Visit the museum in the Sky! And use your Osaka Amazing Pass to get in!

If you’ve ever been to the Kita Area of Osaka—think Osaka Station/Umeda—you’ve probably visited the observation deck at Umeda Sky Building. The view is great and you can get in for free with the Osaka Amazing Pass, a travel pass designed to get you into popular tourist destinations while saving your yen.
Did you know that there’s another place where you can use the pass right inside the same building?
Koji Kinutani Kuchu Museum is just a few floors down from the observation deck and admission is free with your pass. The art is wild and it will capture the imagination of adults and children alike.

■　Experience Art Through 3D and Virtual Reality!

The 3D video at Koji Kinutani Kuchu Art Museum is amazing. The first exhibit you’ll see is a 3D experience of Kinutani’s work projected onto a 3×14 meter (9×45 foot) round screen. Images of a dragon, the wind kami and the kami of thunder burst forth from the screen while flower petals dance before your fingertips. You’ll be totally immersed in the world created by this art through pictures and moving to a soundtrack.
And you can take in this exciting 3D experience as many times as you want while you’re in the museum.

Plus there’s another video experience in the museum, a virtual reality tour of Koji Kinutani’s studio.

Koji Kinutani himself will be your guide. He’s a very well-respected artist who received the Order of Culture in 2021. And what a great idea to take a tour in 360 degree virtual reality. You can tell from the 3D experience mentioned above, but forgive me for stating the obvious—this isn’t just a regular art museum!
The virtual reality tour gives visitors a precious chance to learn from the artist in his Tokyo studio.

■　Watching the Sun Set in the Artistic Tenku Cafe

There’s also a beautiful cafe inside the art museum called Tenku Cafe.
Since the museum itself is located on the 27th floor of Umeda Sky Building, it has an amazing view of Osaka and the distant horizon. If you visit at the end of the day, you’ll be able to see the sun settling down for the evening on the other side of the ocean and the Rokko Mountain Range. The nearby buildings rise up from the ground like sparkling gems in the suns final rays.

The view from the cafe is amazing. And the cafe name is so fitting because Tenkumeans sky.
Also in the cafe, you’ll be surrounded by Kinutani’s artwork and bottles filled with the 16 colors that stand out in his work.

Red, blue, and yellow are prominent colors in the museum and in the cafe, which serves colorful Italian sodas, wine, coffee, and light meals and sweets.
After experiencing all of the dynamic artwork, this is a good place to reflect and sit down for a chat.

■　Photographs are Allowed in the Tenku Gallery

Again, stating the obvious, the artwork in this museum is all Koji Kinutani’s work.

Here’s a look at the Symbol Zone, where photographs are permitted. There are also blue and red exhibition zones in the museum where photography is not allowed.

Much of Kinutani’s work incorporates the concept of funi homon, the idea that conflicting concepts are not separate but part of the same whole. The closer you look the more you will notice dichotomies inside the art. 
This piece, from the Symbol Zone, is a whopping 3 meters across and it rotates!

This is a unique piece, because although much of his work is 3D, it’s special to be able to view the art from all angles. It spins on its own, so when you are taking pictures, you need to wait for just the right angle.

■ Children’s Artwork on Display!

Koji Kinutani Tenku Art Museum also celebrates the genius of children’s art.
In 2022, the museum received countless submissions for the children’s art contests it held. The spirit of the contest emphasizes teaching children the wonders of art and finding the shining talent among each individual expression of art. The contest aims to develop budding talent and juvenile dreams among artists of the next generation.

This is a piece that was selected for the Koji Kinutani Kids Grand Prix award is titled “Eco-friendly Wind Power” by Katsuaki Masui.
When you visit you may have a chance to see artwork submitted by young artists, as artwork for contests is only displayed for a limited time. If your timing is right, you may get to see artwork from a future star in the art world.

■ Try Your Hand at Fresco Painting

And there’s one more thing I’d like to share about this museum—the fresco-painting experience.

When you plan your visit to the museum, you have the option of joining a 2-hour fresco painting experience. The experience includes a lecture and instructions from the museum curator and of course you get to take your art home with you!
The fresco painting workshop isn’t only for kids. Adults are welcome to try fresco painting too. If you’re inspired by Kinutani’s work, this is a great way to bring that inspiration to life!

Number of Participants:

limited to first 4 pairs

Cost:

¥2,000 (adults), ¥1,600 (university/high school/junior high school students), ¥1,500 (elementary students)
*Reservations are required to participate. Please use the following reservation form (JP only):
https://www.sekisuihouse.co.jp/request/kktam/event.html

The event is held every month.
So if you’re visiting the observation deck or somewhere else in Umeda Sky Building, or if you’re looking for ideas of how to use the Osaka Amazing Pass, definitely put Koji Kinutani Tenku Art Museum in your plans!

▼Read more
Step into the colorful world of Koji Kinutani［PR］
Art museum in the sky!
Koji Kinutani Tenku Art Museum curator Akeo Takahashi introduces the art and the artist［PR］