The Contemporary Art Museum, Kumamoto is both an art gallery and a community space. There is a small permanent collection with works by leading Japanese and international artists such as Yayoi Kusama, Tatsuo Miyajima, James Turrell, and Marina Abramović. Interspersed among the artworks are public spaces, including a well-stocked library where piano recitals are given in the evenings, a children’s playroom, and a café. The magnificent main gallery, with its polished wooden floor, 4.5-meter-high ceilings, and movable partition walls, hosts around five special exhibitions every year. The museum seeks to connect with the broadest possible audience, and recent exhibitions have included the drawings of the animation company Ghibli Studio, the flower pictures of Ninagawa Mika, and the private art collection of pop artist Takashi Murakami.