The Treasures of Osaka are Osaka's identity
From ancient times through the Middle Ages and early modern period to the present day, Osaka has consistently flourished as a city with contributions from a variety of people whose activities have led to the gathering and accumulation of an extensive cultural heritage that includes nature and science. Moreover, due to its head start on municipalities across the country in developing museums and art galleries, Osaka has been entrusted with many valuable collections from a large number of collectors.
These collections have long been cultivated here and are still protected with care in the museums and art galleries of the Administrative Agency for Osaka City Museums. These are true "Treasures of Osaka" that move people's hearts and should be passed down to future generations as a symbol of Osaka's identity.
Now, we have selected 20 representative items from each museum for a total of 120 items as Treasures of Osaka that will enable you to experience the charm of Osaka, the city that fostered them, through the history of their inheritance and the pioneers that had a special hand in their collection. We have already revealed the provenance of the Treasures of Osaka and the stories behind the works, presenting the "Power of Osaka" as an expression of the charm of Osaka, the city that cultivated the Treasures of Osaka.
In 2025, the year of Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan, many Treasures of Osaka will actually be on display at each museum (*only a portion will be on display at the Nakanoshima Museum of Art, Osaka).
For information on the exhibition period and other details, please refer to the OSAKA-HAKU website.
＜Museums and art galleries operated by the Osaka City Museum Organization, a local independent administrative institution＞
Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts
Osaka Museum of Natural History
The Museum of Oriental Ceramics, Osaka
Osaka Science Museum
Osaka Museum of History
Nakanoshima Museum of Art, Osaka
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体験展示室
- Virtual experience exhibition room -
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Experience the Treasures of Osaka.
The Power of Osaka
The treasures of Osaka have many stories to tell.
The treasures of Osaka and their stories are divided into five “Chikara (power)”.
The Power of Citizens
It was the people who lived in Osaka and loved Osaka who created the culture of the city of Osaka. While there are those who left behind outstanding achievements like Kimura Kenkado, said to be an intellectual giant in the Edo period, we cannot overlook the existence of private collectors and people gathered around museums who built up valuable collections through great insight and steady efforts. This Power of the Citizens of Osaka transcends the ages and was a driving force behind the creation of the Treasures of Osaka that should be passed on to future generations.
The Power of the City
Osaka has long served as Japan's gateway to Asia and, after opening up, to the world. Due to its critical location, Osaka developed over time into a city that has always attracted abundant wealth, diverse cultures, and people of great talent, making it a hub for stimulating encounters and lively exchange. Sustained by that Power of the City, Osaka has accumulated many treasures, relayed by the people who loved them and thereby passed down to the present day.
The Power of the Future
Osaka has fostered the endeavors of people unsatisfied with the status quo who pursue mysteries in quests of curiosity, people who pursue art in order to change the status quo, and people who are constantly at work improving everyday tools. It has also hosted bold efforts to learn from the lessons of history and create a better society for the future. The valuable creations that have emerged from this orientation toward the future include global treasures that should be passed down to posterity while also portending the arrival of yet more treasures in the time to come.
The Power of Art
Art is a creative activity at the root of our humanity, an essential aspect of what it is to be human. Osaka has produced a wide variety of art since ancient times while accumulating a diverse collection of artworks from both inside and outside Japan, bringing vitality to the city and its people. These works are the Treasures of Osaka that support and create the lives of those of us in the present as well as the people of the future in an ever-changing society.
The Power of Fudo
Beyond the varied artworks, collections, and research endeavors produced by human passion, many treasures were also born against the backdrop of the natural environment and geographical conditions of Osaka as well as the historical and cultural developments that took place there. Passing down and displaying these Treasures of Osaka in Osaka itself will provide greater understanding while demonstrating the value that they possess. These treasures are also surely vital to understanding the place we call Osaka.
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