Chihiro Art Museum Azumino

Top choice in Matsumoto & the Northern Japan Alps


This popular art museum showcases the work of Chihiro Iwasaki (1918–74), who became world-renowned while specialising in children's-book illustrations from the late 1950s until her death in 1974. Built in Azumino because Chihiro's parents came from Nagano, the museum is surrounded by a gorgeous park and is best accessed from Shinano-Matsukawa Station on the JR Ōito line. Its sister museum is the Chihiro Art Museum Tokyo, built on the site where the illustrator lived and worked in the capital.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Matsumoto & the Northern Japan Alps attractions

1. Rokuzan Bijutsukan

5.32 MILES

Ten minutes' walk north from JR Hotaka Station, Rokuzan Bijutsukan showcases the work of Meiji-era sculptor Rokuzan Ogiwara (1879–1910; aka the 'Rodin of…

2. Dai-ō Wasabi-Nōjo

6.38 MILES

Fancy some wasabi wine or ice cream? This farm, a 15-minute bike ride from JR Hotaka Station, is a must for wasabi-lovers. An English map guides you among…

3. Japan Ukiyo-e Museum

13.59 MILES

Housing more than 100,000 woodblock prints, paintings, screens and old books, this renowned museum exhibits but a fraction of its collection. The museum…

4. Matsumoto Open-Air Architectural Museum

13.61 MILES

Adjacent to the better-known Japan Ukiyo-e Museum, amid fields and rice paddies beneath the gaze of the Alps, stand these five examples of striking late…

5. Kaichi School Museum

13.73 MILES

A few blocks north of the castle, the former Kaichi School is both an Important Cultural Property and the oldest elementary school in Japan, founded in…

6. Matsumoto-jō

14 MILES

Must-see Matsumoto-jō is Japan's oldest wooden castle and one of four castles designated National Treasures – the others are Hikone, Himeji and Inuyama…

7. Nawate-dōri

14.28 MILES

Nawate-dōri, a few blocks south from the castle, is a popular street for a stroll. Vendors along this riverside walk sell antiques, souvenirs, and…

8. Matsumoto Timepiece Museum

14.29 MILES

Home to Japan's largest pendulum clock (on the building's exterior) and over 300 other timepieces, including fascinating medieval Japanese creations, this…