The Otsuka Museum of Art is a museum in Naruto City, Tokushima, showcasing ceramic reproductions of famous artworks. Established to commemorate the Otsuka Pharmaceutical Group’s 75th anniversary, it is the largest permanent exhibition space in Japan (total floor area of 29,412m2). The museum houses over one thousand reproductions of treasured Western artworks specially selected by a six-member committee, from ancient frescoes to modern paintings in the collections of more than 190 galleries in 26 countries around the world. Using the specialized technology of Otsuka Ohmi Ceramic, these masterpieces are reproduced in sizes identical to the original works. Unlike textbooks and art publications, these reproductions offer a true sense of the artistic value of each original painting, allowing visitors to experience the world’s art museums without leaving Japan.

 

Moreover, while the original works are subject to fading and deterioration due to recent pollution, earthquakes and fires, our ceramic reproductions retain their color and form for more than two thousand years, making a significant contribution to the recording and preservation of cultural properties. We have also undertaken ground-breaking endeavors such as reproducing the Guernica canvas, now considered too fragile to move, and reconstructing an El Greco altarpiece whose pieces were dispersed in wartime. The museum has received numerous endorsements and compliments from Picasso’s son, as well as gallery directors and curators from around the world who visited Japan to inspect our collection of over one thousand pieces.

 

Both technically and conceptually, the Otsuka Museum of Art can be regarded as a pioneering and truly unique art museum.

 

 

Ichiro Otsuka

Director, Otsuka Museum of Art