhibit masterpieces selected from among the museum’s collection of Japanese paintings, dividing the year into the two periods. This memorial exhibition will showcase the representative works by each master, great works with the founder’s special memories, and works that provided momentum to the museum. We will give each visitor an opportunity to fully appreciate the entire collection of the museum and to enjoy the attractions of Japanese paintings.