Closed | Mondays, except September 16 and 23 and October 14 (closed the following Tuesdays) |
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Hours | 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.(last entry: 4:30 p.m.) |
General admission (On-line timed-entry tickets) | Adult 1300 yen, Student 1000 yen |
Gallery | 1/2 |
The Heian-period Kokin Wakashū Poetry Anthology (compiled in 905) contains far more poems related to spring and autumn than to summer and winter. As that difference demonstrates, spring and autumn have long been favorite seasons in Japan. This bias in favor of spring and autumn can also be seen in art, notably in the number of works that depict cherry blossoms and autumn foliage in those seasons.
While this tradition was carried on, in Edo-period art, the combination of summer and autumn, instead of spring and autumn, is also striking. That change doubtless reflects a fondness for the charms of summer. Depicting vigorous summer and waning autumn as a sequence, and thus being able to define clearly the change in the seasons, also contributed to that shift in seasonal pairings.
The highlights of this exhibition are masterpieces by Suzuki Kiitsu, the Edo Rimpa School prodigy, and the studio of the Rimpa School founder Tawaraya Sōtatsu. Through this exhibition, we hope you will enjoy the shifting moods of the seasons, from early summer to late fall, while exploring various aspects of the aesthetic sensibilities they express.