Special Exhibitions

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Immersive Theater on Neo-Japonism: From Ancient Art to Anime

Japanese Gallery (Honkan) Room T5 ：March 25, 2025 (Tue) - August 3, 2025 (Sun)

For over 10,000 years, the people of Japan have cultivated unique artistic sensibilities and passed them down through generations. These sensibilities have been expressed across a wide range of media, from prehistoric clay figurines and tomb sculptures to picture scrolls, samurai armors, ukiyo-e prints, and even anime.

Immersive theater on Neo-Japonism, featuring high-resolution imagery and cutting-edge technology developed by NHK, invites you to travel through time and experience Japanese culture through National Treasures and Important Cultural Properties from the Tokyo National Museum’s collection.

(This is a movie. There are no objects on display.)

Details
“Young Woman Blowing a Poppin” from the Series Ten Types of Female Physiognomy (Detail)
By Kitagawa Utamaro
c. 1792–93 (Kansei 4–5)
On view during the first half of the exhibition (April 22– May 18)

Special Exhibition
Tsutaya Jūzaburō: Creative Visionary of Edo

Japanese Archaeology and Special Exhibition (Heiseikan) Special Exhibition Galleries ：April 22, 2025 (Tue) - June 15, 2025 (Sun)

Tsutaya Jūzaburō (1750–1797), known as Tsutajū, was a brilliant publisher of the Edo period. He is best known for launching the careers of ukiyo-e artists such as Kitagawa Utamaro and Tōshūsai Sharaku, who are now regarded as world-renowned masters. This exhibition closely examines Tsutajū’s publishing activities while showcasing the rich and diverse culture of Edo, particularly during the Tenmei and Kansei eras (1781–1801).

Drawing inspiration from the pleasure quarters and kabuki theater, and riding the wave of popularity of kyōka comic verse, Tsutajū cultivated close relationships with poets and writers of fiction. He built a dynamic network that connected samurai, wealthy townspeople, popular actors, writers, and artists. He linked different creative fields and introduced bold innovations to the publishing industry.

With exceptional business acumen, Tsutajū continuously revolutionized what we might today call the content business. At the heart of his work was a relentless focus on the perspective of the consumer, driven by a passion for discovering what people found fun and engaging.

This exhibition is presented in conjunction with the 2025 NHK historical drama Berabō: Tsutajū Eiga no Yume Banashi, which features Tsutaya Jūzaburō as the protagonist. Through this collaboration, the exhibition brings Edo to life while exploring Tsutajū’s role in publishing and the cultural innovations he pioneered. Visitors will not only see how he shaped the print culture of the late Edo period, but also experience the artistic vision and values he helped to create.

Details
Ukiyo-e In Play
Artists Re-Working the Traditions of Woodcut Prints

Hyokeikan ：April 22, 2025 (Tue) - June 15, 2025 (Sun)

Japan’s techniques for creating woodblock prints developed as part of the culture of Edo-period Japan (1603–1868). These distinctive methods gave rise to the bold and vibrant artform known as ukiyo-e. While literally meaning “floating world,” ukiyo also means “in the contemporary style,” and indeed the Edo period and its society are brilliantly captured in its woodblock prints.

The expert techniques that gave rise to works by ukiyo-e masters such as Sharaku, Utamaro, and Hokusai have been continuously passed down to craftspeople today. Creating ukiyo-e prints involves carving woodblocks made from Japanese mountain cherry trees, on which ink and water-soluble pigments are then applied. With its sharp lines and delicate colors, the resultant print on Japanese washi paper is a one-of-a-kind artform. By continuously producing works that captivate people today, these traditional techniques will be passed down to the next generation.

The present exhibition features works by modern-day artists, designers, and creators from various backgrounds who were fascinated by these traditional techniques. Becoming modern-day printmakers, they have collaborated with carvers and printers from the Adachi Institute of Woodcut Prints to create these works of modern-day ukiyo-e in this exhibition.

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