Homma Museum of Art

Founded by the Honma family, known as wealthy merchants of the Shonai region and among Japan’s leading landowners, this private art museum opened in 1947. Its buildings and garden are older than the museum itself: the main building, the villa “Seienkaku,” and the strolling pond garden “Kakubuen” were originally built in 1813 by the fourth head of the Honma family during the mid-Edo period.

The collection includes Approx. 3,000 works and covers a wide range of genres, from antique art to modern and contemporary art, dolls such as hina and classical dolls, historical materials, and tea utensils. Since opening, the museum has hosted many solo and special exhibitions, including modern and contemporary Western-style paintings, traditional crafts, local historical materials, and hina doll exhibitions.

Beyond viewing art, visitors can enjoy the seasonal beauty of the “Kakubuen” garden, the Kyoto-style wooden architecture of “Seienkaku,” and even the history of Sakata, which prospered through the Kitamaebune shipping trade. In this highly original space where art, nature, and history come together, you can encounter an exceptional art experience.