Kumamoto Prefectural Museum of Art

Set on the northwest corner of Kumamoto Castle grounds, this low-rise museum was designed by Maekawa Kunio, a student of Le Corbusier, and is considered one of his finest works. The collection spans ancient Japanese art linked to Kumamoto, modern Japanese art, and Western works. A permanent lower-level gallery displays painted and decorated kofun burial tombs dating from 200 to 600 CE. The Hosokawa Collection draws from 11 generations of the family that ruled Kumamoto domain from 1632. The museum cafe terrace overlooks the castle grounds.