Honma Museum of Art

Honma Museum of Art is a private museum in Sakata City, Yamagata Prefecture, and opened in 1947. Based on “Sei’enkaku,” originally the villa of the wealthy Honma family of Sakata, and the garden “Kakubuen,” it was opened to the public as the first private museum established in postwar Japan. Founded with the wish to uplift the hearts of people in the devastation after the war and to help them regain confidence and pride through appreciation of Japanese art, the museum began operations with the support of local residents and related parties. Today, it is operated by a public interest incorporated foundation and holds a wide range of exhibitions, from antiques to contemporary art and historical materials.

Sei’enkaku
Sei’enkaku, the main building, is a shoin-style structure built in 1813 by Mitsumichi, the fourth head of the Honma family. During the feudal era, it served as a rest house for the lord of the Shonai Domain and shogunate officials, and from the Meiji period onward it was used as a guesthouse for members of the Imperial Family, government officials, and literary figures. In 1925, it also accommodated Emperor Showa, then Crown Prince. Inside are tea rooms such as “Rokumeiro,” and refined Japanese design can be seen throughout the building. It is currently open to the public as a permanent exhibition space displaying items in the collection, including Important Cultural Properties and Important Art Objects, along with tea utensils and historical materials.

Kakubuen
Kakubuen, the garden adjacent to Sei’enkaku, is a pond-strolling garden with Chokai Mountain as a borrowed landscape, and is designated as a Place of Scenic Beauty by the Japanese government. On its approximately 20,000-square-meter grounds, famous stones from across Japan, transported by kitamaebune trading ships, are arranged to evoke the scenery of remote mountains and valleys to the north and a rural satoyama landscape to the south. Visitors can enjoy the beauty of each season, with white azaleas in spring, autumn foliage in fall, and snowy landscapes in winter. In 2009, it was recognized by the Michelin Green Guide Japon. There is also a café corner where visitors can enjoy matcha while looking out over the garden, offering a relaxing moment to those who come.

The New Building and Exhibition Activities
In 1968, the new building was completed, making it possible to hold a wide variety of special exhibitions ranging from antique art to contemporary art. The museum’s holdings include gifts received from feudal lords, historical materials, and tea utensils cherished by successive heads of the Honma family, and also include Important Cultural Properties and Important Art Objects. It now possesses about 3,000 items in its collection and holds special exhibitions in addition to permanent displays.

Highlights and Attractions
- Buildings and gardens where visitors can experience the history of the Honma family, long known since the Edo period as wealthy merchants and large landowners.
- Its distinguished role as a place of hospitality for the Imperial Family and notable figures, including a visit by Helen Keller in 1937.
- Exhibits that convey the culture and art brought by kitamaebune trading ships.
- A matcha experience served in Honma ware tea bowls, sometimes available at the café corner.
- The beauty of a garden highly rated in the Michelin Green Guide Japon.