View a 400-Year-Old Bridge From a Traditional Art Museum in Kyoto

Catch the Brilliant Form of Togetsukyo Bridge From Fukuda Art Museum’s Cafe

Considered a hidden gem of Kyoto’s Arashiyama, Fukuda Art Museum was founded by Fukuda Yoshitaka, whose goal in opening the museum is to repay the generosity that he received from the Kyoto area and its residents over the years. The museum is based on the concept of creating a facility that conveys the depth of Japanese culture.

©Kyoto Media Support Center 

©FUKUDA ART MUSEUM

The museum boasts a collection of 1,800 artworks dating from the Edo period (1603 - 1868) to the 20th century, with a focus on pieces from a circle of Kyoto painters. The works of Edo period painters Maruyama Okyo and Yosa Buson, as well as more modern painters such as Yokoyama Taikan, who is often touted as the artist who developed the nihonga style of painting, are also on display. 

©FUKUDA ART MUSEUM

©FUKUDA ART MUSEUM

There are many notable interiors that blend harmoniously within the museum: the large basin in the garden acts as a ‘water mirror’ that reflects Arashiyama, and the galleries are designed to resemble Japanese kura (warehouses in Japanese). However, the aesthetics are not confined just within the museum.

©FUKUDA ART MUSEUM

©FUKUDA ART MUSEUM

Visiting their on-site café grants visitors a marvellous view of the nearby Togetsukyo Bridge, while enjoying the café’s delicately prepared sweets. Togetsukyo Bridge (渡月橋) translates to ‘bridge over the moon’, and its name was bestowed by Emperor Kameyama, who saw the moon shine its light over the river, looking as though the moon was crossing the bridge. The cafe can be accessed by guests who visit the museum.

Having a cup of coffee while viewing Togetsukyo Bridge within a house of art can inspire museum visitors to imagine how the moonlight must look like over this iconic landmark.