Toyama Glass Art Museum, Toyama

A contemporary glass art museum inside Kengo Kuma's TOYAMA Kirari, with a wood-louvred atrium and vivid works by Dale Chihuly.

Atrium of TOYAMA Kirari lined with wooden louvers and escalators, lit by a skylight — Photo: タチヤマカムイ, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Inside the Toyama Glass Art Museum with glass artworks hanging above wooden balustrades — Photo: Asturio Cantabrio, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

A glass city born from Toyama's medicine trade

Toyama is known for baiyaku, its travelling medicine trade, which has gone on for more than 300 years. In the Meiji era, making glass bottles for medicine became a major industry. Building on this history, Toyama city began working in 1985 to become a "City of Glass", and in 1991 it opened the Toyama City Institute of Glass Art.

The Toyama Glass Art Museum, which opened on 22 August 2015, crowns about 30 years of that effort. It holds about 400 works and focuses on contemporary glass art.

TOYAMA Kirari, designed by Kengo Kuma

The museum occupies the 2nd to 6th floors of TOYAMA Kirari, a complex that also houses Toyama City Public Library and other facilities. It was designed by the architect Kengo Kuma.

The exterior was inspired by the ice and snow of the Tateyama mountain range, and its granite, glass and aluminium reflect light in many ways. Inside, a slanting atrium runs through the building, lined with cedar boards from Toyama Prefecture, designed so that soft natural light reaches the whole building.

The 6th-floor Glass Art Garden and special exhibitions

The Glass Art Garden on the 6th floor is a permanent display of works by the American contemporary glass artist Dale Chihuly. Some were made for Toyama: Toyama Float Boat, a small boat heaped with colourful glass spheres, takes Toyama's rich nature and water as its theme.

The 4th floor hosts collection exhibitions, and many works are shown outside display cases, so you can see them up close from different angles. Special exhibitions are held on the 2nd and 3rd floors. Check the official website for what is on and when.

Getting there

Take the city tram from Toyama Station and get off at Nishicho stop; the museum is right there. Toyama Kanko Navi, the official tourism guide, gives the tram ride from Toyama Station as about 12 minutes. Check the official website for opening hours and admission fees.

Tips

Even if you are short of time, don't miss the 6th-floor Glass Art Garden with Chihuly's works. Toyama Kanko Navi suggests allowing 2 to 3 hours to see the museum at a relaxed pace.
The museum shop sells glass chopstick rests, tableware and other pieces made in Toyama.
The museum cafe uses glassware made by local artists. It is a nice spot for a break during your visit.