Sat., January 9 - Sun., Februay 14, 2021Gallery 1/2

Museum Collection Exhibition

Radiant Raden [End]

Raden is a lacquer and woodworking inlay technique in which pieces of the gleaming mother-of-pearl layer of sea shells are cut into shapes to form motifs. This exhibition explores regional differences in the use of raden while tracing its history.

Thu., February 25 - Wed., March 31, 2021Gallery 1/2

Museum Collection Exhibition

The World of Official Painters [End]

This exhibition presents work by artists in the service of the shogun or the imperial court in the Muromachi through the Edo periods, including Shūbun and members of the Tosa and Kanō schools.

Sat., April 17 - Sun., May 16, 2021Gallery 1/2

Special Exhibition Celebrating the Museum’s 80th Anniversary

The National Treasure Irises Screens: The Allure of Color

Three colors compose Ogata Kōrin’s Irises folding screens: Green, blue, and gold. This exhibition explores their historic significance, and their fascination, through the blue-and-green landscape painting and golden screen traditions and through ceramics created contemporaneously with Irises.

Sat., May 29 - Sun., July 11, 2021Gallery 1/2

Museum Collection Exhibition

Tea Containers and Tea Bowls: Through the Eyes of a Connoisseur

Takahashi Sōan (1861-1937), who compiled the Taisho Meikikan, a vast catalogue of famous tea utensils, and Nezu Kaichirō, Sr., were closely connected tea connoisseurs. This exhibition presents renowned tea utensils, with the focus on works from Kaichirō’s collection included in those volumes.

Thu., July 22 - Sun., August 22, 2021Gallery 1/2

Museum Collection Exhibition

Cherishing Flowers, Yearning for the Moon: Nature and Beauty in Japan

Kachōfūgetsu—literally “flowers, birds, wind, and moon”—has long been a term both to praise the seasonal beauty of the natural world and to express that traditional theme in Japanese art. This exhibition presents examples of calligraphy, painting, and craft objects that address those motifs.

Sat., September 11 - Sun., October 17, 2021Gallery 1/2

Museum Collection Exhibition

Introduction to Traditional Art: People in Painting

People are an important painting subject. We introduce the history and development of people in paintings in Japan through a variety of works, including images of Buddhist patriarchs, portraits, and genre paintings.

Wed., November 3 - Sun., December 19, 2021Gallery 1/2

Special Exhibition Commemorating Designation as an Important Cultural Property

Suzuki Kiitsu's Mountain Streams in Summer and Autumn

This masterpiece by Suzuki Kiitsu, the Edo Rimpa genius, was designated an Important Cultural Property in 2020. This exhibition explores the secrets of its birth and the eccentric ideas at its core.

Sat., January 8 - Sun., February 13, 2022Gallery 1/2

Museum Collection Exhibition

The Power of Pattern: Prayers Embedded in Design

Patterns have long been thought to have the power to ward off evil and invite good fortune. Here we explore the meanings of the patterns found on craft works across a variety of periods.

Sat., February 26 – Thu., March 31, 2022Gallery 1/2

Museum Collection Exhibition

The Power of Form: Captivating Material

A vessel free of decoration gives a direct sense of the power of its materials and design. Here we introduce those compelling qualities, mainly through lacquerware, ancient and modern.