Miho Museum

The Miho Museum stands deep in the forested hill west of central Koka city,Shiga-prefecture and can be visited in a side trip from Kyoto. There is Shigaraki Pottery Village which is famous for the ornament of the raccoon dog in near the museum. It was designed by the renowned architect, I. M. Pei, and is named after Ms.Mihoko Koyama, one of the richest women in Japan and the founder of the museum.
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the museum is the design of its structures and how they are integrated into their natural surroundings. This is highlighted in the museum's approach which leads through a mixture of man-made and natural environments. The inside of the museum continues this theme by contrasting steel and glass with warm stone and panoramic views of the surrounding valleys.
The museum's exhibits consist of works from ancient civilizations including the Egyptians, Romans, and various Asian cultures, with the pieces largely coming from Koyama's private collection. The main exhibit changes every year or so, and special exhibits change every few months.