Magosaburo’s meticulous efforts to provide a better work environment for his employees included introducing ivy to the walls to reduce the thermal load of the factory building. The mill building has since become a famous landmark and comprehensive cultural facility.

Current activities

Ivy Square is a commercial/cultural complex, with the area in which it is located in Kurashiki being designated as both a scenic and an important historical buildings preservation district. In addition to a memorable red-brick, ivy-covered hotel with a retro atmosphere, there are a number of interesting things to see and do on the premises, including the Kurabo Memorial Hall, which houses items from Kurabo’s history, and hands-on craft workshops. Altogether this is a popular tourist area.

Official site (Japanese only)

Magosaburo established a hospital to provide care for Kurabo employees, and later on for the local community as a whole. Today, it is a regional core hospital that carries on Magosaburo’s philosophy of positive, patient-centered care.

Current activities

Magosaburo’s ideal of patient-centered care is at the heart of Kurashiki Central Hospital’s commitment to delivering world-class, advanced medical care facilitated through regional collaboration with other healthcare institutions and provided to patients who are kept informed and empowered. From the very beginning, the hospital has emphasized “un-hospital-like” amenities and spaces, like greenhouses and galleries, that are filled with greenery and light. The hospital has roughly 2,150 staff for 1,161 beds, and it sees around 2,600 outpatients a day.

Official site (Japanese only)

Magosaburo established the Ohara Shonokai Institute for Agricultural Research in response to the need he perceived for agricultural research and welfare initiatives aimed at benefiting the lives and livelihoods of farmers. Thanks to the innovative cross-breeding efforts of this institute (now known as the Okayama University Institute of Plant Science and Resources [IPSR]), the foundation was laid for Okayama Prefecture’s ascendancy as the “fruit capital” of Japan.

Current activities

The 13 research groups within the IPSR produce results in a wide range of subjects, and from a wide range of angles, relating to the genetics and functioning of bioresources (from microorganisms to model plants and farm crops) and, in particular, reactivity to various environmental stressors. Currently, the IPSR is developing and expanding research into sustainable development of biological production as well as conservation and protection of the global environment.

Official site

Magosaburo began collecting Western art at the behest of Torajiro Kojima, a painter whose artistic education he helped foster through the Ohara Scholarship that he himself had established. This museum is the repository of the vast collection that Torajiro had gathered.

Current activities

The extent of this world-renowned collection is vast, extending into ancient Chinese, Egyptian, and Japanese art. The Ohara Museum of Art has remained a relevant and vital art museum of the 21st century thanks to a diverse array of initiatives that explore current trends and expression at the frontiers of artistic expression. Prominent examples include art classes and gallery concerts by leading performers from around the world.

Official site