Chihiro Art Museum Azumino

Chihiro Iwasaki (1918-1974) was a Japanese artist renowned for her charming paintings and illustrations of flowers and children, which appeared widely not only in picture books, but also in illustrated magazines, textbooks, novels, calendars, and elsewhere beginning in the early 1950s.

In the spring of 1997, in commemoration of the twentieth anniversary of the establishment of the Chihiro Art Museum Tokyo, the Chihiro Art Museum Azumino opened its doors in Nagano Prefecture. As Chihiro’s parents were both from Nagano, Chihiro was very familiar with the region and held a deep affection for it as her spiritual home. The Chihiro Art Museum Azumino, surrounded by a 35,000-square-meter park, is located in Matsukawa Village, where Chihiro’s parents settled after the end of World War II to devote the rest of their lives to the reclamation of uncultivated land there.

In addition to displays of artwork by Chihiro Iwasaki, regular exhibits include selections from the International Collection and a display focusing on the history of picture book illustrations. Visitors may also visit a deck-chair area with surrounding views of the Azumino landscape, as well as a charming cafe and museum shop.

For further information regarding Chihiro Iwasaki and her body of work, please visit the official Chihiro Web Site.