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The entrance building of the Otsuka Museum of Art, set into a green hillside in Naruto
Photo: 663highland, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
Tokushima · museum

Otsuka Museum of Art

大塚国際美術館

A Naruto museum of 1,000+ Western masterpieces from 26 countries, recreated full-size on ceramic. Tour the world's galleries, Sistine Chapel included, in a day.

The museum's stone-clad building and lawn with outdoor tables under a blue sky
Photo: 663highland, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
A pond of water lilies in a circular outdoor gallery at the Otsuka Museum of Art
Photo: Oilstreet (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Masterpiece replicas made entirely of ceramic

The Otsuka Museum of Art is in Naruto Park in Naruto city, Tokushima Prefecture. It was opened in 1998 by Otsuka Pharmaceutical to mark the company's 75th anniversary.

On display are just over 1,000 masterpieces of Western art, from ancient murals to modern paintings, held by more than 190 museums in 26 countries. None are originals: they are reproductions fired onto ceramic panels (toban) using a special technique, faithful to the originals in both size and colour. Because they are reproductions, you are allowed to photograph them.

Whole chapels and ancient sites recreated

Your visit begins in the Sistine Hall, where Michelangelo's ceiling and wall paintings from the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican are recreated full-size, space and all. You can also see Italy's Scrovegni Chapel, Picasso's Guernica and more.

Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper and Mona Lisa, works by Vermeer, and all seven of Van Gogh's Sunflowers, including one lost in the Second World War, are here too. Outdoors is a display of Monet's large Water Lilies, and from around June to September real water lilies bloom in the pond.

A viewing route of about 4 km

The galleries run from the basement floors upwards, with works arranged in time order from ancient to modern. The whole viewing route is about 4 km long, and you follow the arrows on the floor. It is a big place, so allow plenty of time.

There are restaurants and cafes inside, free guided tours by volunteers and paid audio guides.

Getting there

By car it is about 3 minutes from the Naruto Interchange on the expressway. A free shuttle bus runs from the car park to the museum. Highway buses run to the museum from Takamatsu Airport, Tokushima Airport and the Kyoto and Osaka areas.

The museum is closed on Mondays (or the following day if Monday is a public holiday), but this varies by season. Check the official website for opening hours and admission. Close by is Uzu no Michi, a walkway where you can look straight down on the whirlpools of the Naruto Strait.

Tips

  • The official website recommends preparing in advance, for example by buying tickets online. It cuts down time queuing at the ticket window on the day, so check how to buy.
  • The viewing route is about 4 km long. Wear comfortable shoes, and decide beforehand which works you most want to see so it is easier to get round.
  • Closing days vary month by month, and there are special opening days too (in September 2026 the museum is open every day during the 19 to 23 September holidays). Check the calendar on the official website before you go.

Sources

Updated 28 September 2026. Opening hours and prices change, so check the official site before you go.

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