Opened in 1933, the Kyoto Enthronement Memorial Museum of Art would go on to survive a world war and multiple natural disasters to become Japan’s oldest public art museum. Built in what was known as the Crown Imperial Style of architecture, its classical visage standing against the backdrop of Higashiyama has been an important presence in Kyoto for almost 90 years. During WWII, Kyoto was largely spared from bombing, which is why the original structure continues to stand to this day. In 1946, after the war, U.S. occupation forces even took over the museum site and transformed the main exhibition hall into a basketball court. But in 1952, the Museum was derequisitioned and renamed “Kyoto Municipal Museum of Art.” And for the next 60 years, the museum would go on to hose significant cultural events, showcasing both local and international works of art.

Learn more about this piece of history and see some stunning pictures over at Spoon & Tamago.