By 1969 Isamu Noguchi had established a studio in the village of Mure on the Japanese island of Shikoku, and it was here that he carved the large granite and basalt sculptures that culminated his career. Noguchi first visited Shikoku in 1956 in search of stones for his garden at the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, and he returned looking for a craftsman to work with him on the monumental granite sculpture Black Sun for the Seattle Art Museum. He was referred to a young stonecutter from the village of Mure, Masatoshi Izumi, with whom he developed a strong working relationship and began a twenty-year collaboration. Izumi built a studio compound for Noguchi, and the sculptor worked in Mure for about six months each year during his last two decades.

The Isamu Noguchi Garden Museum Japan is the fulfillment of Noguchi’s wish that his former studio in Mure-cho, Japan, be an extension of his Museum in New York to inspire artists and scholars. The Museum is located between historic Yashima and Mount Gokenzan in Kagawa prefecture, on the island of Shikoku, Japan. Its collection includes 150 sculptures, many of which are still unfinished, preserving the working atmosphere of his studio.

Visit the Website