Upcoming
Japanese Gallery (Honkan) 2nd floor
April 27, 2026 (Mon) - July 20, 2026 (Mon)
Dublin, the capital of Ireland located in north-western Europe, is home to a museum called the Chester Beatty. This museum houses the collection of Sir Alfred Chester Beatty (1875–1968), who achieved success in mining business, and amassed artworks, from across the globe. Beatty visited Japan in 1917, and his collection of Japanese narrative paintings is among the finest in Europe. This exhibition presents 25 exceptional Japanese narrative paintings from the Chester Beatty Collection, rarely seen outside Ireland.
The Chester Beatty Collection was exhibited in Tokyo, Kobe and Nagoya from 1988 to 1989. Moreover, the scroll of “Song of lasting sorrow” by a prominent painter who was active in the early Edo period, Kano Sansetsu (1590–1651), depicting the tragic romance of Emperor Xuanzong and Yang Guifei is considered a jewel of the collection. This work was restored through the program granted by the Japanese Government. In this way, Japan and Ireland have maintained exchanges through the arts. In 2025, the Ireland House, a hub for diplomatic, economic and cultural exchange between Japan and Ireland, opened in Tokyo. It is expected that cultural exchange between the two nations will become increasingly vibrant. We hope this exhibition would also prompt you to reflect on the long-held friendly relations between Japan and Ireland, connected through art.
