A few minutes north of Matsumoto Castle, the Yasuka Museum of Art is a small, intimate museum dedicated to the life and work of local artist Sudo Yasuka.
Yasuka passed away tragically early, just at the young age of 30, but not before she'd produced a range of striking, distinctive artworks. When I visited, the exhibited pieces were mostly monochrome prints: some haunting or serene, some grotesque or surreal, but all of them showed great imagination and attention to detail and texture.
There's also a display of Yasuka's books and belongings, and at the entrance there's a small selection of books and postcards for sale.
Getting there
From the city hall (just east of the castle grounds), walk north up Agetsuchi-dori, and turn left after a few minutes towards the historical Takahashi Residence. The museum will be on your right a short walk after you've turned.
Admission costs JPY500 for adults, or JPY400 for groups of ten or more: it's free for infants, elementary school students or junior high school students.
From 1st April to 27th December, the museum is open daily except Monday and Tuesday from 10:00 to 17:00. The museum is open only at weekends in January and March, and is closed throughout February.
