Exhibitions
Upcoming
Museum Collection Exhibition
Introduction to Traditional Art: Writing in Works of Art
Saturday, May 30 – Sunday, July 12, 2026
Overview
| Dates | Saturday, May 30 – Sunday, July 12, 2026 | |
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| Closed | Closed on Mondays. | |
| Hours | 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.（last entry: 4:30 p.m.） | |
| General admission (On-line timed-entry tickets) | Timed-entry ticket (online) Adult : 1400 yen Student* : 600 yen *University students and above with valid student ID; Highschool and younger students with valid student ID will be admitted free of charge. Same-day tickets: plus 200 yen on the above prices. |
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| Gallery | 1, 2 | |
Many people feel that traditional Japanese art is less accessible than Western art. To lower that barrier, the Nezu Museum has held six exhibitions in its Introduction to Traditional Art series since 2016, each exploring the techniques and themes of traditional Japanese art in a clear and approachable manner.
“But I can’t read it!” People tend to keep works of calligraphy, which consist of writing itself, at arms’ length. This exhibition focuses not on writing as a work of art, but writing included in paintings and craft works: Artists’ signatures, poetic and other inscriptions by the artist or another person, and makers’ marks and motifs on vessels.
This exhibition will enable viewers to sense how significant writing can be in works of art and, through that experience, to feel a deeper appreciation for pre-modern East Asian art.
Gallery Exhibits
- Important Cultural Property
Sparrows on Bamboo
Attributed to Muqi
Signatures, Seals, and Collectors’ Seal
The most important text in a painting is the artist’s signature or seal. Many Buddhist and other older paintings, however, lack either of them. The seal on such a work is the collector’s seal, indicating what daimyo, shogun, or other important figure owned it; that too requires special attention.
On display from Saturday, May 30, to Sunday, June 21
- Important Cultural Property
Landscape, Known as Kōten-en’i
Attributed to Shūbun; inscriptions by Daigaku Shūsū and eleven other priests
Poetic Inscription
This type of inscription consists of Chinese or Japanese poetry and is added at the top of a painting or other empty space. Most are written by someone else at the artist’s request. The hanging scrolls with literary inscriptions that were fashionable in the Muromachi period (1392-1573) include a work with inscriptions by as many as 30 Zen priests.
On display from Tuesday, June 23, to Sunday, July 12
Mount Kagamiyama
Japanese Waka Poems Within the Scene
Composing waka poems inspired by famous sights and inscribing them in paintings depicting those scenes was a mid-Heian period (894-1086) trend. Works in which the painting and poem form a duet can be seen in picture scrolls from the Kamakura period (1185-1333) and folding screen paintings from the early modern period (1573-1868).
* Four detached segments thought to be from the same painting and mounted as hanging scrolls, including Mount Kagamiyama, are displayed together for the first time.
Eleven-Headed Kannon Drawn in Sutra Characters
晋城筆
Texts Even in Buddhist Paintings
The texts written in Buddhist paintings include quotations from the Buddhist sutras and name labels to sort out a large number of deities. Sanskrit script was also sometimes used. In the Edo period (1603-1868), sutra texts were sometimes written out to create depictions of Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, or the 500 Arhats, for example.
Concurrent Exhibitions
During “Introduction to Traditional Art: Writing in Works of Art" (Saturday, May 30 – Sunday, July 12, 2026)
Gallery 2
Introduction to Traditional Art: Writing in Works of Art (cont'd)
Following Gallery 1, please enjoy the writing in works of art.
- Lacquer
- Important Cultural Property
Writing Box, Known as Hana-no-Shirakawa
Gallery 3
The Allure of Buddhist Art: Buddhist Sculptures Created in the Early Modern Period
Gallery 3 presents a Buddhist sculpture from the late medieval period (15th to 16th century) and masterpieces of early modern Buddhist sculpture.
- Sculpture
Seated Aizen-myōō (Rāgarāja)
Gallery 4
Ancient Chinese Bronzes
The Nezu Museum collection of bronzes is world-renowned, and particularly strong in the area of late Shang (17th to 11th centuries BC) dynasty vessels, the pinnacle production period of this medium.
- Archaeological Artifacts / Mirror
- Important Cultural Property
Double-Ram Zun
Gallery 5
Poems, Songs, Narratives and Maki-e
Maki-e designs often include waka poems, Noh chants, or tales as their subjects. Enjoy these superb designs, which enable us to recognize the story at a glance.
- Lacquer
Picnic Set with Noh Play Design
Gallery 6
Refreshing: Tea for Sultry Days
As the rainy season approaches, bringing hot, steamy weather, it is customary in the world of tea to exercise ingenuity in selecting utensils, to create a refreshing atmosphere. This assemblage of twenty tea utensils generates a cool feeling.
- Ceramics
Fahua Fresh Water Container with Lotus Design
Special Case
Decorated Clock
This splendid Qing dynasty clock, a favorite of the Qianlong Emperor (1711-1799), is not to be missed.
- Decorated Clock
Clock Decorated with a Bird on a Cup
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- Exhibitions
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