The Art Lover’s Guide to Japanese Museums with Sophie Richard

Name: The Art Lover’s Guide to Japanese Museums with Sophie Richard
Start: 2026-02-17T13:00:00-08:00
End: 2026-02-17T14:30:00-08:00

Feb 17 2026, 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm

Virtual Event: Zoom

The Art Lover’s Guide to Japanese Museums

*Online Program

Japan is a country of museums. There are more than 1,200 art museums yet this fact is often little known outside its borders. They are sprinkled throughout Japan and their range is striking. Museums are a fascinating gateway into Japanese culture, whether traditional or contemporary, but foreign visitors are often bewildered by their quantity and variety. With only a few that offer information in English, a guidebook is indispensable.

The Art Lover’s Guide to Japanese Museums acts as a personal guide, introducing readers to some of the most distinctive and inspiring art museums in the country. Visiting close to 200 venues nationwide, Sophie Richard conducted in-depth interviews with museum curators and directors, which provides an unrivalled insight into the world of Japanese museums. The vibrant, richly illustrated guide showcases public and private museums selected for the strength of their collection and their individuality, as well as pointers to further local attractions. Among them are sites that have survived earthquakes and wars, beautifully maintained estates turned into museums, sleek examples of contemporary architecture… Some are smaller than others but all are worth a visit.

Join us for a discussion with art historian and author Sophie Richard about her guide to Japanese museums.

The Art Lover’s Guide to Japanese Museums is available for purchase online from Kinokuniya.

Date & Time: Tuesday, February 17, 2026, 1:00-2:30 PM (PST) | 9:00-10:30 PM (GMT) | Wednesday, February 18, 6:00-7:30AM (JST)

Venue: Zoom (Link provided upon registration)

Agenda:
1:00-1:05 PM Opening Remarks, Steve Pollock | President, Japan Society of Northern California
1:05-1:30 PM Presentation, Sophie Richard | Art Historian and Author
1:30-1:45 PM Moderated Q&A
1:45-2:00 PM Audience Q&A
2:00-2:05 PM Closing Remarks, Steve Pollock | President, Japan Society of Northern California

In Collaboration With:

Our Amazing Speaker:

Sophie Richard | Art Historian and Author

Born in Provence and educated at the Ecole du Louvre and the Sorbonne in Paris, Sophie Richard lives in London. She is an art historian. Passionate about Japanese arts and culture, she initiated a research project on Japanese museums which led her to travel extensively around the country and interview museums directors and curators.

Her first book on art museums in Japan was published in 2014 and was subsequently translated into Japanese. Her second book The Art Lovers’ Guide to Japanese Museums was published in 2019 and reprinted in 2022 and 2025. Sophie lectures on Japanese museums internationally and writes articles for Japanese and Western publications. She has been a contributor to Japanese television programs, and she is currently producing a series of video interviews under the title Encounters with Japan.

In 2015 her work was recognized by the Agency of Cultural Affairs and she received the Commissioner’s Award in Tokyo. She works as an independent consultant advising on the promotion of Japanese arts and culture to Western audiences, and she also serves as an adviser to the Japanese Agency for Cultural Affairs.

Moderator:

Bob Neumann

Recently retired after 20 years at California Maritime Academy teaching various courses related to international business, and frequently leading research trips abroad to Japan, Korea, and Vietnam for students. Previous positions at Clarke Consulting Group, Center for Executive Development at Berkeley, and City College of SF. First became interested in Japan while working at Ohio State Univ. as an assistant to Prof. Harold Wright, official translator for the poems of Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken. Currently using “Art Lover’s Guide to Japanese Museums” to plan the next trip to Japan with his wife.