Kurashiki's Ohara Museum of Art

 Japan has plenty of museums showcasing Western art, but Ohara was the first. Located in Kurashiki, this private museum has several buildings plus an additional building down the street.

 Photography isn't permitted inside the museum, but I feel the exhibits were worth every penny. The Main Gallery is in the Western building seen in the top photo, and has works by Picasso, Rodin, Pollock, and more. The collection is very diverse so it doesn't get monotonous.

 Several old Japanese warehouses are connected together to expand the collection. The Annex has works by Japanese artists. The Craft Art Gallery displays ceramics, woodblock prints, stencil dyeing, and other crafts. I saw works by top names in their fields, especially when it comes to ukiyoe and ceramics. There is a final building in this area housing Egyptian artifacts and Chinese antiques.

 This main museum area has a central courtyard with a small pond (note the flower picture below left) and a small garden near the Asiatic Art Gallery (the Asiatic Art Gallery is shown in the photo below right).

 Finally, about five minutes away in Ivy Square is another building housing the Kojima Museum. Kojima purchased a lot of the art in the Main Gallery for Ohara. This museum houses some of Kojima's own works, as well as lots of Islamic and Egyptian art.

All of Kurashiki's sights are located around the canal area, about a 10-15 minute walk from Kurashiki Station. The Ohara Museum is in the southern end of the area, just off the main street. Ivy Square, where you'll find the Kojima Museum, is at the northern end a couple short blocks from the canal.

The museums are open 9:00-17:00 (closed Mondays), and admission is 1300 yen including both the Ohara Museum and Kojima Museum. An English audio guide is available, though I didn't try it.