The museum holds special exhibitions several times a year, featuring art and craftworks collected by Ichizo Kobayashi, a businessman known for his involvement with Hankyu Railway and the Takarazuka Revue. The facility includes a multipurpose hall and a tea room, where events such as concerts and tea ceremonies are held.
Named after “Itsuo”—the pen name of Ichizo Kobayashi, a cultural figure who left behind a wide range of writings and enjoyed interacting with people through haiku and the tea ceremony—this art museum bears his name.Its collection comprises approximately 5,500 items, including ancient calligraphy, ancient sutras, and picture scrolls; paintings from the medieval and early modern periods by artists such as Buson, Goshun, and the Maruyama-Shijō school; ceramics from Japan and around the world; and lacquerware from Japan and China.Additionally, at “Sokushin-an”—a recreation of “Soku-an,” the chair-style tea room designed by Ichizo Kobayashi himself—visitors can enjoy tea ceremonies held on a regular basis.