This museum is actually a very unique home that once belonged to a famous artist, making it a must if you've never had the opportunity to visit a traditional Japanese house. Of course, this isn't just any house. Designed by sculptor Fumio Asakura (1883–1964) to serve as his residence, studio, and Asakura Sculpture School, it's a delightful combination of both modern and traditional architecture, restored to reflect how it would have looked in 1955. Probably the most enviable feature is the inner courtyard pond, fed by a natural spring and visible from many rooms in the house. There's a library, his airy studio, and tatami rooms, including one for visitors where they could enjoy the rising sun. On the roof is a garden, where Asakura's students tended vegetables to sharpen their senses. And throughout the house are furniture, antiques, hundreds of orchids, and statues of statesmen, women, and cats (Asakura loved cats; he once had as many as 10). An audio guide, available for ¥200 extra, is worth it for the additional information it gives on everything from the books in Asakura’s library to his statue "Grave-Keeper." Visitors are asked to take off their shoes and wear socks through the museum.