MOA Museum of Art

MOA Museum of Art

MUSEUM

The MOA Museum of Art is a famous museum filled with many national treasures. 33 years after it’s opening in 1982, the museum underwent a major renovation, making the museum appear very bright, open and modern.

The museum also features a Japanese style garden, tea houses and a noh (Japanese play) threatre. They regularly hold special exhibits/events so ensure to check before you arrive what you can see!

There are car parks near the main building at the 3rd floor entrance (not the escalator entrance). Parking is free of charge and can hold 200 vehicles.

Review

The MOA Museum of Art is very famous, situated on the Atami hilltop. It boasts great views of the area and holds many national treasures so it’s no wonder that it’s a popular spot for Japanese people to visit. The museum is very large, however if you can’t cope with large crowds maybe steer clear of the museum. It can get very crowded, especially during popular exhibitions/events.

There is a lot to see here so if you plan on coming to the museum I’d put aside at least half a day to see everything you want to, more if you plan on going to any of the events they regularly hold. They have many different sections, full of art for everyone’s taste. There was a Hokusai (the famous wood-block painter) exhibit when I went so it was very crowded full of people wanting to see the original prints.

As some museum etiquette information, Japanese people always queue, waiting their turn to see the next item. There will obviously be people who break this rule but the majority of Japanese people are willing to go at a snails pace or queue for hours for the sake of their culture. Be prepared for this when you arrive. It’s not against any rules to break formation and go at your own pace but you may struggle to get close to anything to see it properly when there’s a very slow moving wall of Japanese people making their way around the museum.

There is also a small café in the museum, however the seating space is limited and almost always full. If you manage to find a free seat then feel free to put your bag on the seat while you order. Japanese people regularly do this as Japan is a very safe country and it is extremely rare for someone to take your stuff. Just make sure you don’t take too much space. If you’re taking up a whole table for four to yourself then you will most likely get some disapproving stares.

ADDRESS

MOA Museum of Art,
26-2 Momoyamacho,
Atami,
Shizuoka Prefecture,
413-8511

+81557842511 (Japanese only)
http://www.moaart.or.jp/ (English and Japanese)

RECOMMENDED ROUTE:

If travelling by public transport, take the bus bound for MOA Museum of Art in front of the train station. It alights from Rank 8 and takes approximately 7 minutes to get there. It takes ￥190 for a one-way ticket or you can use the Yuyu daily bus pass. It is the last stop on the bus route. The bus timetable can be found here.