TNM & TOPPAN MUSEUM THEATER

Like a samurai warlord proclaiming a new era after his conquest, the artist Hasegawa Tōhaku proclaimed a new era with his brush. Tōhaku’s ink painting Pine Trees is an enchanting masterpiece that remains shrouded in mystery.

    Tōhaku’s enchanting work, which shows a grove of pines wrapped in dense, damp fog, is created entirely out of the masterful use of ink gradation. Tōhaku was a renowned master artist of the Azuchi-Momoyama period (1573–1603 CE), and his Pine Trees is one of the most popular of all national treasures held at the Tokyo National Museum. It is also a work steeped in mystery. This virtual reality experience takes you back to the late 16th century to uncover hints about the composition of Pine Trees, tracing the achievements of Tōhaku during his life as an artist. Learn more about what makes Pine Trees so enchanting with commentary on episodes related to the screen, including Tōhaku’s creation of his Maple Tree and Cherry Blossoms. Tōhaku painted this set of paintings for sliding doors, designated a national treasure, for Chishakuin Temple, at the request of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the de facto ruler of Japan at the time. Tōhaku was assisted by his son Kyūzō, who helped him develop the Hasegawa school.