Chihiro Art Museum AzuminoUnclaimed

It is about 30 minutes' walk, which is some distance. A taxi (about 5 minutes) or a rental bicycle (about 15 minutes) is more convenient. In Matsukawa Village you can also use the Azumino Enjoy Bus and Azumino sightseeing taxis.

Iwasaki Chihiro (1918-1974) was a picture-book artist who wished for peace and happiness for all the world's children and made children her lifelong subject. Her parents were from Shinshu, and Matsukawa Village is where they lived as pioneer farmers after the war, making it a spiritual home for her.

It closes each year from 16 December to the end of February. Please note that it cannot be visited during this period. Please check the official website for opening from March onwards.

There is plenty for children, including the picture-book room (a library with about 3,000 books), a play space for small children, and the train classroom at Totto-chan Hiroba. Admission is free for high school age and under, so it is especially good for families.

Five exhibition rooms present Chihiro's representative works, early sketches, watercolours and works connected with Shinshu, alongside about 28,000 works by 228 picture-book artists from 35 countries (including 9,654 works by Chihiro). Displays change three times a year, so there is always something new.

Allow 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes for the exhibition rooms alone. Including a break at the picture-book cafe, a stroll in the park and Totto-chan Hiroba, you can enjoy half a day to a full day.

There is a picture-book cafe in the museum where you can rest while looking out at the Northern Alps. You can spend unhurried time taking in the Azumino scenery, ideal for a break after your visit.

If you wear your admission band you can come and go freely all day, so you can move between the museum and Azumino Chihiro Park and spend a whole day there.

It is an area within Azumino Chihiro Park where the train classroom from Totto-chan: The Little Girl at the Window (by Kuroyanagi Tetsuko), famous for Chihiro's illustrations, has been recreated. You can walk the park following episodes from the story.

There is free parking with 150 spaces across the first and second car parks (including 8 for large coaches and 4 accessible spaces). Coming by car is convenient if arriving via Azumino IC.

About 5 minutes by taxi, 15 minutes by rental bicycle or 30 minutes on foot from Shinano-Matsukawa Station on the JR Oito Line. By car it is about 30 minutes from Azumino IC on the Nagano Expressway.

Parking is available. Please check the official information for details.

The 2nd and 4th Wednesday of each month (the following day if that Wednesday is a public holiday), the winter closure (16 December to the end of February), and occasional closures for exhibition changes. It is open every day during Golden Week and in August.

3358-24 Nishihara, Matsukawa Village, Kitaazumi District, Nagano Prefecture

10:00-17:00 (from 9:00 during Golden Week and the summer holidays)

Adults 1,200 yen, those aged 65 and over 900 yen, high school age and under free. A repeat discount is available (700 yen on presentation of a ticket from another Chihiro Art Museum).