The Miho Museum is an art museum built in Shigaraki, a town rich with nature in Shiga Prefecture. The ideals of founder Koyama Mihoko were incorporated in the creation of the museum, attempting to "fulfill her vision of promoting beauty, peace, and joy through art," and a number of both Japanese and international ancient art collections are on display.
One of the unique features of this museum is the lovely world view that stretches out before entering the building. After walking along a pathway of about 500 meters lined with shidare-zakura weeping cherry trees, visitors will pass through a tunnel and over a suspension bridge to arrive at the entrance to the museum. The motif for this architecture is a Chinese poem about a dreamlike utopia, the tale of Peach Blossom Spring written by Tao Yuanming. By the design of I.M. Pei, the architect who handled the glass pyramid of the Louvre in Paris, it has been expressed as being a real-world, contemporary adaptation of the utopian village in the poem. The facility also houses a restaurant and cafe that use the freshest ingredients to arrange menus that include healthy foods. This museum is a soothing space where visitors' hearts will be contented through nature, art, and food.