[The Magic of Art 06] Kawasaki City Taro Okamoto Museum of Art: Unwavering Passion for Art

The Kawasaki City Taro Okamoto Museum of Art, which reached a cumulative total of 2 million visitors in March 2025, allows visitors to admire valuable works donated by artist Taro Okamoto, who was 80 years old at the time. Okamoto was the creator of the "Tower of the Sun," the symbol of the 1970 Japan World Exposition (Osaka Expo), and also served as the theme pavilion exhibition producer. With the World Expo being held again in Osaka, this museum is attracting attention, and we spoke with curator Reiko Sato.
(Top image: Taro Okamoto Museum of Art, Kawasaki City, "The Red Room")

About Taro Okamoto as a person

Taro Okamoto was born on February 26, 1911, in Takatsu Village, Tachibana District, Kanagawa Prefecture (present-day Futako, Takatsu Ward, Kawasaki City), where Kanoko Okamoto's family home was located. He was the eldest son of cartoonist Ippei Okamoto and poet and novelist Kanoko Okamoto. Raised in an artistic family, he loved to draw from a young age, but by the time he entered junior high school, he was troubled by the meaning of drawing and had doubts about becoming a painter.

-It's a lovely art museum, surrounded by the nature of Ikuta Ryokuchi Park.

Kawasaki City is the birthplace of Taro Okamoto and a place filled with family memories. From 1989 to 1991, a special exhibition of the Okamoto family was held at the Kawasaki City Museum (currently closed), which led to the decision to donate his major works to Kawasaki City, and this museum was constructed as a result. The first donation included approximately 300 paintings and sculptures. The second donation included approximately 1,500 industrial designs, prints, drawings, and writings. Including his representative post-war works, we have received and now house approximately 1,800 works in our collection.

I heard that you hold special exhibitions four times a year.

Sato : Yes, we have five curators in charge. Our museum changes the look of our permanent collection to match our special exhibitions, so repeat visitors appreciate being able to see new works each time they come. Depending on the theme, we also have exhibitions throughout the entire museum, eliminating the distinction between permanent and special collections.

-That's quite impressive. By the way, what are your impressions of Taro Okamoto, Mr. Sato?

Sato: I've been involved since the preparation stages for the museum's opening, and initially, I simply saw him as an artist. However, the more I learned about him, the more I was amazed by the depth of his knowledge, and now I see him more as a thinker.

Taro Okamoto graduated from Keio Gijuku Junior High School in March 1929 and entered Tokyo School of Fine Arts (now Tokyo University of the Arts) the following month, but took a leave of absence in December. He traveled to Europe with his family, accompanying Ippei on a reporting trip to the London Naval Conference. He studied under Marcel Mauss, a sociologist and anthropologist at the University of Paris (Sorbonne University). I believe that his studies in ethnology and the interest in and new perspective he gained on indigenous beliefs and ethnic rituals indirectly influenced his work.

Farewell to my mother, meeting Picasso

After seeing his parents off as they returned to Japan, Taro Okamoto remained in Paris alone, pursuing his own artistic expression. Despite having learned a great deal, his doubts about art persisted. One day, while visiting an art gallery, he was struck by Pablo Picasso's work, "Water Pitcher and Fruit Bowl."

-During your 10 years in Paris, you learned about ethnology and Picasso, and that gave you guidance for what came after, right?

After witnessing a new style of depiction in Picasso's works, Sato began to dedicate himself to painting and other artistic endeavors based on the concept of "polarism," with the goal of surpassing Picasso.

-And around the same time, I experienced what I would never have said goodbye to my mother, Kanoko.

The last time I saw Sato's parents off was in Paris when they returned to Japan. The Okamoto family had a unique family environment, but my attitude towards my work and my approach to art were strongly influenced by Kanoko. Our museum's symbol tower, "Mother's Tower," was created to faithfully reproduce the image of a mother's rich and gentle nature. It was designed to face the Kanoko Okamoto Literary Monument "Pride," which was erected by Taro in 1964 on the banks of the Tama River.

Carrying on the legacy of the work and its spirit

Taro Okamoto left behind works in many fields, not just painting. He also created many public art pieces, such as the "Tower of the Sun," which was recently recommended for designation as an Important Cultural Property.

Sato : One of the characteristics of Taro Okamoto is that he was a multifaceted artist, with numerous objects and monuments throughout Japan. Not only did he create large-scale works, but he also produced many photographs and writings, and his connections with people were diverse. It would not be an exaggeration to say that our museum "contains almost everything about Taro Okamoto's art." We would like to continue to convey the charm, breadth, and depth of Taro Okamoto's work.

Text by Mai Shimura (editor/writer)

Kawasaki City Taro Okamoto Museum of Art
Address: 7-1-5 Masugata, Tama-ku, Kawasaki City (within Ikuta Ryokuchi Park)
Phone number: 044-900-9898
Official website: Click here