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The Hirayama Ikuo Museum of Art is established in the hometown of the famous Japanese painter Hirayama Ikuo. Hirayama Ikuo was born in 1930 in Setoda Town, Ikuchijima Island, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The museum displays the master's paintings, sketches from his childhood, and photographs from his teenage years, as well as materials that introduce the artist's experiences, including his encounter with the Hiroshima atomic bomb. Visitors can gain insight into Hirayama's creative journey and personal charm.
The museum is a single-story Japanese-style building, and its understated architectural style reflects the artist's creative themes of "Buddhism" and "peace." The garden inside is designed with the theme of the "Seto Inland Sea," and it is quite elegant. The central rockery mimics the shape of Gourd Island as seen from Ikuchijima. The museum's café, "OASIS," is a wooden space that harmonizes well with the artist's style. A reproduction of the painting "Sky of the Silk Road," depicting a caravan traversing the desert, hangs on the wall. Here, visitors can enjoy desserts made from fresh citrus fruits unique to the Seto Inland Sea.
*To commemorate the opening of the Shimanami Kaido, Hirayama Ikuo created 60 watercolor paintings titled "The Fifty-Three Stations of the Shimanami Kaido." Many reproductions of this work are installed along the route from Onomichi City in Hiroshima Prefecture to Imabari City in Ehime Prefecture.*
