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The Otsuka Museum of Art (OMA) was established in 1998 to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Otsuka Group. Otsuka Pharmaceutical then Chairman Masahito Otsuka had a precise vision for this museum to be built in Tokushima, where the Otsuka Group was founded.
Rendered with Otsuka’s original technology developed by Otsuka Ohmi Ceramics Co., Ltd., more than 1,000 pieces of art are now reproduced in original size, and their colors, which will virtually never fade, faithfully convey the artistic essence of the original works.
One of the most popular exhibits at the Otsuka Museum of Art is the Sistine Hall, which holds a full-scale reproduction of the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Five years ago, the Otsuka Museum of Art resolved to reproduce this curved ceiling for the 10th anniversary of the museum’s opening. A method was developed in which curved ceramic panels are produced using firing platforms that are made based on wooden molds. It is exceedingly difficult to produce curved ceramic boards without breaking them, the same principle as that used to produce curved glass was employed, and was finally achieved following much trial and error.
2013 marks the 500th anniversary of the completion of the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican. Starting September, the Otsuka Museum of Art will be hosting “Divine Michelangelo” festivities.
The museum displays a collection of ceramic-board reproductions of art masterpieces from around the world, with the ability to keep colors and shapes unchanged for more than 2,000 years which would help record and preserve cultural assets. It also has the largest exhibition space in Japan, with a total floor space of 29,412 square meters (316,588 square feet).
In March 2007, Pope Benedict XVI bestowed the Pontifical Order of Pope St. Sylvester on Akihiko Otsuka, then director general of the Otsuka Museum of Art, for his contribution to introducing and furthering Christian art in Japan.
The Director of the Vatican Museums said: “The people of Japan can experience the beauty and learn the history of Christian art at the Otsuka Museum of Art. The Sistine Chapel of the Vatican and the Sistine Hall here in Naruto City are not in opposition, but rather complement each other.” The Otsuka Museum of Art aims to inspire people through art, and serve as a bridge connecting the world’s cultures.
The Otsuka Museum of Art exhibits full-scale reproductions of more than 1000 major works of Western art from 25 countries.
Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper, Gogh’s Sunflowers, and Picasso’s Guernica, among many others, are displayed in one place so that visitors may view them at one time. The Otsuka Museum of Art makes it possible for people in Japan to learn about the history of Western art by allowing them to experience the majesty of the works in their original sizes.
In 2011 and 2012, The Otsuka Museum of Art ranked the top among Trip Advisor’s rankings for “the best museum to have visited” category.
Last month, the Otsuka Museum of Art welcomed its 3 millionth guest, and the museum strives to be a place that allows people to connect to art by creating a new world of artistic culture based on the spirit of “creation,” one of the founding principles of the Otsuka Group.