Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts

This guide to the Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts traces the hill it stands on, Chausuyama, once a headquarters for rival commanders during the 1614-15 siege of Osaka Castle. It follows the site through three centuries, to the Sumitomo merchant family who built their residence and garden here, and to the family head who gave the estate to the city for a public art museum in 1921. An earthquake and the Great Depression stalled construction for fifteen years before the museum finally opened its doors.