Exhibition
Current Exhibition
The “Perfect Guide to Japanese Swords,” Revived:
Studying the Great Swords of the Kamakura Period
June 22 – August 25, 2024
National Treasure, Tachi sword, signed “Kanenaga”, By Tegai Kanenaga
Kamakura period, 13th centuryImportant Cultural Property, Tachi sword, signed “Takatsuna”, Known as Takigawa(owner’s name) Takatsuna, Ko-bizen Takatsuna, 12-13th century, Kamakura period Katana sword, unsigned, Known as Goke Kanemitsu (widow’s Kanemitsu), Attributed to Osafune Kanemitsu,14th century, Nanbokucho period Important Cultural Property, Twelve Divine Generals (Horse General)”By Unkei’s Successors, ca.1228, Kamakura period Set of three sword fittings with design of Chinese characters in twelve zodiacal sign, Attributed to Gotō Jōshin, 16th century, Muromachi period
Reviving the “Perfect Guide to Japanese Swords” exhibition, which was a hit in the days when the museum was located in Okamoto, Setagaya-ku, this exhibition will be the first to focus on Japanese swords since we moved to our new premises in Marunouchi. The exhibition brings together nine swords from the museum’s collection that have been designated as national treasures and important cultural assets and provides the ideal introduction to the appreciation of Japanese swords, with a focus on the Kamakura Period.
Next Exhibition
Special Exhibition
“Ganpuku”:
A Feast for the Eyes – The Seikado’s Tea Utensil Treasures
with Masterpieces of Former Daimyō Collections
September 10 – November 4, 2024
Important cultural property
Tea bowl with black glaze. Yuteki (“oil spot” pattern) Tenmoku type.
China, Southern Song dynasty, 12th-13th century.Tea caddy, Nasu (eggplant) type, known as “Tsukumo-nasu”, Karamono (Chinese) ware.
China, Southern Song to Yuan dynasty, 13th-14th century.Important cultural property
Calligraphy by Xu-tang Zhi-yu: Verse known as “Jing-you zhi-jie”.
China, Southern Song dynasty, 1261.Shelf for tea utensils with sliding doors with painting of “Saru-hiki” (monkey showman).
Attributed to Kanō Motonobu
Japan, Muromachi period, 16th century.Tea caddy, Hyōtan (gourd) type, known as“Inaba-Hyōtan”, Karamono (Chinese) ware.
China, Southern Song to Yuan dynasty, 13th-14th century.
This exhibition presents an exquisite selection of formal tea utensils that previously belonged to prominent feudal lords, including the famous Tsukumo-nasu and Matsumoto-nasu “eggplant” tea caddies that were highlights of the collections of Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Tokugawa Ieyasu, the legendary warlords who reunified Japan after more than a century of civil war. This exhibition brings together some of the highlights of the Seikado’s outstanding collection of tea ceremony utensils and promises a true feast for the eyes.
Exhibition Schedule 2024-25
![National Treasure Scenes from the Sekiya (Barrier Gate) and Miotsukushi (Channel Markers) chapters of the Tale of Genji By Tawaraya Sōtatsu, Edo period, 1631. National Treasure, Wakanroeishō poetry anthology, known as “Otaedition”, Heian period, 11th century.](https://www.seikado.or.jp/file/wp-content/themes/seikado/images/exhibition/exhibitionlist_2024img04.png)
National Treasure, Wakanroeishō poetry anthology, known as “Otaedition”, Heian period, 11th century
Elegance of Heian Literature:
The National Treasure Tale of Genji Screens and the Evolution of Court Esthetics
- November 16, 2024 – January 13, 2025
This exhibition focuses on Japanese art inspired by Heian Literature, including calligraphic scrolls, paintings of scenes from the Tale of Genji and Tale of Heiji, and exquisite craftworks. Visitors to this exhibition can enjoy the splendors of Heian literature through artistic masterpieces including sections from the Wakan Roeishō poetry anthology, known as “Ōta edition”and Tawaraya Sōtatsu’s “Channel Markers”(Miotsukushi) and “The Barrier Gate”(Sekiya) of the Tale of Genji,” both national treasures.
![Left: Wakanahime, from the series “Toyokuni’s Caricature Pictures (Toyokunimangazue)”, By Utagawa Kunisada I (Toyokuni Ⅲ),Edo period,1859. Right: “Actor Onoe Kikugorō V as Shibata Katsuie”, By Toyohara Kunichika, Meijiperiod, 1869](https://www.seikado.or.jp/file/wp-content/themes/seikado/images/exhibition/exhibitionlist_2024img05.png)
Right: “Actor Onoe Kikugorō V as Shibata Katsuie”, By Toyohara Kunichika, Meijiperiod, 1869
190 Years Since the Birth of Toyohara Kunichika
Kabuki Prints:
First Exhibition of Treasured Ukiyo-e Prints
- January 25 – March 23, 2025
This exhibition draws on the Seikado Bunko’s collection of nishiki-e to trace the development of polychrome woodblock print depictions of kabuki actors, from early ukiyo-e through nishiki-e to the end of the feudal period and the birth of the Meiji era. Items on show include prints by Kunisada, who produced more portraits of actors than any other ukiyo-e artist, and the first ever exhibition of a previously unseen nishiki-e print by Kunichika, one of his disciples, who was known as the “Sharaku of the Meiji era.” Immerse yourself in the sensual delights of these colorful nishiki-e prints.