Sophie Richard: Discovering the Charm of Japanese Museums

The Kyū Asakura House and its garden. (© Shibuya Municipal Government)

The Arte Piazza Bibai in Hokkaidō. (© Ogawa Shigeo)

Richard uses the photo of the Shinshōji Zen Museum and Gardens in Hiroshima Prefecture for the cover of her new book, because “the building looks contemporary, but its wooden roof is made by a carpenter from Kyoto based on traditional techniques. It symbolizes what the book is all about, which is to cover museums of all kinds, from traditional to contemporary. The narrow entrance to the museum heightens the expectation of what’s inside both the museum and the book,” she says.

A “handling session” lets visitors touch actual artworks at the Tezen Museum during the 2016 Art and Tradition in Izumo tour. (© Sophie Richard)