Oita Prefectural Art Museum (OPAM) opened in 2015 being based on three fundamental concepts; ‘Museum of Encounters and of the Five Senses,’ ‘Museum where visitors can think as their living room’ and ‘Museum that grows with citizen of the prefecture.’ These key concepts have been the core of the operation.

Many masters of various artistic genres come from Oita Prefecture; Tanomura Chikuden and the painters of Bungo Nanga, Fukuda Heihachiro and Takayama Tatsuo both were prominent figures in modern Japanese painting, the sculptor Asakura Fumio, and the bamboo craft artist Shono Shounsai. I think this is outcome of Oita’s pioneering spirit.

Being appointed as the director, I would like to join making a museum where visitors can think as their living room, a space where they can relax and enjoy. Furthermore, I hope that the museum will serve as a place for imaginative individuals who will make a better future.

Hiroyoshi Tazawa
Director, Oita Prefectural Art Museum