The Yumeji Art Museum offers its visitors an opportunity to get acquainted with the life and creativity of Yumeji Takehisa (1884-1934) who was an artist and a poet.

He was an author of numerous works made in the style of Nihonga, which depict Japanese girls wearing traditional kimonos. He glorified woman’s beauty, grace and charm. He also managed to brilliantly reflect the inner world of a woman, to convey the nuances of her soul.

He generated a special style called Yumeji which still inspires others. The artist always depicted girls as sophisticated, gentle, a little sad or thoughtful. Despite some imperfections, for example, excessively large eyes or hands, as well as an S-shaped unnatural silhouette, his works are full of life and emotions.

«Romantic of the Taisho epoch» – this is what his contemporaries called him. The reality of that time found a lively response in his paintings. The idea of the interpenetration of the East and the West, renewal and importance of individual liberty. Beauties of Yumeji wear kimonos, but hold European umbrellas in their hands and walk arm in arm with a man dressed in European style. A bit later the artist started to depict women wearing dresses and short haircuts. Interestingly, some of his works depict hieroglyphs – indications which help to better understand the image (for example, «eru» which means «night»).

The artists worked in different styles: portrait, ornament and everyday scenes. His first works were dedicated to the maikos of Kyoto – geishas’ students. Yumeji worked with watercolors, oils, and pencils. Besides that, he cut and printed engravings, did graphics, fabric design, and wrote poetry. His illustrations decorated the covers of the magazines «Wakakusa», «Fujin Gurafu», etc. He illustrated children's books, magazines, collections of songs and poems and novels.

In the museum, there is a permanent exhibition fully devoted to Yumeji Takehisa. Apart from it, exhibitions of other contemporary artists are organized there. In the shop which is near the museum, you can buy items with the design of Yumeji. In the café, you can try his favorite dish «Garu waru ji».