The Home of the Heart is Here —
Doll Art by Mayumi Takahashi
A couple talking together in one place, walking home holding hands, a secret hideout with friends... Mayumi Takahashi's dolls evoke a sense of nostalgia as if they had met before, and the warmth of human contact. Living in the rich natural environment of Nagano Prefecture, where the four seasons are abundant, she creates dolls based on motifs such as the everyday life of her family and the people living in her community.
Mayumi Takahashi has continued to create dolls with the desire to "not forget, to leave behind precious things." "Hometown" is one of them. It could be the place of one's birth, a place encountered on a trip, or even the home of one's heart. We hope you will spend some time thinking about the various "hometowns" through Mayumi Takahashi's dolls.
Outline
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Admission fee
Adults and university students: 1,300 yen; elementary, middle and high school students: 650 yen
*Free admission for elementary and junior high school students on Saturdays
*20% discount for groups of 15 or more -
Advance tickets (until January 8, 2026)
Adults and university students: 1,000 yen / High, junior high & elementary school students: 500 yen
Sales point:
○ Sano Art Museum (until December 21, 2025)
○ Seven-Eleven (Ticket Pia/P Code: 687-344)
○ Family Mart (please purchase directly at CN Play Guide [multi-copy machine]) -
Discount tickets (during the exhibition period)
Adults and university students: 1,170 yen / High, junior high & elementary school students: 590 yen
Sales point:
○ Izuhakone Railway Sunzu Line manned station
○ Seven-Eleven (Ticket Pia/P Code: 687-344)
○ Family Mart (please purchase directly at CN Play Guide [multi-copy machine]) -
Opening hours
10:00-17:00 (last admission 16:30) -
Closed
Thursdays, February 16 (Monday) to February 20 (Friday) -
Organizer
Sano Art Museum, Mishima City, Mishima City Board of Education, Shizuoka Shimbun, Shizuoka Broadcasting System -
Supported by
Shizuoka Prefectural Board of Education -
Grant
Mishima Shinkin Bank -
Sponsorship
Izuhakone Railway Co., Ltd. -
Special Support
Mayumi Takahashi Museum of Doll Art -
Cooperation
Yamato Transport Co., Ltd.
Profile
Mayumi Takahashi
She lives in Iiyama City, Nagano Prefecture. She learned the basics of doll making through correspondence courses and, through trial and error, developed the style of dolls she creates today. She has won various awards, including the Grand Prize in her category at the 1998 Yuzawaya Creative Awards. Since 2003, she has been running a national traveling exhibition produced by the Executive Committee for "Gifts from Back Home." By spring 2010, her works had been exhibited in 95 locations across Japan, attracting 1.8 million visitors and receiving rave reviews at each venue.
In 2010, Mayumi Takahashi Museum of Doll Art opened in Iiyama City, Nagano Prefecture. Her work has quietly found its way into various fields, including appearances in television commercials and on NHK’s “Minna no Uta.”
Main exhibits
"Two People at Dusk" 2001
"Prayer" 2001
"On the Way Home" 2002
"Mother's Hands" 2002
"Morning Exercises I" 2004
"Hide and Seek" 2016
"Hana-chan" 2023
Art Dolls by Mayumi Takahashi
Photography by Yutaka Minemura (member of the Japan Professional Photographers Society)
Simultaneous Exhibition
Yutaka Murakami and Takashi Takada, "Kiginden: Oni no Maki" (published by Kodansha on January 30, 2004) Original cover art, Sano Museum of Art
A Retrospective of the Artwork by Yutaka Murakami and the Local Artists from the Eastern Shizuoka
This exhibition showcases original illustrations by Mishima-born artist Yutaka Murakami, alongside works by fellow local artists including Hansei Hosoi and Chuji Kurihara.
Kyoho Hina Dolls, Edo period, private collection
Sano Art Museum’s Hina-dolls collection
Hinamatsuri is a traditional Japanese festival that celebrates and prays for the healthy growth of girls. On a pleasant spring day, we invite you to experience the elegant and enchanting world of Hina dolls at the Sano Art Museum.
Related Events
Mayumi Takahashi's visit commemorative event Gallery talk
Creative doll artist Mayumi Takahashi will be coming to the Sano Museum of Art!
Mayumi Takahashi will be at the exhibition venue to talk about the stories behind the creation of her works and her production methods. Please look forward to it!
■We expect the event to be very busy, so we recommend using public transport■
Mayumi Takahashi visit commemorative event autograph session
Creative doll artist Mayumi Takahashi will be coming to the Sano Museum of Art!
Get a signed copy of Mayumi Takahashi's book and make it a special treasure!
■We expect the event to be very busy, so we recommend using public transport■
First Oil Painting Course for Elementary and Junior High School Students
What is an oil painting?
Paintings are made on white linen called canvases using paints made with special oils and long, slightly hard brushes or unusually shaped knives.
Get in touch with art supplies that you don't often get the chance to learn about in school.
Jiunkai Tea Ceremony
The New Year begins with hanging "Shinshin" (owned by Sano Museum of Art), a painting by Jion Sonja, on the floor.
You will enjoy a tea ceremony hosted by two hosts in approximately one and a half hours.
For inquiries, please contact the Sano Museum of Art Jionkai Secretariat by telephone (055-975-7278; closed Thursdays except public holidays, during exhibition changeover periods, and over the New Year holidays).
We will provide you with detailed instructions on how to apply.
[Seating time]
1st seat 8:50~
2nd seat 9:30~
3rd seat 10:10~
4th seat 10:50~
5th seat 11:30~
6th seat 12:10~
7th seat 12:50~
8th seat 13:30~
*Please check in at least 10 minutes before your seating time.
*Each seat is expected to accommodate approximately 21 people.
*After the thick tea session, you will be seated for the thin tea session.
*Seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis, so please apply early.
*Thick tea is served by passing around the cup.
*Dim sum is served in a bento box. If you would like to eat at your table, please come between 10:30 and 14:00. Take-out is also available.
*If you are coming by car, please use the parking lots (No. 1 and No. 2) on the north side of Ryusenen Main Gate.
*The event may be subject to change or cancellation due to various reasons.
My spiritual home is here - Mayumi Takahashi Doll Exhibition Exhibition page
