An Early Studio Building in Okazaki
The Kansai Art Academy (関西美術院) is a single-storey timber building of 1906 for a school of Western-style painting in Okazaki Minamigosho-cho, Sakyo Ward, Kyoto, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on November 29, 2016. It was designed by Takeda Goichi (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records it as single-storey timber with a sheet-iron roof and a building area of 244 square metres, extended in 1907 and renovated in 1962 and 1964; registration number 26-0507, owned by the religious corporation Ishiyamadera.
Asai Chu and Japan's Oldest Private Painting School
According to the academy, it was founded in 1906 around the painter Asai Chu and is the oldest private Western-style painting school in Japan still in operation. It trained leading painters such as Yasui Sotaro, Umehara Ryuzaburo and Suda Kunitaro.
The academy describes the building as an early work by Takeda Goichi, known for Kyoto City Hall and the Kyoto Prefectural Library. In 2022 it was also selected by Kyoto City as one of the buildings and gardens that colour Kyoto (Kansai Art Academy).
Why It Was Registered
The Kansai Art Academy was registered as a building that has become a model of design. The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes it as the building of an academy founded to teach Western painting, and an early example in Japan of a building designed around an artist's studio.
What to Look For
The Kansai Art Academy is a single-storey timber building under a gently pitched lean-to roof carried on trusses (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Large windows on the north side give the studio ideal light (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The academy notes that north light changes little through the day, ideal for drawing from casts and the figure.
Visiting the Kansai Art Academy
The Kansai Art Academy is still in use as a painting school, where students study figure and cast drawing and oil painting (Kansai Art Academy). We found no official information on general visits, but the academy has taken part in public events such as the Kyoto Modern Architecture Festival. The address is 41 Okazaki Minamigosho-cho, Sakyo Ward, Kyoto.
Q&A
- When was the Kansai Art Academy built?
- In 1906, extended in 1907 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Who designed the Kansai Art Academy?
- Takeda Goichi (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What is distinctive about the Kansai Art Academy building?
- A truss-supported lean-to roof and large north windows lighting the studio (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What is the Kansai Art Academy?
- A painting school founded in 1906 around Asai Chu, the oldest private one still active in Japan (Kansai Art Academy).
- When was the Kansai Art Academy registered?
- On November 29, 2016.
Basic Information
| Name | Kansai Art Academy (関西美術院) |
|---|---|
| Location | 41 Okazaki Minamigosho-cho, Sakyo Ward, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2016/11/29 (Heisei 28) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey timber building, sheet-iron roof, building area 244 square metres |
| Owner | Ishiyamadera (religious corporation) |
| Public Access | In use as a painting school (no official information on general visits) |
References
- Kansai Art Academy (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00011343
- About the academy (Kansai Art Academy)
- https://kanbi.org/about-us/
- Kansai Art Academy (official website)
- https://kanbi.org/
Last verified: 2026.10.07