Change of Exhibits,TNM Collection Exhibitions: Starting from August 26, 2025 (Tue)
TNM Collection Exhibitions at Tokyo National Museum are rotated almost every week. This page provides the latest information on the change of exhibits.
* Some works are exhibited for a longer period of time.
Japanese Gallery (Honkan)
The paintings here were not just for looking at — they served many other purposes, even that of furniture. Sliding doors divided rooms, while folding screens could be placed anywhere to create private spaces, reduce draftiness, or hide items from view. Sometimes artisans decorated the paintings with gold leaf, which reflected light and helped to brighten dim interiors.
A painting could also change the mood of a room. Ink paintings might create a relaxed or meditative atmosphere. Ones with bright colors and gold leaf might evoke an extravagant feel. The subject matter and style of a painting could also reflect the formality of a room, the current season, and the tastes of the owner. This gallery surrounds visitors with large-scale paintings to show how they create different moods.
A thriving economy, foreign trade, and better education invigorated the development of painting and calligraphy. Previously, ruling classes like the samurai and court nobility were the main patrons of art. But in the Edo period (1603–1868), more people started to benefit from the economy. Successful merchants in particular gained the wealth to support artists and buy their works.
Many painters continued working in traditional styles, while others started looking to outside sources for inspiration. Paintings and painting manuals imported from China were one source. Another was the books and prints that traders brought from Europe, which showed techniques like realistic shading and perspective. As a result, painting in Japan became more diverse in style and subject matter.
Meanwhile, the ancient custom of writing with a brush and ink continued. The literacy rate increased dramatically as schools for different social classes were established, particularly in cities and towns. The publishing industry thrived and more people took up the art of calligraphy.
Noh theater was established in its classical form by performers named Kan’ami (1333–1384) and Zeami (possibly 1363–possibly 1443) under the patronage of the Ashikaga shogun during the Muromachi period (1392–1573). At the time, Japanese weavers were unable to produce gold brocade, satin damask, and other advanced textiles. Instead, such fabrics used in Noh costumes were imported from China and Korea. The high cost of this practice suggests the ruling class attached considerable importance to gifting rare and expensive textiles to Noh performers for use in Noh theater.
Japan's traditional clothing, kimono, are based on kosode — the outer wear of the Edo period (1603–1868). At first, the court nobility and samurai wore kosode under other clothing. But from about the 15th century, the samurai began using them as daily outer wear. In the 17th century, kosode became the most common clothing for men and women of all classes.
Wealthy women placed orders for custom-made kosode at luxury clothing stores. They often chose the patterns from clothing design books that were published and widely circulated. Together with these kosode, they wore hairpins and combs to accent their elaborate hairstyles.
In contrast, men wore kosode with understated patterns like stripes or checks.
Their usual fashion accessories were a small case (inrō) and a toggle (netsuke) for securing the case to the sash. This gallery features kosode and accessories, together with prints and paintings (ukiyo-e) showing how people wore them and how fashions changed over time.
Prints and paintings called ukiyo-e were the first genre of art enjoyed by common people on a large scale. Economic growth contributed to the creation of this genre in the 17th century. As living standards improved, common people developed an urban culture that was passionate about trends, fashion, and entertainment.
At first, ukiyo-e depicted the celebrities of the day, especially actors of the kabuki theater and courtesans of the pleasure quarters (the legal brothel district). The subject matter later expanded to include topics like seasonal festivals, travel spots, and landscapes.Techniques for making ukiyo-e also changed over time. Early ukiyo-e were painted by hand. Artisans later started carving images into blocks of wood and used these blocks to print ukiyo-e in large numbers. These black-and-white prints were much more affordable. As carving and printing techniques were refined, prints with a brilliant range of colors became possible.
In its long history, Japan has seen a blossoming of a range of performing arts in which performers would put on masks. They include gigaku, a Buddhism-related performing art that entered the country during the Asuka period (593–710) via continental Asia; bugaku, which developed as a masked theatrical performance of the imperial court; and noh and kyōgen, which were perfected in the Muromachi period (1392–1573).
Among various masks used for these traditional performing arts of Japan, masks representing animals are especially remarkable. This exhibition presents a variety of animal-themed masks used for traditional Japanese performing arts. We hope that these distinctively featured masks of animals will give you a glimpse into how people of the past observed animals.
Tokyo National Museum has more than artworks and archeological artifacts. The collection also includes records, which provide valuable insights into history and the cultures of different ethnic groups. This diversity stems from the Museum’s origins as a comprehensive institution in 1872. It was even home to animal, plant, and mineral specimens, although these were moved to the National Museum of Nature and Science in 1925.
The extensive collection of historical records at Tokyo National Museum now includes maps, diagrams, texts, photographs, ink rubbings, and copies of artworks. These items, dating mainly from the 17th to 20th century, shed light on politics, society, culture, transportation, and scenery in Japan. Here we display a selection of these items under different themes throughout the year.