What other travelers are saying about Gotosumio Museum
This was one of the most beautiful art museums I’ve been to - in a stunning location and with landscapes that art sublime in their beauty and mastery of traditional Japanese landscape styles. Worth going out of your way to see.
They offer English subtitles on videos about the life of the artist and were very welcoming. The restaurant upstairs also served a delightful lunch - I recommend the Spanish mackerel.
Museum display painting collection of a great Japanese artist. All the painting are amazingly powerful with finest technique and detail. Definitely worth a visit.
A gem: we stopped at this museum and discovered amazingly refined and delicate paintings, incredibly beautiful snow landscapes. English explanations and French exhibition catalogue available !
What a nice surprise. In the middle of Hokkaido countryside there is a small museum with some impressively BIG paintings. Master Gotosumio has been painting his work literally over decades - working on the SAME paintings. Super impressive. And in the middle of inspiring landscape.
So glad we stopped on our roadtrip from Furano to Pippu. Stunning paintings! Highly recommended
The museum is open from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM from June to October, and 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM from November to March. The museum is open year-round, though it closes during the New Year holiday period from December 29 to January 3. The Furano Grill restaurant is closed from December 28 through January.
Yes, audio guides are available in English, Japanese, Chinese, and Korean for 500 yen. The guide offers a first-person account of the story behind each painting and includes Sumio Goto's reflections on Nihonga art. Many paintings also come with English descriptions.
A minimum of one hour is recommended, though two to two and a half hours would allow you to fully appreciate the collection. The museum displays approximately 130 works, some of which are large-scale paintings that benefit from extended viewing time. Seats are positioned throughout the museum to allow visitors to sit and admire the longer paintings comfortably.
Yes, the Furano Grill restaurant is located on the museum's upper floor. The restaurant serves lunch and sweets made from local produce of Furano and Biei, and guests can enjoy beautiful panoramic views of the Tokachidake peaks and Furano Valley while dining. Note that the restaurant has limited closure periods during the winter holidays.
The museum is approximately 40 minutes by car from Asahikawa Airport, or 150 minutes from New Chitose Airport. From JR Kamifurano Station, the museum is about 5 minutes by car or a 10-minute taxi ride. For guests staying at nearby resorts, it's about 30 minutes by car from the main Furano Ski area. The museum has parking for 100 cars.
