The most interesting thing about the Mitsui Memorial Museum is that it is tucked away inside an impressive classical building. The first time I followed the map here, I thought I was in the wrong place, but the museum is actually on the 7th floor of the Mitsui Main Building. Its collection consists of precious works of art accumulated by the Mitsui family over more than 300 years, including tea ceremony utensils, calligraphy and paintings, swords, and Noh masks. In the past, Japan's wealthy merchants and zaibatsu families often displayed their cultural tastes through art collecting while also supporting artistic creation. They preserved their family collections for generations and later opened them to the public.
Highlights include Maruyama Okyo's National Treasure, the folding screen “Snow-Covered Pine Trees,” and the National Treasure Shino tea bowl “Unohanagaki.” There is also a space modeled after the National Treasure tea house Jo-an. Walking through the museum, you can not only appreciate traditional Japanese aesthetics but also feel as though you have stepped into the art collection of a wealthy family from the past.
