Migishi Kotaro Museum of Art

The Migishi Kotaro Museum of Art, Hokkaido is a unique art museum that celebrates the accomplishments of Migishi Kotaro, a Sapporo-born painter who left a profound mark on the history of modern Western art in Japan from the Taisho to the early Showa era (the 1920s through the early 1930s).

The museum collects, preserves, and exhibits his works and other related materials, while also conducting research and promotion activities.　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　
Four members of the family of Migishi Kotaro, including Migishi Setsuko, donated 220 of his works to Hokkaido, which led to the opening of the museum in 1967 as the first art museum in Hokkaido, the Hokkaido Prefectural Museum of Art (the Migishi Kotaro Memorial Room), located at Kita 1-jo Nishi 5-chome, Chuo-ku, Sapporo. 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　
Later, with the opening of the Hokkaido Museum of Modern Art, the museum was renamed the Migishi Kotaro Museum of Art, Hokkaido and reopened in 1977. In 1983, a new building was constructed at the current location, incorporating the image of the studio that Migishi envisioned, and the museum was relocated--turning a new page in its history. 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　
Since then, the museum has held the permanent exhibition of its collection featuring Migishi Kotaro’s representative works throughout his life, special exhibitions highlighting his art from various perspectives, as well as lectures and music concerts.

On the occasion of the museum’s 50th anniversary in 2017, the nickname "mima" was chosen through a public contest to further increase awareness of the museum. Inspired by the pioneering spirit of Migishi, the museum has further expanded the scope of its activities by introducing younger artists in Hokkaido and planning a variety of programs in cooperation with museums in and outside of the prefecture.