Rokuzan Ogiwara

Ogiwara was born in Azumino in Nagano Prefecture in the mountains of central Japan, as the fifth son of a local farmer.

[2][3] In 1903, he traveled to Paris, France, where he met with his patron, Sōma Aizo, who set him up in a garret apartment, and arranged for him to take further courses at the famed Académie Julian in painting.

[2] However, when Ogiwara viewing Auguste Rodin's just-completed The Thinker, he had a complete change of mind, and decided to devote his talents exclusively to bronze sculpture instead.

[7] Although his career was short and he left only a few works, Ogiwara strongly influenced the development of modern sculpture in Japan.

[8] The stone originals of his works Woman and Hojo Torakichi are listed by the Japanese government as Important Cultural Properties of Japan.

The museum building, constructed in 1958 as a memorial to him using funds collected by Nagano schoolchildren over four decades, is designed to resemble a Christian church and was built using brick and stained glass.