Hara Museum ARC first opened in 1988 in Shibukawa, Gunma Prefecture. It is an annex of the Hara Museum of Contemporary Art in Shinagawa, Tokyo. The facility can be found at the foot of Mount Haruna in Ikaho Green Bokujo farm. Arata Isozaki was the architect who designed Hara Museum ARC, which is situated on a small hill where you can see the mountain range covered in greenery. The Hara family has been passionate about art for a few generations and has collected a sizeable amount of traditional East Asian art. The Hara Museum ARC houses the most recent additions to the family’s collection of contemporary art in Japan. Exhibits in the museum are not limited to just Japan, but includes work from artists from around the world like Max Streicher’s Sleeping Giants in the Someone Like You exhibit. The permanent exhibits include paintings, photographs, sculptures and wood block prints. When Hara Museum ARC was built, Arata Isozaki designed it so people can enjoy both outdoor and indoor displays of art. He also wanted to allow as much natural light into the museum by installing skylights in order to create a spacious atmosphere. While you are enjoying the artwork of the museum you can grab some food at the onsite cafe with cakes made with milk from the farm.
