Tikotin Museum of Japanese Art – The only museum of its kind in the entire Middle East
Temporary exhibitions reveal to us the Japanese culture and art, events on the subject or Japanese art and culture, films, lectures and even tea-parties. Tikotin Museum reveals to us Japan that most of us are unacquainted with.
The only one of its kind in the Middle East
Ever since it was founded in 1959, Tikotin Museum assists in promoting the mutual understanding between the Israel and its people and Japan and the residents of East and West Asia. The museum, located on the crest of Mount Carmel and nearby Gan Ha’em Station, is the sole museum in the Middle East preserving and exhibiting Japanese art objects.
Tikotin Museum began with a donation given by Felix Tikotin to Haifa Municipality. Tikotin is considered worldwide as a renowned collector of Japanese works of art, which he has amassed for many years and exhibited in countless galleries and various museums. During the Second World War, Tikotin was forced to flee the Nazis since he was Jewish. He managed to hide the collection in Holland saving it from the Nazis’ hands. Upon the end of the war Tikotin sensed that the only right place for the collection would be in the State of Israel, and having met Abba Hushi, Mayor of Haifa at the time, he decided to transfer the collection to Haifa Municipality that set up the Tikotin Museum of Japanese Art.
Temporary Exhibitions at the Museum
Once in three weeks the museum exhibitions change, focusing on Japanese culture components. The change of exhibition is synchronized with the seasons and important events in the Japanese culture, exhibiting both traditional and modern art while emphasizing esthetic values unique to this culture.
At the museum there is also an auditorium, containing about 200 seats, where various films engaging in the Japanese culture are screened, and events on the subject of Japanese art and culture, various lectures relevant to the field and even unique festivals are held.
Study center for Japanese Culture
Following Felix Tikotin’s vision, the museum serves as a study center of Japanese culture and art, exposing them to the Israeli public. Behind the Tikotin Museum building the museum’s education department operates, where a variety of creation workshops are held for children and youth of any age, as of kindergarten, and study workshops for teachers and various groups also take place there. You may enjoy a wide range of courses such as studying the Japanese language, Japanese flower arrangement, Japanese cooking and more. You may also find in the building rooms that have been built in Japanese style where you can learn about the Japanese way of life, dress, home customs etc. In this wing you may also enjoy a rich library, which includes circa five thousand books engaging in the topics of Japanese art, Japanese culture, history, literature and so on.
Tikotin Museum nearby Gan Ha’em station
Tikotin Museum is located within a walking distance from the Carmelit Gan-Ha’em station. You may arrive at the museum through Louis Promenade, which starts nearby the station. The promenade will reveal to you the breathtaking view of Haifa Bay, the foot of the Carmel crest and the Bahá’í Gardens, so that even the way to the fascinating museum becomes interesting.
Nearby the station you may enjoy additional diversified entertainment offers, starting with additional museums, through having fun at the Municipal Zoo and of course many shops, cafes, restaurants and pubs. Furthermore, you may enjoy many and varied attractions which the city of Haifa offers, and which are close to the various Carmelit stations, about which you may read in detail on this site.