Ueno Park is renowned for its impressive array of world-class art and history museums. Kuroda Memorial Hall is one such hidden gem, tucked away in the northwest corner of the park. Dedicated to painter Seiki Kuroda, the memorial hall boasts a permanent collection of works that are undoubtedly familiar to Japanese students from their school textbooks. Erected in 1928, the building is an elegant surviving example of early Showa era architecture, and provides an ideal setting for enjoying Kuroda’s beautiful work to its fullest. Best of all, the price of admission is free. With a coffee shop on site, Kuroda Memorial Hall is the perfect spot to relax after a morning in the park, and enjoy a moment of quiet decadence.
A window into the world of Seiki Kuroda Father of modern Western painting in Japan
Kuroda Memorial Hall’s impressive façade features scratched face tile characteristic of early Showa era architecture.
Remembered as the “father of modern
Western painting in Japan,” Seiki Kuroda exerted an outsized influence on the
course of Japanese art. Having served as a professor at the Tokyo School of
Fine Arts (predecessor of the present-day Tokyo University of the Arts), Kuroda
also shared a special connection with Ueno. As such, it is only fitting that a
collection of his precious work is open to the public at Kuroda Memorial Hall, situated
on the outskirts of Ueno Park.
An acclaimed painter and member of the
aristocratic House of Peers, Kuroda bequeathed a portion of his estate to be
used for the furtherment of art. Two years after opening, Kuroda Memorial Hall
became the home of the Art Research Institute (present-day Tokyo National
Research Institute for Cultural Properties) in 1930, an organization dedicated
to the acquisition and research of material related to Japanese and Asian art.
Following the institute’s relocation in 2000, Kuroda Memorial Hall underwent
extensive renovations, and was reopened as a repository of Kuroda’s work, with
an extensive collection of masterpieces on display to the public free of
charge.
The museum consists primarily of the Kuroda Memorial Room (housing work donated by the Kuroda family) and a Collection Highlights Gallery. The latter contains such masterpieces as Reading (1891), Maiko Girl (1893), the Wisdom, Impression, Sentiment (1899) triptych, and Lakeside (1897), widely considered to be one of Kuroda’s most iconic works.
Heading up the stately wooden staircase, an original vestige of yesteryear, visitors arrive at the Kuroda Memorial Room, passing under an archway frieze bearing the inscription, “Memorial Room of the Viscount Kuroda,” announced in the distinctive calligraphic hand of famed painter Fusetsu Nakamura. The gallery’s treasures include sketches produced during Kuroda’s sojourn in France in his twenties, as well as the artist’s easels, chairs, and paint boxes. Also on display is Woman with Mandolin (1891), initially intended to signal his Parisian salon debut. The permanent collection even includes preliminary studies for Talk on Ancient Romance, an elaborate work executed upon Kuroda’s return to Japan from France, but whose completed form was subsequently lost in a fire. In surprising contrast to the soft, pastel tones in Lakeside – a frequently reproduced and highly recognizable image in Japan – the museum’s range of work experimenting with Rembrandt-esque shadow reveals another side of Kuroda,and offers an insight into his stylistic evolution over the years.
A bronze bust of Kuroda watches over the entrance to the Kuroda Memorial Room. The bust was created by Kotaro Takamura, a notable poet and sculptor.A sketch produced during Kuroda’s time in France.Charcoal sketches and oil studies for Talk on Ancient Romance.Kuroda produced Woman with Mandolin (1891) while studying abroad in France with the hope of including the painting in his first Salon submission. The work now graces the walls of the Memorial Room.
On the opposing wing of the second floor, visitors will find the Collection Highlights Gallery. Open for three limited timeframes coinciding with the new year holiday, spring, and autumn, the gallery offers a valuable opportunity to examine lasting masterworks from Japanese art history up close.
The Collection Highlights Gallery. Left: Wisdom, Impression, Sentiment (1899). Far wall: Maiko Girl (1893) and Reading (1891), one of Seiki Kuroda’s most representative works. Photo courtesy of the Tokyo National Museum.
A corner café in an architectural landmark
Kuroda Memorial Hall is itself a lauded example of museum architecture, replete with a period scratched tile façade, galleries bathed in soft natural light streaming in from overhead skylights, a staircase ornamented in the Art Nouveau style, and Ionic columns in the Greek tradition. Designed by Shin’ichiro Okada, a prominent architect who was also responsible for the original Kabuki-za and the Meiji Seimei Kan (among many other notable projects), the building is a national landmark, registered as a Tangible Cultural Property.
The museum’s staircase and skylights, preserved in their original state, are a study in refined beauty. The Art Nouveau style staircase furnishings were designed by Yoji Kanazawa, a disciple of Shin’ichiro Okada.
After appreciating Kuroda’s artwork,
visitors can mosey over to Ueshima Coffee Shop, conveniently located in an
annex adjoining the museum, to reflect on the exhibitions.
Opened in anticipation of the completion
of Kuroda Memorial Hall’s renovations in 2001, this outpost of the Ueshima
Coffee Co. was designed with the art connoisseur in mind. For a restorative cup
of joe following a visit to the museum, or simply a stroll through Ueno Park,
the café offers first floor outdoor terrace, as well as second floor seating
with a tranquil, modern Japanese interior design. The enticing menu of coffee
and desserts promises a perfect complement to the museum, and a luxurious
moment for quiet reflection.
Especially beautiful when surrounded by spring’s cherry blossoms and fall’s autumnal colors, Kuroda Memorial Hall is truly a must-see on your next visit to Ueno.
Ueshima Coffee Shop in Kuroda Memorial Hall annex. A particular highlight is their Flannel Drip Coffee, fastidiously brewed using cloth filters made from flannel (¥390 tax excluded). The café also has an extensive food menu featuring delectable cakes and sandwiches.
Text: Takahiro Okuda Photos: Kuniko Hirano
Kuroda Memorial Hall
Address: 13-9 Ueno Park, Taito-ku, Tokyo Hours: 9:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Closed: Mondays (except for national holidays which fall on a Monday, in which case the museum is open on the holiday and closed the following Tuesday instead) Museum website: https://www.tnm.jp/modules/r_exhibition/index.php?controller=hall&hid=17
Ueshima Coffee Shop Address: 12-53 Kuroda Memorial Hall 1F 2F, Ueno Park, Taito-ku, Tokyo Hours: 7:30 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. (weekdays), 8:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. (weekends and holidays) Closed: Irregular holidays Website: https://shop.ufs.co.jp/ufs/spot/detail?code=3707
Note: Information in this article current as of February 2020.
