Ichihara Lakeside Museum. Left: before | Right: after
The Ichihara Lakeside Museum is located in the middle of Boso Peninsula; about an hour drive or a 2-hour train ride from central Tokyo. It sits next to the picturesque Takataki Lake, which has plenty of lush greenery, boat rentals, and a bizarre sculpture of an over-sized dragon fly. The museum itself is largely dedicated to the work of Yukio Fukazawa, a self-taught artist who excelled in copper engraving prints; so much so that, in 1963, he was invited by the Mexican government to teach at universities across Mexico. However, there is also a continuous flow of temporary exhibitions featuring a broad range of subjects from print to architecture.
If you’re still not convinced that a day-trip is calling you, the museum has recently been renovated by Kawaguchi-tei Architects. Led by Ariko Kawaguchi and Jinyu Tei, the team of designers completely reconfigured the original 1994 layout, creating a new façade, new pathways and generally a more immersive, arresting experience. And it’s not only the building. The Nippon Design Center also outfitted them with new branding and signage campaign. Taking advantage of the museum’s location next to the lake “we tried to reflect the water surface patterns in our visual identity,” explained art director Yoshiaki Irobe.
