Hida Takayama Museum of Art to Host "Masters of Japonisme and Art Nouveau: Reverence for Nature in the East and West"

The Hida Takayama Museum of Art (Location: 1-124-1 Kamiokamoto-cho, Takayama City, Gifu Prefecture, within Sanctuary Court Takayama / Director: Kimiaki Mukai), which offers a new artistic experience weaving together light, sound, and scent, will host a new special exhibition, "Masters of Japonisme and Art Nouveau: Reverence for Nature in the East and West," starting Monday, July 27, 2026. This exhibition traces the journey of how Art Nouveau masters, including Émile Gallé, drew inspiration from Japanese art and spirituality to create innovative glass art.

"Japonisme," the craze for Japanese art that swept through Europe in the late 19th century, went beyond mere imitation of style, leading to a fusion with the Eastern aesthetic of cherishing and observing nature. This exhibition will spotlight carefully selected works from the valuable glass art collection owned by the museum and KIBUN CO., LTD., created by masters inspired by "Japonisme."

This exhibition particularly highlights the common thread between "Art Nouveau" and "Japonisme": a profoundly gentle and meticulous gaze upon the plants and creatures of nature. It will unfold the spiritual world of the masters who sought to capture not just the forms of life as mere decoration, but even the very breath of these small lives within glass.

In the land of Hida Takayama, where the old townscape of the Edo period and the Takayama Festival still breathe with rich traditional culture, rediscovering the "Japanese beauty" that captivated Western masters centuries ago will be a special, timeless viewing experience. Our museum, which has continuously explored the "relationship between nature and art" through works from the Art Nouveau and Art Deco periods since its opening, offers a space where Eastern and Western sensibilities quietly resonate. Please experience the exchange of aesthetic sensibilities, woven from light, shadow, and longing for nature.

■ Exhibition Overview: "Masters of Japonisme and Art Nouveau: Reverence for Nature in the East and West"

[Period] Monday, July 27, 2026 – Monday, February 15, 2027 (Open daily during the exhibition period)

[Hours] 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM (Last admission 5:00 PM) *Final day only: 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM (Last admission 11:00 AM)

[URL] https://htma.rtg.jp/event/detail/?event=00030

[Inquiries] 0577-40-1007 (Hida Takayama Museum of Art, 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM)

View Details

■ Exhibition Highlights

1. Tracing the Lineage of "Japonisme" that Stimulated the Masters' Creativity

Émile Gallé, "Chrysanthemum Crest Crane-Neck Vase"

In the late 19th century, the unique composition and profound insight into nature found in Japanese art delivered a vivid shock to Western artists. This exhibition follows the creative process of how leading Art Nouveau masters like Émile Gallé drew inspiration from Ukiyo-e prints and Japanese crafts, sublimating them into their own glass expressions. You can experience the historical moment when new artistic beauty was born from the fusion of Western techniques and Eastern sensibilities.

2. A Space Where Treasures from East and West Resonate, Bound by "Reverence for Nature"

Exhibition Room 1: Gallé's Forest

The Eastern perspective, viewing nature not merely as a subject for depiction but with a sense of awe, deeply resonated with the Western nations' sentiments towards nature at the time. This exhibition features a curated selection of glass artworks embodying the beauty of plants and life, from the valuable collections of the Hida Takayama Museum of Art and KIBUN CO., LTD. The "reverence for nature" depicted through the delicate material of glass will quietly fill the exhibition space, transcending time and borders.

3. Rediscovering Unique Japanese Aesthetics in Hida Takayama, a Land Where Traditional Culture Breathes

View of the Northern Alps from the RISTORANTE OZIO Terrace

This exhibition holds significant meaning by being held in a place where the spirit of old Japan, with its Edo-period atmosphere and Takayama Festival, still strongly lingers. Re-examining the "Japanese aesthetic" that Western artists admired across the sea and projected into their works, here in Takayama, offers a rich opportunity to rediscover one's own culture. Along with the museum's signature light, sound, and scent presentations, please enjoy the harmony of Eastern and Western beauty with all five senses in a serene space.

*Photos are for illustrative purposes.

*Contents are subject to change.

■ About the Hida Takayama Museum of Art

The Hida Takayama Museum of Art houses and exhibits masterpieces from the Art Nouveau and Art Deco periods collected from around the world, including Émile Gallé's vase "French Roses" and René Lalique's "Fountain in the Champs-Élysées Shopping Arcade." Since its opening in 1997, it has inherited the "former Hida Takayama Museum of Art," which received high acclaim, including seven consecutive three-star ratings in the Michelin Guide. It was reborn in 2024 within the "Sanctuary Court Takayama Art Gallery Resort." With the concept of "Artrium Unleashed by Radiance," it creates a fantastical space where light, sound, and scent merge. Music, colors, and aromas that change in response to the natural sounds of Hida Takayama and the changing seasons envelop visitors' five senses, offering an evolving artistic experience over time.

[Address] 1-124-1 Kamiokamoto-cho, Takayama City, Gifu Prefecture (within Sanctuary Court Takayama)

[Hours] 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM (Last admission 5:00 PM)

[Admission Fees] General: Adults ¥2,000 / University & High School Students ¥1,800 / Junior High School Students ¥1,300 / Elementary School Students ¥500
Local Discount: 50% off general admission (Free for elementary school students and younger)
For visitors with disabilities: Adults ¥1,200 / University & High School Students ¥1,080 / Junior High School Students ¥780 / Elementary School Students ¥300

[URL] https://htma.rtg.jp/

[Official Instagram] https://www.instagram.com/hidatakayama_museum_of_art/

[Inquiries] 0577-40-1007 (Hida Takayama Museum of Art, 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM)

*All admission fees include tax.

*Local discount applies to residents of Takayama City, Hida City, Gero City, and Shirakawa Village.

*Visitors with disabilities may be accompanied by one person at the same discounted rate.

*Students, visitors with disabilities, and those using the local discount must present proof of eligibility at the reception.