Shimane Art Museum

The Shimane Art Museum is a prefectural museum on the southeastern shore of Lake Shinji in Matsue. It opened in March 1999 and is regarded as the largest art museum in the San'in region. Its theme is "a museum in harmony with water," and, taking advantage of its lakeside site, it collects and shows many works that depict water. It is within walking distance of JR Matsue Station, so it combines easily with sightseeing in central Matsue.

The building was designed by Kikutake Kiyonori Architects. It has two floors above ground, reaches a maximum height of 15.5 meters. Its long, low form opens toward the lake, the west side is largely glass, and there is a rooftop terrace, all arranged so that visitors can watch the sun set over Lake Shinji. The building has won a Public Buildings Award. The museum closed in May 2021 for seismic work and reopened on June 1, 2022 and a renewed ceiling.

The collection centers on Japanese paintings such as folding screens, modern Western-style paintings by Japanese artists and French painting, including works by Courbet, Gauguin and Monet. The permanent galleries show paintings, prints, crafts, photographs and sculpture, while special exhibitions are held in a separate gallery. There is also a museum shop and a restaurant.

A distinctive feature is the opening schedule built around the sunset. From March to September the museum stays open until 30 minutes after sunset, with last entry to the galleries at sunset. From October to February it closes at 18:30, with last entry at 18:00. Sunset times change through the year, so check the official sunset schedule before visiting. Allow one to two hours, more if you want to wait for the sunset. By car, the museum's 230-space car park is free for the first three hours. Matsue Castle (about 1.7 km) and the Horikawa boat tour (about 2 km) are nearby.