Hamamatsu Castle Park, located just a short distance from downtown Hamamatsu, is a beloved spot for locals to relax.

Centered around Hamamatsu Castle, the park features a traditional Japanese garden and spacious grassy areas perfect for unwinding.

Known as a famous cherry blossom spot, Hamamatsu Castle Park becomes a magical pink wonder each spring.

Around 330 cherry trees—including Somei Yoshino, weeping cherry, and mountain cherry—bloom beautifully around the castle’s main keep.

During the cherry blossom season, the park buzzes with many visitors coming to enjoy the breathtaking views.

Nestled in a corner of Hamamatsu Castle Park, the Hamamatsu City Museum of Art is surrounded by lush greenery and offers a welcoming, easygoing place to stop by and enjoy art.

This time, let’s take a look at the Hamamatsu City Museum of Art! 🎨

What is the Hamamatsu City Museum of Art Like?

The Hamamatsu City Museum of Art was established in July 1971 to celebrate the city’s 60th anniversary.

It opened as Shizuoka Prefecture’s first public art museum, located within Hamamatsu Castle Park.

About one-third of the construction costs were covered by donations from local citizens, making it a truly community-built museum.

One of the museum’s highlights is the “Uchida Collection,” which includes many ukiyo-e prints, Otsu-e folk paintings, and glass paintings donated by the first director, Dr. Rokuro Uchida.

Among them, the traditional glass paintings have become a symbol of the Hamamatsu City Museum of Art, earning it the affectionate nickname “The Museum of Glass Paintings” among many art lovers.

Uchida Collection — Glass Painting: Peonies and Golden Pheasant (Photo courtesy of Hamamatsu City Museum of Art)

The museum hosts 3 to 4 special and temporary exhibitions each year, showcasing artworks from both Japan and around the world.

At Hamamatsu City Museum of Art, the curators strive to enhance your art experience by sharing insights from their own research fields, exhibitions, the museum’s collections, and artworks connected to the local community.

Image credit: Hamamatsu City Museum of Art

For more information and to pre-register for this year’s course, click here.

Listening to talks by the museum’s professional curators offers a great opportunity to delve deeper into the world of art.

Advance reservations are required, so please apply through the website above.

Notice:
The museum will be closed from December 2025 through March 2026 for exterior renovation work.

The 73rd City Art Exhibition, scheduled for February 22 (Sunday) to March 4 (Wednesday), 2026, will be held at Create Hamamatsu instead.

A Guide to the Highlights of Hamamatsu City Museum of Art

The two-story Hamamatsu City Museum of Art features two exhibition rooms on the first floor and one exhibition room on the second floor.

Each exhibition room hosts a variety of special and themed exhibitions, making it a place you can enjoy visiting again and again!

Click here for information on exhibitions at Hamamatsu City Museum of Art

On the day of our visit, the Special Exhibition “Dynamic Asian Ceramics” was being held in the 1st and 2nd Exhibition Rooms.

Special Exhibition: Dynamic Asian Ceramics — Masterpieces from the Machida City Museum of Art Collection
*On view until June 22, 2025

Image credit: Hamamatsu City Museum of Art

【Admission Fee】

• Adults 1,300 yen
• University, high school students, 70 years old and over: 700 yen
• Free admission for junior high school students and younger

The current special exhibition features one of Japan’s largest collections of Southeast Asian ceramics, along with about 130 Chinese ceramics, all from the Machida City Museum of Art in Tokyo—originally opened in 1973 and currently closed for renovations.

This exhibition offers a fascinating look into the history of ceramics from various Asian countries, and also features pieces from the Hamamatsu City Museum of Art’s own collection, making it a truly rewarding experience.

The museum can be comfortably explored in about an hour. Depending on the exhibition, the atmosphere inside changes dramatically to best highlight the charm of the displayed works.

In this ceramics exhibition, the lighting is designed to highlight the unique character of each piece, creating a calm atmosphere with dimmed lights and black backgrounds throughout the gallery.

The walls feature panels summarizing the history of ceramics by chapter, making it easy to understand the historical background of each region.

Even someone like me, who isn’t very familiar with ceramics, found it clear and easy to follow.

Photography was allowed in the special exhibition “Dynamic Asian Ceramics,” but please remember that some exhibitions don’t allow photos, so it’s a good idea to check ahead.

Signs showing whether photography is allowed are posted inside the exhibition rooms. Let’s enjoy the art while following the rules! 🎨

Special Exhibition: The Great Glass Painting Show — Beyond the Waves, a Shimmering Fantasia on Glass (Saturday, July 19, 2025 - Monday, November 3, 2025)

Image credit: Hamamatsu City Museum of Art

This special exhibition features about 200 works, including glass paintings from the Hamamatsu City Museum of Art’s “Uchida Collection,” as well as pieces borrowed from museums and private collections both in Japan and abroad.

【Admission Fee】

• Adults 1,800 yen
• University, high school students, 70 years old and over: 1,000 yen
• Free for junior high school students and younger

The exhibition offers a chance to learn about the techniques and history of glass painting, and a commemorative lecture for the “Great Glass Painting Exhibition” is also scheduled for July 19.

【Commemorative Lecture for the Great Glass Painting Exhibition】

Date & Time: Saturday, July 19, 2025, 1:30 PM – 3:30 PM

Speakers:

• Mr. Christof Trepesch, Director, Augsburg Art Collections & Museums

• Mr. Hans Bjarne Thomsen, Professor at University of Zurich Graduate School, Director of the Institute of Oriental Art History

• Ms. Julia Quandt, Curator, Augsburg Art Collections & Museums

Venue: Concorde Hotel, Aoi-no-Ma Room (109-18 Motojō-chō, Hamamatsu City)

Capacity: First 100 applicants

Admission: Free

How to Apply: Applications open from Thursday, June 19, 1:00 PM via a dedicated online form.

For more information, please click here.

Hamamatsu City Museum of Art Facilities and Services

Restrooms
Facilities are available on both the first and second floors. The first-floor restroom includes a multi-purpose stall equipped with a diaper-changing station.

Rest Area
While the layout of the museum may change depending on the special exhibition, a rest area is always available.

Other facilities and service information

• Nursing Room: Not available. If needed, a private room can be arranged—please speak to a museum staff member.

• Elevator: Available

• Strollers: Three available for free rental

• Wheelchairs: Three available for free rental

• Shop: Available

• Café: Not available

• Restaurant: Not available

• Free Wi-Fi: Not available (scheduled to be installed in fiscal year 2025)

• Charging Stations: Not available

• Coin Lockers: 31 lockers available (deposit refunded after use)

Museum Shop Snapshot from Our Visit

The shop changes with each exhibition, offering items that complement the current theme.

Crowd Information at Hamamatsu City Museum of Art

You can check the current crowd levels using the people counter available on the website below.

https://svc01.p-counter.jp/shr3svr31/hamamatsu/art-muse_hp.html

Hamamatsu City Museum of Art Basic Information

Address: 100-1, Matsushiro-cho, Chuo-ku, Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka Prefecture

TEL: 053(454)6801

Opening Hours: 9:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Admission: Varies according to the exhibition

Closed: Mondays (or the following day if Monday is a national holiday) and during exhibition change periods

Image credit: Hamamatsu City Museum of Art

Access

By Bus: From JR Hamamatsu Station North Exit, take a bus from Bus Terminal Stop 1. The ride takes about 8 minutes. Get off at the museum stop, then walk 2 minutes.

By Car: About 9.1 km (around 30 minutes) via Route 65 and Route 125 from the Tomei Expressway Hamamatsu IC.

Parking: Hamamatsu Castle Park Parking Lot: Paid parking for 90 minutes. Visitors to the Hamamatsu City Museum of Art receive an additional 60 minutes free, for a total of 150 minutes free parking.

The parking lot is located right in front of Hotel Concorde.

Priority Parking: 2 spaces
Wheelchair-Accessible Parking: 1 space

Access by Car and Bus
(Information sourced from the official website)

Hamamatsu City Museum of Art Official Sites

• Official Website: [https://www.city.hamamatsu.shizuoka.jp/artmuse/]

• Official X (formerly Twitter): [https://x.com/hamamatsushibi]

• Official Facebook: [https://www.facebook.com/hamamatsushibi/]

• Official Instagram: [https://www.instagram.com/hamamatsushibi/]

Tourist Attractions Near Hamamatsu City Museum of Art

Around the museum, you’ll find popular spots such as Hamamatsu Castle Park and Ieyasu’s Promenade.

Be sure to enjoy these attractions along with your visit to the Hamamatsu City Museum of Art!

• Hamamatsu Castle Park Official Site[https://www.entetsuassist-dms.com/hamamatsu-jyo/]
• Ieyasu’s Promenade: [https://hamamatsu-daisuki.net/ieyasu2/walking.html]

Explore Hamamatsu & Lake Hamana!
↓↓ Looking for activities? Check here ↓↓

Yaramaika Tourism

Interview Cooperation: Mr. Naoya Shimaguchi, Curator, Hamamatsu City Museum of Art

Mr. Naoya Shimaguchi, the curator who kindly assisted us with this interview, specializes in the research and study of Buddhist statues.

Photo courtesy of Mr. Naoya Shimaguchi

The Enshu and Higashi-Mikawa regions surrounding Lake Hamana are home to many valuable Buddhist statues from the Heian and Kamakura periods.

To raise awareness of the valuable Buddhist statues in the Enshu region—including those designated as Important Cultural Properties and others recognized for their historical and artistic significance—the museum has held two special exhibitions featuring rare statues, some of which have never before been displayed outside their temples.

Over the course of the two exhibitions, approximately 37,000 visitors—including Buddhist art enthusiasts from across Japan—came to the Hamamatsu City Museum of Art.

Mr. Shimaguchi notes that organizing a single exhibition requires thorough field research as well as the understanding and cooperation of all involved parties.

After about three years of preparation, the exhibition finally comes to life. The exhibition catalogues, “The Miracle of Buddha” and “The Miracle of Buddha II,” beautifully compile the contents and make for a fascinating read.

Some of the past exhibition catalogues edited and written by curators at the Hamamatsu City Museum of Art—including the “The Miracle of Buddha” series—are available for browsing inside the museum during exhibition periods (admission required; some volumes may be available for purchase). Please feel free to take a look.

A Message to Our Readers from Curator Mr. Naoya Shimaguchi

At Hamamatsu City Museum of Art, we plan and hold a variety of exhibitions to help visitors fully enjoy art and culture.

We also conduct research on artists, artworks, and cultural properties related to Hamamatsu, Enshu, and Shizuoka, and share the results widely through our exhibitions.

We also offer lectures, gallery talks, and hands-on workshops—events designed to help you enjoy and connect with art in a more personal way. Please feel free to join us!

￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣

This time, we introduced the Hamamatsu City Museum of Art located within Hamamatsu Castle Park.

The museum offers a variety of programs, including workshops that help you connect more closely with the artworks, as well as lectures led by curators.

The Hamamatsu City Museum of Art, which houses many of the city’s treasured artworks, is also a place where you can feel the curators’ heartfelt wish for more people to enjoy the collection.

Why not stop by for a visit while taking a leisurely stroll through Hamamatsu Castle Park?