Change of Exhibits, Regular Exhibitions: Starting from October 16, 2024 (Wed)
Regular 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)
Members of the imperial family and nobility composed poetry called waka to express their cultural refinement. Published in the early 900s, the Collection of Japanese Poems Ancient and Modern was Japan’s first imperial collection of waka poetry. While the original version no longer exists, the Museum holds the oldest complete copy, created in two volumes in the 1100s. Volume two is displayed here.
The paper is painstakingly decorated, suggesting that this copy was a luxury gift from one noble to another. It is coated with a pigment made from powdered seashells and embellished with patterns using stencils and mica dust. Scholars believe that the poetry was transcribed by the nobleman and master calligrapher Fujiwara no Sadazane (before 1077–after 1119), whose flowing script contrasts beautifully with the decorated paper.
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.
Asian Gallery (Toyokan)
Buddhism began to spread on the Korean Peninsula during the 4th and 5th centuries. This section introduces Buddhist art from the Three Kingdoms period (57 BC–668 AD), the Unified Silla dynasty (669–935), and the Goryeo dynasty (935–1392), including gilt-bronze statues, bricks, roof tiles, and ritual implements.
Sculptures of Hindu and Buddhist deities have been produced in Southeast Asia for millennia. Though originally inspired by Indian art, each region developed its own distinct styles. This section features gilt-bronze statues of Buddhist deities and Hindu gods from Indonesia, Cambodia, Thailand, and Myanmar.