Thousands of Western artworks were gathered by Kōjirō Matsukata, a Japanese entrepreneur who sought to establish a premier public institution for European masterpieces in Tokyo. His efforts, spanning decades of professional activity in international finance and shipbuilding, eventually culminated in the creation of the National Museum of Western Art following a complex diplomatic return of his collection after World War II.
Background and Industrial Career
Born in 1865 in Kagoshima, Matsukata was the third son of Masayoshi Matsukata, a pivotal figure in the Meiji government who served as prime minister and finance minister. His formal education included time at Rutgers Preparatory School, Rutgers University, Kōgyokujuku, and Tokyo University. In 1896, he became president of the Kawasaki Shipbuilding Company. He later headed the Kawasaki Dockyards from 1916 until 1923, expanding the group into a global conglomerate that eventually became Kawasaki Heavy Industries. He also founded the shipping line known as K Line.
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Between 1916 and 1918, while based in London at Queen Anne's Mansions, Matsukata began acquiring vast amounts of painting, sculpture, and decorative art. Assisted by artist Frank Brangwyn, he sought to bring Western artistic traditions to Japan. He famously purchased 18 paintings from Claude Monet at Giverny in a single session. His acquisitions included the Rodin masterpiece 'Gates of Hell' and over 8,000 ukiyo-e woodblock prints, the latter of which were repatriated for a pioneering exhibition in 1925.
Post-War Repatriation and Legacy
Matsukata’s plan for a dedicated museum, titled 'Kyorakukan', remained unrealized during his life due to economic downturns and high import taxes. Much of his stored collection was lost to fire or war. In 1959, the French government returned 370 preserved works—including major sculptures cast from original Rodin molds—to Japan under the San Francisco Peace Treaty. This collection now resides at the National Museum of Western Art in Ueno Park. Matsukata served as a member of the House of Representatives and was awarded the Order of the Sacred Treasure, 2nd Class, before his death in 1950 in Kamakura.
Fast facts
- Born: 1865, Kagoshima
- Died: 1950, Kamakura
- Education: Rutgers University, Tokyo University
- Key Business: Kawasaki Dockyards
- Primary Art Interest: Western paintings and ukiyo-e
- Decorations: Order of the Sacred Treasure, 2nd Class
- Burial Site: Aoyama Cemetery
Questions readers ask
What happened to the art Matsukata kept in France?
After World War II, the French government briefly confiscated the collection as enemy property before returning the majority of the 370 works to Japan in 1959.
Did Matsukata personally design his proposed museum?
No, he commissioned the English artist Frank Brangwyn to design the building, which was intended to be called Kyorakukan.
Achievements
- Order of the Sacred Treasure, 2nd Class
- Holdings: Walk, Peony Garden and Matsukata Collection
- Educated at Rutgers University and Rutgers Preparatory School
