I would have never found this rare gem in Japan if I hadn’t been taken there by my friend Matsumi.  I have looked in our huge collection of guide books and on the internet but there is very little documentation about this place.  I think it is a little difficult to get to and may be over shadowed by the proximity of Himeji castle, one of the most photographed items in Japan.

The weather was quite nice so it was great to be outside and walk around.  I would like to return sometime and have a picnic here.  There are around ten nice large outdoor sculptures that are made from metal, wood and stone.  Most of the work is made by Japanese so this is also a good chance to view large work from some better known sculptors.    

The museum has a nice collection of bronze figurative pieces by an artist who is from Asago named Tashio Yodoi inside and another large collection of his bigger outdoor work between the museum and the dam that this park nestles up to.  There was also a good sized gallery upstairs that has different shows throughout the year.  I love abstracted figurative work so I was happy to see this collection.  It reminded me of Giacometti’s work and I love his work so I was excited to see someone else doing something similar but not the same.