Kume Museum

Overview

The Kume Museum is an art museum primarily focused on modern Japanese Western-style paintings and materials related to the historian Kume Kunitake. It opened in October 1982 (Showa 57) in front of Meguro Station. The founder, Kume Keichiro, is known as a pioneer of modern Japanese Western-style painting. In the 1890s, Kume Keichiro went to France and studied under Raphael Collin, one of the most famous painters in France at the time. Kuroda Seiki was also Collin's student. Kume Keichiro and Kuroda Seiki met in France and became lifelong friends. The Kume Museum houses Kume Keichiro's major works, works by Kuroda Seiki and Raphael Collin, and valuable materials from Kume Kunitake. The Kume Museum is a valuable place to learn about the history of modern Japanese Western-style painting. Furthermore, the materials related to Kume Kunitake are extremely valuable for understanding modern Japanese history. Kume Kunitake was a historian who flourished during the Meiji period and left behind numerous works on modern Japanese history. The museum exhibits his writings, letters, photographs, and other materials. The Kume Museum offers a rare opportunity to learn about both modern Japanese Western-style painting and modern Japanese history simultaneously. Be sure to visit!