A contemporary art museum completely underground
A museum exhibiting contemporary art in Nakanoshima, Osaka. Utilizing the Expo Museum of Fine Arts at Expo'70, it had collected, preserved and exhibited works of art from Japan and abroad for 30 years, but taking advantage of its aging, the current museum was constructed in 2004. It is a new museum of art that goes completely underground for 3 floors, something that is unusual even in the world. The exterior of the building was designed by Argentina’s Cesar Pelli to express the vitality of bamboo and the development and growth of contemporary art. Along with Joan Miro’s “Innocent Laughter” and Alexander Calder’s “London” as permanent exhibits, there are exhibitions of other collections and special exhibitions of various contemporary art works. There is also a restaurant, a museum shop, a kids’ room and a media corner.
The charm of Nakanoshima
Nakanoshima is an area that centers upon a sandbank squeezed in by a river which is the hub of business and administration beginning with Osaka City Hall. Along with the contemporary museum of art, while touring nostalgic buildings such as the Museum of Oriental Ceramics, Osaka which is famous for its rare items of beauty such as celadon and white porcelain, the Osaka Science Museum where you can learn and enjoy about science, the brick Osaka Central Public Hall and the stone Osaka Prefectural Nakanoshima Library, you can leisurely stroll along the riverside. Rides aboard the water bus Aqua-Liner which tours around Nakanoshima are also popular. Along the riverside, there are al fresco restaurants and cafes where you can spend a relaxing time. From June to September, there are street stalls on the open terrace, and there is a green market with local vegetables and fruits which first started in the Metropolitan Osaka area. In December and January, the area has a projection mapping show and is illuminated by LEDs, and a lot of people enjoy the presence of street stalls.