About Kiyoharu Art Colony

1977

Chòzò Yoshiì, founder of the Kiyoharu Art Colony, visits Kiyoharu in the cherry blossom season with Hideo Kobayashi, Izumi Today, Masako Shirasu, Yoshiro Taniguchi, Hidesaburo Shòda, Kaii Higashiyama and his wife.

1981

  • La Ruche Completed: Construction of La Ruche, a Gustave Eiffel-designed residential atelier complex, as a training ground for artists.
  • Kiyoharu Ceramics Studio Completed: The structure is a five-strand climbing kiln. The kilns are usually fired in spring and autumn.

1983

  • Opening of the Kiyoharu Shirakaba Art Museum: A visionary museum dreamt of by the Shirakaba School writers, including Mushanokoji Saneatsu and Shiga Naoya, was realised by Chòzò Yoshiì, a great admirer and friend of both, designed by Yoshio Taniguchi.
  • ‘Thumb’ by César: ‘Thumb’ by Cesar was installed in the Kiyoharu Art Colony.

1986

  • Inauguration of the Rouault Chapel: The Chapel built to commemorate Julges Rouault, the greatest religious painter of the 20th Century, designed by Yoshio Taniguchi.
  • Opening of the Organic restaurant La Palette: the restaurant in the Art Colony with a permanent exhibition of palettes used by prominent national and international painters, designed by Yoshio Taniguchi Architects.

1989

  • Relocation the Eiffel Tower staircase: Some part of the Eiffel Tower was relocated from France to Japan – Kiyoharu Art Colony in 1989, the centenary of the completion of the Eiffel Tower in 1889.
  • Reconstruction of the Ryuzaburo Umehara’s studio: Relocated the studio of Japanese painter Ryuzaburo Umehara, originally which designed by Isoya Yoshida Architects.

2002

Opening of the Shirakaba Library: The bock collection includes reprints of the Shirakaba magazine, as well as literature and art books by writers associated with the Shirakaba school, the library director is Tanikawa Shuntaro.

2006

Opening the Teahouse ‘Tetsu’: Created in practice a tearoom on a single 80-year-old cypress tree leg. It is 4 meters above ground level and the interior is 1,7 *tsubo. Designed by architectural historian Terunobu Fujimori. (*1 tsubo = 3,30 m2 circa)

2011

Opening of the Museum of Light: The museum where artworks can be viewed solely in natural light, which changes with the seasons and over time. Designed by Tadaò Ando.