Looking like a modernist sculpture, the geometric white facade of the Aomori Museum of Art was designed to blend in with the landscape when blanketed with snow. The permanent collection features works by Aomori icons, including pop artist Yoshitomo Nara (and his 8.5m-tall dog) and master printmaker Munakata Shikō, alongside international artists. The showstopper is four huge ballet backdrops painted by Marc Chagall, which hang on the walls of the gallery's central atrium. Contemporary temporary exhibitions are elegantly staged.
The museum is about 5km west of JR Aomori Station, adjacent to Sannai Maruyama. City buses leaving from stop 6 at the JR station for Menkyō Center stop at Kenritsu-bijyutskan-mae (¥270, 20 minutes), across the road from the museum.
