Japan Guide
Western Honshū
Adachi Museum of Art
While in Matsue, don't miss taking a trip to the stunning Adachi Museum of Art, or Adachi Bijutsukan, some 20km east of the city near the village of Yasugi, en route to Yonago. The large collection of Japanese artworks, dating from 1870 to the present day, includes masterpieces by Yokoyama Taikan and Uemura Shoen, though for some these take second place to the exquisite surrounding gardens, covering 43,000 square metres.
The founder of the museum, Adachi Zenkō, was an enthusiastic gardener and his passion for the artform shows through in the beautiful landscapes that envelop the galleries and steal your attention at every turn. The museum is designed so that, as you move around, the views of the Dry Landscape Garden, the White Gravel and Pine Garden, the Moss Garden and the Pond Garden appear like living picture scrolls when viewed through the museum's carefully placed windows.
Give yourself plenty of time here because, once you've dragged yourself away from the gardens, the art itself isn't bad, either. The museum has the largest collection of paintings by Yokoyama Taikan, whose delicate ink drawings and deep colour screens set the standard for modern Japanese art. There is also a section on kitsch art from children's books, and a ceramics hall which includes works by Kawai Kanjirō, a brilliant local potter who participated actively in the mingei (folk art) movement begun by Yanagi Sōetsu, and Kitaōji Rosanjin, a cook and potter, whose pieces were designed to complement and enhance the food served on them.
Direct buses from Matsue's and Yonago's JR stations take around fifty minutes to reach the museum (get off at Saginoyu Onsen), or you can take a train to Yasugi, which is only twenty minutes away from the museum by free shuttle bus (8 daily); the tourist information offices in Matsue or at Yasugi Station can provide a timetable. Opening time: April– Sept 9am–5.30pm; Jan– March & Oct– Dec 9am–5pmPrice: ¥2200, half-price to foreign visitors