MIMOCA ā the Marugame Genichiro-Inokuma Museum of Contemporary Art ā occupies a striking building designed by the legendary Japanese architect Tange Kenzo, positioned directly above Marugame Station so that its entrance bridges the station plaza. The building is considered one of Tange's later masterpieces: a bold, geometric structure with a rooftop terrace garden and a layout that guides visitors through permanent and temporary exhibition spaces with Japanese precision.
The permanent collection centres on Genichiro Inokuma (1902ā1993), who was born in Marugame and went on to become one of Japan's most internationally recognised modern painters. Inokuma studied in Tokyo and Paris before settling in New York in 1955, where he became connected to the Abstract Expressionist scene. His work blends Japanese compositional principles with the scale and physicality of American postwar painting. The museum holds over 20,000 items from his estate including paintings, drawings, photographs, and personal archives. The temporary exhibition programme brings in significant contemporary Japanese and international artists.