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The Suiboku Museum, Toyama
Take your time exploring exhibitions and gardens that embody the beauty of Japan.
This museum features modern and contemporary Japanese ink paintings, as well as Japanese-style paintings and crafts. The word “suiboku” in the museum’s name refers not only to ink painting but also to Japanese beauty in a broader sense. The permanent exhibition introduces ink-wash techniques in modern Japanese-style painting and works by artists associated with Toyama Prefecture. The special exhibition galleries host a wide variety of exhibitions focusing on Japanese-style paintings, crafts, and more.
The grounds are home to Bokko-an, a tea house designed late in life by master carpenter Sotoji Nakamura, a leading figure in sukiya-style architecture. It is accompanied by a tea garden, also known as a roji garden, which visitors are free to explore.
Patterns resembling ripples are raked into white sand inspired by a dry landscape garden, complemented by trees, stepping stones, and stone-paved paths. The calm atmosphere, in which nature, architecture, and art are quietly interconnected, is one of the museum’s main appeals. The courtyard’s symbolic weeping cherry tree blossoms in spring, while fresh greenery in early summer and colorful foliage in fall give the garden a different appearance with each season.
Highlights
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An art museum featuring modern and contemporary Japanese ink paintings, as well as Japanese-style paintings and crafts.
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The grounds include Bokko-an, a sukiya-style tea house accompanied by a tea garden.
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The garden welcomes visitors with beautiful scenery that changes with the seasons.
Photos
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In fall, vibrant foliage colors the surroundings, creating a splendid atmosphere
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The tea garden, inspired by a dry landscape garden, has a calm, distinctly Japanese atmosphere
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The museum presents a broad range of art, with a focus on ink paintings, alongside Japanese-style paintings and crafts
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The weeping cherry tree in the courtyard blossoms in spring
Official FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions have been vetted and answered directly by each listing.
Q
Are foreign-language brochures, signs, or other visitor information available? If so, which languages are supported?
Yes. Information is available in Japanese, English, Simplified and Traditional Chinese, Korean, Russian, and French.
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Is free Wi-Fi available?
Yes. TOYAMA Free Wi-Fi is available.
Q
Are coin-operated lockers available?
Yes.
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Is reentry permitted?
Yes, on the same day only.
Q
Is there a smoking area?
Yes, there is an outdoor smoking area.
Q
When is the tea house open?
It is open on Saturdays, Sundays, and national holidays from March through November each year. Hours are 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Tea service costs ¥700 and includes a Japanese confection.
Q
Are there any places to eat or drink inside the museum?
Yes. Mizu no Tokei is a café serving house-roasted coffee and cold-brew coffee.
Q
Are wheelchairs and strollers available to borrow?
Yes.
Reviews
Details
- Name in Japanese
- 富山県水墨美術館
- Postal Code
- 930-0887
- Address
- 777 Gofuku, Toyama City, Toyama Prefecture
- Phone
- 076-431-3719
- Closed on
- Mondays (open on national holidays), the day after national holidays, the New Year’s holiday period, and temporary closure days
- Hours
- 9:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (admission until 5:30 p.m.)
- Admission
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Permanent exhibition: ¥250 for adults; free for visitors ages 70 and older and university students and younger
Admission fees for special exhibitions vary by exhibition
Admission to both permanent and special exhibitions is free for elementary, junior high, and high school students and those of equivalent age, as well as visitors with a disability certificate or similar documentation - Access
- From JR Toyama Station, take a city tram bound for Daigaku-mae and get off at Toyota Mobility Toyama G Square Gofuku-mae (Gofuku-Suehirocho); approximately a 10-minute walk from the tram stop
- Credit Cards
- Accepted
- Official website
- Official website (Japanese)