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Top Page > Exhibitions

Exhibitions

Golden Years of Ukiyoe —Sharaku, Utamaro, and Tsutaya Juzaburo—

Takashima Ohisa by Kitagawa Utamaro

Special Display

Golden Years of Ukiyoe —Sharaku, Utamaro, and Tsutaya Juzaburo—

Apr. 13 (Sun.), 2025 – June 8 (Sun.)

The golden years of ukiyoe are considered to be in the period covering the late 18th to early 19th centuries. This was the time when Tsutaya Juzaburo was playing a leading role in shaping the publishing industry in Edo. He had an extraordinary gift for discovering talented ukiyoe artists, like Toshusai Sharaku and Kitagawa Utamaro, helping them and their woodblock print portraits of kabuki actors and beautiful women gain widespread acclaim. Juzaburo, Sharaku, and Utamaro are especially well known for their huge success in popularizing okubi-e, ukiyoe prints that dynamically depict the subject’s head and upper torso. This exhibition traces the timeline from the birth of ukiyoe to the era of Sharaku and Utamaro. Immerse yourself in the amazing world of multi-colored ukiyoe works that dazzled the people of Europe when they were revealed at the International Exposition in Paris at that time.

Main Display Items
The Actor Arashi Ryuzo as the money lender Ishibe Kinkichi by Toshusai Sharaku
Takashima Ohisa by Kitagawa Utamaro

Scheduled Exhibitions

Welcome to Osaka, Welcome to Nippon —Noted Naniwa Spots and the Pictorial Record of Japanese Products—

One Hundred Views of Osaka: Tenpo Hill by Nansuitei Yoshiyuki

Regular Exhibition

Welcome to Osaka, Welcome to Nippon —Noted Naniwa Spots and the Pictorial Record of Japanese Products—

June 22 (Sun.), 2025 – Aug. 17 (Sun.)

This is an exhibition to commemorate the EXPO 2025 Osaka, Kansai, which is designed to introduce cultures, arts, and technologies from all over the world. With the aim of showcasing Osaka and similar exhibitions, it offers visitors a number of opportunities to understand them more deeply. The One Hundred Views of Osaka collection, depicting famous locations around Osaka, was influenced by Hiroshige, presenting dynamic compositions with depth and perspective. The Fifty Comical Views of Osaka collection portrays humorous people with the scenery of Osaka as a backdrop, suggesting a strong connection between Osaka and comedy. The exhibition also displays the works Settsu Meisho Zue and Izumi Meisho Zue that were exhibited at the second Paris International Exposition in 1867. In addition, Pictorial Record of Japanese Products is also featured in this exhibition to showcase the production and harvesting of fine domestic products during the time of industrial development and modernization of Japan. This series was published in 1877, the year the first National Industrial Exhibition was held.

Main Display Items
One Hundred Views of Osaka: Tenpo Hill by Nansuitei Yoshiyuki
Pictorial Record of Japanese Products: Exporting Ice in Hakodate, Hokkaido by Utagawa Hiroshige III

Over The Waves —Nanban, Exposition, and Japonism—

Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji: Under the Wave off Kanagawa Coast by Katsushika Hokusai

Special Exhibition

Over The Waves —Nanban, Exposition, and Japonism—

Sep. 7 (Sun.), 2025 – Nov. 3 (Mon. /Holiday)

Commemorating the EXPO 2025 Osaka, Kansai, this exhibition explores how the art worlds of Japan and Europe have influenced each other over time through artworks and related resources, focusing on cultural exchanges between the East and the West. It covers the Nanban era from the late 16th to early 17th centuries when Japan began importing Western culture, as well as the later Sakoku (national isolation) era during the Edo Period when Japanese people became curious about and fascinated by European culture. Years after the era of Tsutaya Juzaburo, as featured in the special exhibition in this museum, ukiyoe woodblock prints, such as Hokusai Manga by Katsushika Hokusai, were a sensation at the second Paris International Exposition. This was the first exposition in which Japan officially participated. The exhibition also delves into the era when Japonism became a cultural movement in Europe following the expo, when artists, like Monet and Lautrec, were so obviously captivated by Japanese art. (The exhibition will be held both in the Main Building and Annex.)

Main Display Items
Dancers by Edgar Degas
Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji: Under the Wave off Kanagawa Coast by Katsushika Hokusai
Paris Illustré le Japon No. 45 & 46 from the collection of Kwansei Gakuin University Library

Kamigata Pin-ups —Portraits of Actors and Beautiful Women—

Mumeya Shigematsu by Shunkosai Hokuei

Regular Exhibition

Kamigata Pin-ups —Portraits of Actors and Beautiful Women—

Nov. 30 (Sun.), 2025 – Jan. 25 (Sun.), 2026

Years after Tsutaya Juzaburo found success in the art world, ukiyoe prints depicting actors were almost mass-produced in Kamigata (Kyoto and Osaka). At that time in Edo (Tokyo), political reforms were being implemented, including strict censorship of opulent publications, which posed a serious challenge to Juzaburo. Meanwhile, in Kamigata, even more luxurious versions of ukiyoe, using gold and silver, continued to be produced. Ukiyoe portraits of local kabuki actors and beautiful women, actually popular courtesans, were sold to fans much like modern-day pin-ups of celebrities. In this exhibition, you can encounter the celebrities of that time through vivid-colored ukiyoe prints.

Main Display Items
Mumeya Shigematsu by Shunkosai Hokuei
The Actor Asao Gakujuro I (previously Yujiro) as Mashiba Hisatsugu by Hokushu

Edo Pop Culture Ukiyoe —From Edo to the Present—

Suidobashi Bridge and Surugadai, One Hundred Famous Views of Edo by Utagawa Hiroshige

Regular Exhibition

Edo Pop Culture Ukiyoe —From Edo to the Present—

Feb. 8 (Sun.), 2026 – Mar. 22 (Sun.)

Ukiyoe was a popular and accessible form of entertainment among the general population during the Edo Period. Portraits of actors and beautiful women were received and collected by fans much like modern-day celebrity pin-ups today. Landscapes were enjoyed in a way similar to how we now appreciate photographs, and military prints were admired for their depiction of legendary warriors and battles. This art form catered perfectly to the demands of the time and shares similar aspects with today’s pop culture, as it was visually interesting and intriguing. Tsutaya Juzaburo was a pivotal figure in the development of ukiyoe, as he helped shape the trend by publishing innovative and unique books and prints. His influence was carried on by artists who emulated the style of masters, like Sharaku and Utamaro. This exhibition will feature various types of ukiyoe, including caricatures and warrior prints by Utagawa Kuniyoshi, landscapes by Hiroshige, and actor portraits by Utagawa Toyokuni III. It is designed to explore the fresh and captivating “pop” elements to be found in the works of these artists, as well as showcase the timeless charm of their specialties in ukiyoe.
Shiriagari’s Nearly 36 Somewhat Ridiculous Views of Difficult Green will also be on display.

Main Display Items
“Unagi” (Eel) in Cat Letters by Utagawa Kuniyoshi
Suidobashi Bridge and Surugadai, One Hundred Famous Views of Edo by Utagawa Hiroshige

Past Exhibitions

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