The Yumeji Art Museum is a red-brick building distinguished by its weather vane. It is dedicated to Takehisa Yumeji, a poet and painter from Okayama who was active from the Meiji through the Taisho periods.
The women portrayed by the romantically minded Yumeji are known for their slender, graceful figures and large expressive eyes. His distinctive style earned him nicknames such as the “Yumeji-style beauty” and the “Ukiyo-e artist of the Taisho era.”
However, Yumeji was far more than a painter. He was also a poet and, in modern terms, a designer.
In addition to his artwork, he created designs for stationery and everyday items, and his refined sense of commercial design continues to be admired today.
At the adjacent “Art Café Yumeji,” visitors can enjoy a beautifully designed space that combines Yumeji’s aesthetic with the work of designer Eiji Mitooka. Details such as the checkered flooring and furniture upholstered with textile patterns immerse guests in Yumeji’s artistic world. It is a place where visitors can leisurely appreciate art while enjoying tea—an experience that embodies Yumeji’s ideal of “art in everyday life.”
If you happen to spot a black cat in “Kuro-no-suke’s Room” or in the courtyard, that is “Kuro-no-suke,” the museum’s garden guardian cat, who comes to work whenever he feels like it. With his jet-black paw pads, he has become one of the museum’s beloved mascots.
In addition, about a 30-minute drive east in Setouchi City, the “Yumeji Birthplace Memorial Museum and Shonen Sanso” features seasonal exhibitions centered on themes connected to Yumeji’s hometown.