Aichi Prefectural Museum of Art

The Aichi Prefectural Museum of Art is one of the most important art institutions in central Japan, occupying the upper floors of the Aichi Arts Center, a striking cultural complex that rises above Sakae Station in the heart of Nagoya's entertainment district. With a collection spanning the twentieth century to the present and a reputation for adventurous special exhibitions, it is a natural destination for anyone interested in modern and contemporary art.

The permanent collection is built around modern Western and Japanese art, with particular strengths in early twentieth-century movements. Its most famous single work is a painting by Gustav Klimt, the Austrian Symbolist master, a rare presence in a Japanese regional museum and a highlight of the European holdings. Around it the collection gathers works by other modern masters, alongside a deep representation of Japanese painters and sculptors who shaped the country's artistic development from the Meiji era onward. Abstract, avant-garde and postwar Japanese art are all well represented, giving a coherent picture of the currents that ran through the twentieth century.

Where the museum truly shines is in its temporary exhibitions and its role in the wider Aichi art scene. It regularly hosts major international touring shows, from retrospectives of celebrated painters to surveys of design, photography and contemporary practice, and it serves as a central venue for the Aichi Triennale, one of Japan's largest international festivals of contemporary art. During a Triennale year the museum and the surrounding city fill with ambitious installations, and a visit becomes part of a much larger cultural event.

The visiting experience is smooth and thoroughly urban. Because the museum sits within the Aichi Arts Center, it forms part of a complex that also includes concert halls, a theatre and an arts library, so a day here can combine an exhibition with a performance or a browse. Elevated above the busy Sakae crossing, the galleries are calm and well lit, with English signage on major works, a cafe and a good museum shop.

The surrounding Sakae district adds to the appeal. Directly outside are the Oasis 21 complex with its glowing glass Water Spaceship roof, the landmark Nagoya TV Tower, department stores, restaurants and the underground shopping city, meaning the museum is embedded in the liveliest part of central Nagoya. Culture, shopping and nightlife are all within a few minutes' walk.

Getting there could hardly be more convenient. Sakae Station, an interchange of the Higashiyama and Meijo subway lines, connects directly to the Aichi Arts Center through the underground concourse, so you can reach the museum without ever stepping outside, a real advantage in rain or summer heat. The building is fully modern and accessible, with lifts serving all floors.

For travellers who appreciate contemporary and modern art, or who happen to visit during the Aichi Triennale, the Aichi Prefectural Museum of Art is an essential Nagoya stop, a sophisticated cultural anchor at the centre of the city's most energetic district.