Kyoto’s Hidden Gem: The Fukuda Art Museum Staff Picks

While visiting Kyoto, be sure to pay a visit to the Fukuda Art Museum—not only for its picturesque setting next to the Togetsukyo Bridge, but also for its art collection and architecture. The building blends inspiration from traditional Japanese machiya townhouses with contemporary design, creating a space where history meets modernity.

The museum’s collection of around 2,000 works spans from the Edo period to the modern era, featuring artists such as Katsushika Hokusai, Utagawa Hiroshige, Itō Jakuchū, Uemura Shōen, and Takeuchi Seihō, reflecting the richness and diversity of Japan’s—and Kyoto’s—artistic traditions.

1. Evening Moon by Higashiyama Kaii

Masamitsu Morita, Operation Manager

A few years after graduating from university and starting my career, I found myself gradually taking on more responsibilities at work. At the same time, I was also raising two young sons, and the weight of those combined duties brought about a level of emotional pressure I had never experienced before.

During that period, I began to have a recurring dream—a strange yet peaceful scene that would appear several times while I slept. It wasn’t until later that I realized how closely that dream resembled the painting Evening Moon by Higashiyama Kaii (1908–1999). I still remember how, on mornings after seeing that dream, I would wake up with a strangely calm and nostalgic feeling, as if my weary heart had been gently healed.

Among the many works in the collection of Fukuda Art Museum, Evening Moon holds a special place in my heart. It’s the landscape that helped me get through one of the more difficult times in my life.

After the Second World War, having lost his family, Higashiyama Kaii had to process his deep grief. This work, painted during a transitional period in his life, was a study for Afterglow, which received an award at the 3rd Nitten (Japan Fine Arts Exhibition) and announced his entry into landscape painting. This large winter scene depicts some of the purported 99 valleys of Kujūku-tani at the foot of Mt. Kanō in Chiba Prefecture. Slopes illuminated by sunlight are rendered in brown shades, and darker night-time areas are expressed in bluish purple. The color tones of the terrain, which vary with the changing light, are well expressed.

2. Cat with Bamboos and Chrysanthemums by Shibata Gitō

Maki Ikawa, Shop Manager

The reason I love this painting is because it reminds me of a cat we once had. She passed away at a young age due to illness, and ever since, I have lived with deep regret, wishing I had noticed something sooner. Five years later, my husband also passed away unexpectedly at a young age.

Three months after that, I happened to visit a pet shop and came across a kitten who looked exactly like the one we had lost. I instantly felt that she was the reincarnation of our beloved cat and welcomed her into our home. At the same time, I truly believe that it was my husband—now with the gods—who arranged for us to meet, as if to fill the empty hole in my heart. Every time I look at this painting, I am reminded of both the cat I lost and my husband.

Shibata Gitō (1780–1819) was a painter from present-day Okayama Prefecture, born into a family engaged in the shipping business.
At a young age, he studied painting under Goshun and became known for his skill in depicting figures, birds and flowers, and animals.

This vividly colored work has been identified, through the artist’s signature, as a copy of a painting by Shen Nanpin. On the left panel, a pair of long-tailed ribbon birds are perched on branches of peonies and peach blossoms, while on the right panel, a cat sits in front of bamboo and chrysanthemums. Although the original work by Shen Nanpin has not been identified, his influence is evident in the brilliant coloration of the flowers and birds.

3. Long Night by Uemura Shōen

Yuino Ōishi

The reason I chose this work is because it captures an everyday moment—one that still resonates today—through delicate brushwork and rich color. I felt its power to transcend borders and speak to people across cultures and time.

As someone who has an older sister, I naturally connect with the scene of two sisters staying up late together. Although the work was created in a distant era, it carries warmth and familiarity that feels close to home. I was also captivated by the depiction of the sisters’ kimono and hairstyles, which offer a glimpse into the fashion of the Edo and Meiji periods. The hands shown through the glow of the paper lantern are rendered with such exquisite delicacy—they move me every time I look at them.

Furthermore, seeing women from both Japan and abroad picking up related goods in the museum shop made me realize just how beloved Long Night is, transcending both time and place. That experience reaffirmed my decision to select this piece.

The young girl who is intently turning pages has a childlike expression and is resting her chin in her hand. On the other hand, the woman tending the oriental lamp rests one of her hands on the Tatami mat in an elegant manner. It was a novel attempt to add directions of light into spatial representation to increase reality in portraits of past ages.

Uemura Shōen (1875–1949) was born in Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto to a family that traded in tea leaves. She studied under Suzuki Shōnen, Kōno Bairei, and Takeuchi Seihō, and is known for her unique portraits of human figures that pursue the beauty of women.

4. Fierce Tiger by Takeuchi Seihō

Misa Kawabata, Director

My first impression was: so fluffy and adorable! Even the paws are cute! The title may be Fierce Tiger, and it certainly is an impressive tiger—but there’s something about its irresistibly fluffy appearance and that indescribable expression that makes me want to bury my face in its fur.

I love how the painting exudes an overall sense of elegance. The texture of the fur is far too beautiful to belong to a real tiger, and yet there’s a realism that draws me in even more.

The tiger with a humorous expression with its mouth half open does not give us a feeling of fierceness. However, the tiger appears exceedingly sensitive to something by tilting its ears in different directions while looking up in the air. Its right paw is about to be lifted as if it takes light steps. It suggests that in the next moment, the tiger may jump upon prey above it, indeed changing his appearance into the titular Fierce Tiger. This work with its very lively feeling displays the ideas and techniques of Seihō, who excelled at painting natural movement of animals skillfully and lightly. Instead of the prey, his signature was put in the tiger’s line of sight. It reveals a wit particular to Seihō.

Takeuchi Seihō (1864–1942) was born into a family that ran a small restaurant in Kyoto. At the age of 17, he began studying under Kōno Bairei, a painter of the Shijō school. Seihō placed great importance on sketching from life and energetically produced works that incorporated a variety of techniques. He was especially renowned for his animal paintings, which were said to capture not only the texture of the animals’ fur but even their scent.

5. Urashima by Kikuchi Keigetsu

Ayumi Sugyō, Curator

Kikuchi Keigetsu (1879–1955) was a Kyoto-based painter who carried on the Maruyama-Shijō tradition of Japanese painting. Known for his historical works, he often depicted scenes from legends and mythology.

This painting draws from the well-known Japanese folktale Urashima Tarō and was awarded 2nd Prize—the highest honor—at the 1915 Bunten exhibition. The composition unfolds in three scenes: on the right, Tarō fishes by the sea; in the center, he visits the underwater palace of Ryūgū-jō, where he is warmly welcomed by the sea princess Otohime and her attendants; on the left, he returns to the surface, opens a mysterious box, and instantly becomes an old man, realizing how much time has passed.

With its flowing garments, ethereal colors, and dreamlike atmosphere, the painting gently draws the viewer in. Rather than just viewing the scene, one feels transported into the depths of an ancient, otherworldly sea. That immersive feeling is what makes this work so unforgettable.

6. Plum and Bamboo Pasted on Folding Screens by Kakutei

Maho Nakajima, PR Manager

A folding screen featuring alternating images of plum blossoms and bamboo, all rendered in monochrome ink. The bold, sweeping brushstrokes evoke the spirit of calligraphy, capturing the energy of the wind and the vitality of the blossoming branches. It is a captivating work that breathes life into the stillness of ink.

Kakutei was originally a Zen monk from Nagasaki. More than half of his surviving works are ink paintings like this one, known for their free-flowing compositions and sharp, expressive brushwork.