MOA Museum of Art

**National Treasure highlights:** The museum rotates National Treasures and Important Cultural Properties seasonally (items are fragile and cannot be permanently displayed). Notable pieces in the permanent rotation: Ogata Korin's 'Red and White Plum Blossoms' (紅白梅図屏風, pair of screens with abstract plum trees, one of Japan's most famous paintings, displayed Jan–Feb); Ninsei 'Colorful Riding Waves' ceramic urn (野々村仁清 色絵波乗阿弥陀如来像, 17th-century masterwork); ukiyo-e prints by Hokusai and Hiroshige. Check the museum website before visiting to confirm current exhibits — if National Treasures aren't displayed, the entry fee is less justifiable unless interested in architecture/views. **Architecture experience:** The entrance corridor's 200m escalator through mountain creates dramatic arrival — circular apertures frame ocean as you ascend, building anticipation. The main lobby's circular room (直径30m dome) has 360° views: ocean to the east, mountains to the west. The minimalist galleries use indirect natural light and neutral walls to focus attention on art without distraction. Hiroshi Sugimoto (photographer/architect) designed the 2017 renovation to evoke tea ceremony aesthetics — emptiness, restraint, harmony with nature. Architecture enthusiasts should visit even if art is secondary interest. **Combined Atami itinerary:** MOA Museum pairs well with Atami onsen day-trip: arrive Atami 9:30 → bus to MOA (15 min) → museum 10:00–12:00 (2 hours including cafe) → return to Atami station area → lunch (¥1,500–2,500) → Kinomiya Shrine/shopping (1 hour) → Ohyuichiban-kan public onsen 15:00–16:30 (90 min) → dinner/depart. Total cost excluding transport: ¥5,500. This maximizes Atami's cultural and onsen appeal in single day.