Asian Arts Museum

Musee des Arts asiatiques in Nice (the source mistakenly lists it under Monaco; the building actually stands in Nice), opened in 1998 to a design by Japanese architect Kenzo Tange (1913-2005). It is Tange's only building in Europe, resting on an artificial lake inside the Parc Phoenix - a white-marble cube with cantilevered roofs flanked by four pavilions in zen arrangement. The collection follows a "Silk Road" route from Japan via China and Tibet to India: samurai armour, Buddha bronzes from Yunnan and Khmer sculptures. A dedicated tea pavilion is used for ceremonies. The surrounding park, with its tropical glasshouse, is worth a stroll.