Category: Report

National Museum of Western Art

A major retrospective exhibition of the works of Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis (1875–1911), a leading Lithuanian artist, titled “Čiurlionis Exhibition: Inner Star Chart,” is currently being held at the National Museum of Western Art. This is the first major retrospective in Japan in 34 years. The exhibition runs until June 14, 2026 (Sunday).

*All exhibited works are by Mikaloyus Constantinas Čiurlionis and are from the collection of the National Museum of Art, MK Čiurlionis, Kaunas, Lithuania.

In the early 20th century, Čiurlionis demonstrated exceptional talent in both painting and music, laying the foundation for modern Lithuanian culture. During his short life of 35 years, he produced over 300 works during approximately six years of his artistic career.

His art was formed under the rule of the Russian Empire and amidst the national liberation movement, and is rooted in a unique Lithuanian identity, drawing inspiration from the country’s rich nature, history, and ancient folk tales. At the same time, he was interested in theosophy and astronomy, deepening his contemplation on the human spiritual world and the mysteries of the universe. Known for his unique expression that bridges Symbolist and Abstract painting, his innovative approach, particularly his transformation of musical forms into the structure of paintings, stemming from his sensibility as a composer, has solidified his reputation today.

Held in Lithuania to commemorate the 150th anniversary of his birth, this exhibition showcases approximately 80 representative paintings, prints, and drawings from the collection of the National Museum of Art, M. K. Čiurlionis (Kaunas).

 The exhibition is structured into three chapters, with a prologue and epilogue added, and the prologue introduces the starting point of Čiurlionis’s artistic career.

Born in 1875 into a modest family in southern Lithuania, Čiurlionis displayed musical talent from a young age under the tutelage of his organist father. In 1894, at the age of 18, he enrolled in the Warsaw Conservatory in neighboring Poland to study composition. He honed his skills there until 1901, composing musical works including his representative symphonic poem “In the Forest.” After studying at the Royal Conservatory of Leipzig in Germany, it wasn’t until around 1902 that he seriously pursued his long-held dream of becoming a painter.

His early paintings are said to have strongly exhibited Symbolist expression, but unfortunately, most of them have been lost. “Whispers in the Forest” (1904), painted in 1904 when he enrolled as a first-year student at the newly established Warsaw Academy of Fine Arts, is a valuable surviving example.

In the painting, a hand, hazy like mist, emerges before a grove of trees standing in a mysterious, dark forest. Comparing it to a postcard of the same motif created the previous year, it becomes clearer how the form of the trees is superimposed with the strings of a harp, and the soft murmur of the forest with the sound of a plucked harp. This work already strongly reflects the musical sensibility that would characterize Čiurlionis’s paintings.

Chapter 1, “The Rhythm of Nature,” traces the depiction of nature as portrayed by Čiurlionis.

While based in Warsaw, Čiurlionis’s rich natural environment remained a source of inspiration for his art. However, his paintings rarely depicted realistic landscapes; his primary focus was on the dynamic changes of nature. He abstractly, and sometimes anthropomorphically, captured the rhythms and cyclical processes inherent in nature, imbuing them with lyricism and symbolism.

These interests culminated in a series of works focusing on nature, such as the changing seasons. In his earliest series , “Flash” (1906), consisting of three pieces, a fantastical image unfolds: as night deepens, a cluster of lights emerges from gray smoke and moves in a line, eventually arriving in front of a blue gate as if guided by the wind.

At first glance, the flash of light might evoke natural phenomena like the bioluminescence of fireflies. However, for Čiurlionis, the “gate” is a crucial motif, symbolizing the boundary between reality and fantasy, the visible and the invisible, or perhaps an entrance to a spiritual dimension or a passageway for the soul. Considering these points, it can also be interpreted as suggesting a process in which something fundamental, such as spirit or soul, undergoes transformation through the gate.

Furthermore, while many of the surrounding painters focused on the tranquil and melancholic aspects of winter, Čiurlionis attempted to visualize the inherent power within it, along with its dynamism. In his eight-part series “Winter” (1907), he consistently uses trees, symbols of life, as his main theme, depicting them in various forms amidst the diverse aspects of winter nature.

The series depicts trees standing in a snowfield, encased in solid blocks of ice, sometimes presenting contrasting concepts such as life and death, hope and despair, and at other times representing a candlestick metaphor hinting at divine revelation. As the snow melts and the breath of life begins to emerge, all the motifs—trees, snowflakes, etc.—are reduced to geometric clusters of stars and rectangles, concluding the series in a way that demonstrates the very resilient energy inherent in winter.

Chapter 2, “Symphonic Painting,” finally tackles the theme of Čiurlionis’s attempt to fuse painting and music.

Čiurlionis focused on this theme intensively and systematically between 1907 and 1909. In Europe at that time, a movement to fuse painting and music was spreading among painters, influenced by the ideas of Baudelaire, Wagner, and Nietzsche. However, while many painters were interested in synesthetic musical expression through color, Čiurlionis, from his unique perspective as a composer, applied the structure of music itself to painting. This is precisely why Čiurlionis occupies a unique position in the history of modern art.

In the diptych “Prelude, Fugue” (1908), the prelude is placed as an introduction to the fugue, a form of polyphony in which multiple voices (parts) imitate and pursue a theme.

In “Prelude,” the golden ship floating in the center of the screen immediately catches the eye, but what is noteworthy is how the figure sitting with its head bowed in the lower right corner of the screen, the hand pointing upwards, and the tower-like silhouette continue into the lower part of the “Fugue.”

In the following “Fugue,” the fir tree takes center stage, in addition to the aforementioned motifs. What initially appears to be a tranquil lakeside scene is, upon closer inspection, noticing a mismatch between the image of the fir tree and its reflection on the water’s surface. Here, adhering to the structure of the fugue, each motif is repeated with subtle variations in form and color, evoking musicality through variations in scale and sparseness.

As seen in this work, Čiurlionis abandoned the traditional perspective-based representational space and constructed the image with multiple horizontally segmented layers. Then, much like counterpoint (a compositional technique such as fugue) in which multiple independent melodies are harmonized and progress simultaneously, he made each layer resonate, successfully visually representing the impression of polyphony.

Furthermore, Čiurlionis introduced the sonata form of music into painting, creating seven series of works with more grand compositions throughout his life. This exhibition features three of these works: “Sonata No. 3 (Serpent Sonata),” “Sonata No. 5 (Sea Sonata),” and “Sonata No. 6 (Star Sonata)” (all from 1908). Each chapter of the series is given a title indicating the tempo, and “Sonata No. 5 (Sea Sonata)” is composed of three chapters: “Allegro,” “Andante,” and “Finale.”

In the “Allegro,” composed of regular horizontal layers, the sea is perceived as a musical score with bouncing notes, and the waves, foam, and golden particles spreading along the shore create a lively rhythm. In the following “Andante,” the movement of the waves becomes more leisurely. In a tranquil atmosphere, the gaze sinks to an underwater kingdom where images from Lithuanian mythology overlap. And in the “Finale,” motifs such as foam and sailing ships converge with the exhilarating rhythm of rising waves, leading to a dramatic conclusion.

This work was conceived and created by Čiurlionis during a summer vacation with his fiancée, Sophia, at a resort on the Baltic Sea, and some believe its festive atmosphere is an expression of his personal happiness. Furthermore, the imagery of the great wave in the “Finale” has been noted as being influenced by Katsushika Hokusai’s “The Great Wave off Kanagawa” from his “Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji.” (※This work is currently on display in the concurrently running exhibition, “Hokusai: Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji – From the Inouchi Collection.”)

The sea is associated with images of eternity and the cycle of life, and the repetition of waves embodies musical rhythm, making it a motif that deeply resonates with Čiurlionis’s sensibility, and it was also treated as a theme in his symphonic poems and prose poems. In this chapter’s exhibition room, the symphonic poem for piano “La Mer” is played as background music, and the manuscript of the score for “La Mer” is also on display. You will be able to explore from multiple perspectives how Čiurlionis listened attentively to the presence of nature and “transcribed” its melodies into his works.

Chapter 3, “Fantasy Dedicated to Lithuania,” focuses on the Lithuanian national character while introducing works from Čiurlionis’s mature period.

Following Russia’s defeat in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905 and the First Russian Revolution, the national liberation movement rapidly gained momentum in Lithuania. Čiurlionis, as one of the leading figures in the country’s art world, also dedicated himself to the movement, creating essay collections that served as a spiritual manifesto for Lithuanian culture, as well as illustrations for collections of Lithuanian folk songs. At its core was the belief that a re-evaluation of local folklore, folk songs, and crafts—all aspects of national culture—was essential for the formation of a lost national identity and the construction of a distinctly Lithuanian artistic style.

On the other hand, national culture also served as a good source of inspiration for Čiurlionis’s own work. For example, the cross that appears in “The Lithuanian Cemetery” (1909) is one of the representative motifs of the country, embodying the nation’s desire for independence.

In this work, the sky, based on the translucent blue-green characteristic of tempera painting, shines with the Big Dipper, a guiding light for the soul, while the silhouettes of crosses are rhythmically arranged on the ground. These crosses are a fusion of Lithuania’s traditions of nature worship and ancestor worship with the symbols of Christianity, which was introduced as the state religion in the 14th century, and are original designs richly adorned with decorative motifs of plants, animals, and celestial bodies.

Gradually, the cross itself became a part of folk belief, and it was erected everywhere—in cemeteries, roadsides, and on farm grounds—as a means of prayer and commemoration in a broader sense, not only for mourning the dead, but also for safe travels and bountiful harvests. For this reason, it became a target of repression under the Russian Empire’s assimilation policies.

More solemnly proclaiming national revival is “Prelude (Prelude of the Knight)” (1909). Čiurlionis, who rarely depicts specific landscapes, has sprinkled elements reminiscent of Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, into this city. The transparent knight (Vitis) bravely galloping above it is a symbol of national independence and glory, which was the national emblem of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania from the 14th to the end of the 18th century.

Furthermore, from 1907 onward, Čiurlionis established his own unique genre of painting, “fairy tales,” developing archetypal images that fused folk tales, myths, and universal narrative structures with his own vision.

The magical world, kings and princesses, knights, journeys, and roads are typical elements of this genre, and “Fairy Tale (A Fairy Tale of Kings)” (1909) is a work with kings as its theme. Set in a forest shrouded in darkness, two kings gaze upon a shining dome containing the beautiful nature and rural landscapes of Lithuania. They embody the duality of the world, while also being guardians watching over small Lithuania from outside the world.

The “king” has consistently been one of Čiurlionis’s important themes from the early stages of his artistic career. The image of the king as a transcendent being who governs the world becomes definitive in the masterpiece “Rex (King)” that appears in the epilogue of this exhibition.

On the other hand, Čiurlionis was exposed to the international intellectual trends of the time, such as theosophy and astronomy, which deepened his reflections on the human spiritual world and the mysteries of the universe.

The Altarpiece (1909), being exhibited in Japan for the first time, is a masterpiece by Čiurlionis, imbued with a sense of cosmic vision and a unique spatial representation from a bird’s-eye view. Depicted on the sides of the gigantic, stepped altar are motifs such as knights and angels, all of which hold symbolic significance for Čiurlionis. Their intricate interplay creates the appearance of a magnificent epic poem, progressing from the lower to the upper levels. At the same time, the motif of the stairs itself symbolizes the various stages of the ascending human spirit, and the number of steps is thought to correspond to the theosophical theory that divides the structure of the universe and humanity into seven stages.

The exhibition concludes with the epilogue of “Rex (King)” (1909), a masterpiece that most comprehensively demonstrates Čiurlionis’s thought and formal explorations, and is also his largest painting. In a canvas colored with beautiful monochrome light and shadow, the four elements that constitute the world—fire, water, earth, and air—are condensed. Under a multifaceted structure reminiscent of a grand symphonic poem, countless motifs such as stars, angels, and trees are repeated, while a double-layered, translucent king sits atop the earth, seemingly piercing the universe vertically.

In this still largely mysterious work, Čiurlionis integrated the diverse ideas he had absorbed—including indigenous Lithuanian nature worship, Hinduism, Egyptian mythology, theosophy, astronomy, and natural science—into a single narrative system, creating a new story distinct from the Christian God. The two kings, while demonstrating dualistic principles, are depicted not merely as rulers of the world, but as pantheistic beings integrated with nature and the universe.

This work was painted during a period when Čiurlionis, seeking further advancement as a painter, expanded his activities to Saint Petersburg, and as he had hoped, it was highly praised by Alexander Benois, a leading figure in the Russian art world. However, Čiurlionis was unaware of this, and due to the grueling nature of his work and the mental stress, his physical and mental health gradually deteriorated. He passed away on April 10, 1911, at the young age of 35, from pneumonia.

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Čiurlionis was a unique artist who fantastically depicted music and painting, Lithuanian national identity, and contemplations on the human psyche and the mysteries of the universe. Since 2000, exhibitions of his work have been held throughout Europe, and there is a growing momentum for re-evaluation of his original world. Please come and enjoy it at the venue.

Summary of the “Ciurlionis Exhibition: The Inner Star Chart”

*The information in this article is current as of the time of reporting. Please check the exhibition’s official website for the latest information.

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National Museum of Nature and Science

In recent years, so-called “battle encyclopedias,” which introduce and discuss the strengths of animals, dinosaurs, and mythical creatures in a battle format, have become very popular. “What is the strongest animal in the world?” “It’s the African elephant, obviously.” “No, after all, the hippo is strong.” Such discussions are a fun topic that can get both curious children and adults excited.

Immense power, sharp fangs, deadly venom, electric shocks. The astonishing abilities of dangerous creatures that humans cannot match. These are abilities that can be called “ultimate techniques” that they have acquired through evolution to hunt prey and defend themselves.

Focusing on such deadly techniques, the special exhibition “Super Dangerous Creatures Exhibition: Science Takes on the True Power of Living Things,” which explores everything from the astonishing ecology of dangerous creatures to the hidden dangers of familiar organisms from a scientific perspective, is currently being held at the National Museum of Nature and Science in Ueno, Tokyo. It may offer a new perspective on the debate surrounding “the strongest.” (The exhibition runs until June 14, 2026)

The venue’s design concept is a “forbidden laboratory exploring the astonishing abilities of dangerous creatures.” Instead of using existing taxonomic groups, dangerous creatures are classified into eight types based on their signature moves. They are presented using a variety of methods, including valuable specimens, sophisticated CGI, educational models, and impressive documentary footage.

■Exhibition composition
Area A: “Dangerous creatures that use melee attacks”
Lab 1. Power Fighter Type
Lab 2. Killer bite type
Lab 3. Armed Type
Lab 4. Large Swarm Type

Area B: “Dangerous creatures with special attack capabilities”
Lab 5. Highly venomous type
Lab 6. Chemical Attack Type
Lab 7. Electric Shock Type
Lab 8. Vampire type

Basically, each exhibit showcases one special move for each species, and apparently, the names of each move were created specifically for this exhibition by the curators in charge of each field. From cool move names that you’ll want to say out loud, to puns, and even some that are just too straightforward, the individuality of the curators shines through.

Also noteworthy are the exhibits that will appeal to children, such as “Animal Newspaper: The Case Files of Extremely Dangerous Creatures,” which presents real-life incidents involving dangerous creatures both domestically and internationally in a newspaper-style format, and card game-style icons categorized by type.

The “Power Fighter” exhibits are particularly impressive. Featuring African elephants, as well as green anacondas and cassowaries, these creatures possess overwhelming size and power that poses a formidable threat without needing any tricks.

For example, African elephants can deliver a devastating blow with a simple yet powerful move called the “nose powerbomb,” which involves simply flicking their trunk. The trunk, which is key to this move, can reach 2 meters in length and weigh 150 kg, and is unique in that it has no bones and is composed entirely of muscle. It is made up of bundles of approximately 90,000 muscle fibers, equivalent to the number of fibers in a human body, which allows for complex contractions and extensions. Furthermore, it is said that the hardness and shape of the trunk can be freely changed by adjusting the pressure by changing the amount of fluid inside, similar to a hydraulic system. Therefore, they possess not only brute strength but also dexterity, such as being able to pick up a chicken egg.

The next exhibit features a massive stuffed southern elephant seal, comparable in size to an African elephant. While many people may picture seals as laid-back, round, and calming animals, male southern elephant seals boast an impressive size of 5 meters in length and weigh 3 tons.

Even when bitten by sharks or orcas, elephant seals can sometimes survive by using a thick layer of subcutaneous fat up to 10 cm thick to block the teeth and regenerate their skin, demonstrating their remarkable survival abilities. Here, they show documentary footage of a southern elephant seal that wandered into the city and tried to crush a car with its deadly “body press” move while crawling, giving you a real sense of the threat they pose.

Another appealing aspect of this exhibition is that, starting with the theme “Orca vs. Great White Shark: Who is the strongest in the ocean?”, the columns displayed throughout the venue offer various pieces of information to help you make informed decisions about the topic of strength .

For example, in the “Killer Bite” exhibit, which features dangerous creatures that excel at biting, we explain not only the structure of teeth, which are covered with enamel, the hardest tissue in living organisms, but also the force of biting, or “occlusal force.”

When comparing the Bite Force Quotient (BFQ), a metric used to compare relative bite force independent of body size, among carnivores, an interesting result was found: the least weasel (164), a small species of weasel weighing around 100g, significantly surpasses the lion (123) and spotted hyena (99.6). Furthermore, the giant panda (151), a carnivore that is also a herbivore, also ranks highly, demonstrating that small size or herbivorous diets should not be underestimated.

The weasel family is comprised of extremely ferocious hunters, known for using their sharp canine teeth to take down prey larger than themselves, such as least weasels and wolverines. In particular, the honey badger, the largest species of weasel found on the African continent, is said to fearlessly confront lions that weigh more than 10 times its own weight, and its fierce fighting spirit is truly remarkable.

The honey badger’s signature move (ability) isn’t biting, but rather an “impenetrable body and anti-poison.” Surprisingly, its thick, flexible skin makes it resistant to damage from animal bites, porcupine stings, and bee stings, and it’s even resistant to the blows of venomous snakes like cobras. It can be said to be a well-balanced fighter with high levels of attack, defense, and survival ability.

Furthermore, the “Killer Bite” exhibit features the first-ever public display in Japan of a life-size replica of the world’s largest saltwater crocodile, nicknamed “Roron,” which measures over 6 meters in length .

Saltwater crocodiles, sometimes called “man-eating crocodiles” due to the numerous reported fatalities, are a popular subject of interest. Among them, Lolong holds the Guinness World Record for the “largest crocodile in captivity,” with an astonishing length of 6.17m and a weight of 1,075kg. A life-size replica of Lolong, faithfully reproduced from scans of its data taken in the Philippines, is on display at the venue. Its impressive size makes the story of how it took 100 people to pull it out of the sea quite believable. Another highlight is the video explanation of the “death roll,” where the crocodile bites its prey and twists its massive body underwater to tear it apart.

Among the exhibits featuring “swarming” creatures that pose a threat in groups, such as grasshoppers and piranhas, the army ant section is a must-see.

The army ant, which inhabits Southeast Asia and Africa, is known for its ecology of swarming in the tens of millions of individuals, devouring surrounding prey before moving on. It’s not just small lizards and grasshoppers that are attacked and killed; there have been reports of attacks on baby goats and even elderly people who are unable to move due to illness. The sheer power of their predatory abilities is enough to send chills down your spine.

The queen ant, the center of the colony, has long been considered an elusive and almost mythical creature, difficult to even confirm despite years of research by researchers both in Japan and abroad. However, Munetoshi Maruyama, associate professor at the Kyushu University Museum and one of the exhibition’s supervisors, and Taku Shimada, an insect explorer and photographer, conducted research in the Republic of Kenya. During filming for the TBS program “Crazy Journey,” they successfully encountered and photographed a queen ant. One of these precious queen ant specimens is on display in Japan for the first time at the venue.

Area B in the second half, “Special Attack Dangerous Creatures,” is exciting because of the variety of tricky special moves.

The exhibition begins with a “highly venomous” section analyzing the toxins of diverse creatures such as wasps, baby monitor lizards, and blue-ringed octopuses. This is followed by a “chemical attack” section featuring bizarre special moves such as the striped skunk’s powerful stinging liquid, 100°C high-temperature gas, and self-destructive defenses. The “electric shock” section explores the power generation mechanisms of creatures like electric eels, which can generate voltages of up to 850 volts. Finally, the “blood-sucking” section focuses on blood-sucking creatures such as vampire bats and ticks, and also touches upon the dangers of infectious diseases.

Area B features many creatures with visuals that may evoke a sense of physiological revulsion, such as tarantulas and giant centipedes, so those who are squeamish should be cautious. If you’re okay with that, please do take the time to observe their appearances in detail.

In the section dedicated to scorpions, a prime example of “highly venomous” scorpions, you’ll find the Deathstalker (meaning “the one that creeps towards death”), a medium-sized, slender scorpion with one of the most potent neurotoxins in the scorpion world, alongside the Emperor Scorpion, whose venom is surprisingly weak despite its imposing appearance, often resulting in pain comparable to a bee sting. An interesting point about scorpion venom is the tendency that “the smaller the claws, the stronger the venom, and conversely, the larger the claws, the weaker the venom,” which clearly demonstrates the fact that “the level of danger is not always what it seems.”

Speaking of creatures that are all show and no substance, the “highly venomous” sun spider, described as “one of the most frightening in the arthropod kingdom based on first impressions alone,” is a prime example. Its enormous chelicerae are impressive, but it poses no real threat beyond that. Although it may appear to charge towards humans, it is actually just seeking shade to escape the sun, which it dislikes, and is quite timid. It possesses neither venom nor a venomous stinger, so it’s a mystery why it was included in this exhibition, but that’s part of its charm. Its “dangerousness” based on its appearance is certainly on par with the main attraction.

Another highlight is the use of transparent specimens created with the latest technology for the “electric shock” type of electric eel, electric catfish, and electric ray.

Transparent specimens are a method of making biological specimens transparent through chemical treatment, allowing observation of internal structures without dissection. Conventional methods involved dissolving muscles and internal organs with strong chemicals, making it difficult to observe structures other than bone. However, in recent years, clearing techniques that allow observation of cells and genes within specimens without using strong chemicals have been developed one after another. This exhibition also uses an improved version of the CUBIC method, one of these techniques, making it possible to observe the structure of power-generating organs, which were previously difficult to visualize, in three dimensions.

This exhibition focuses on the deadly techniques of living creatures, aiming to unravel their amazing ecology and the hidden dangers of familiar organisms from a scientific perspective. However, reading the comments made by Shinichiro Kawada of the Department of Zoology at the National Museum of Nature and Science, who serves as the overall supervisor of the exhibition, it seems that behind the planning is a desire to convey the importance of “fearing correctly” based on scientific understanding.

Kawada warns against the mass media that sensationalizes the uncertain dangers of dangerous creatures, and against modern society surrounded by the internet overflowing with fake images and videos. Humans are creatures that feel not only fear but also admiration for those who possess abilities they lack, and they want to know more about them, imitate them, and surpass them. This thirst for knowledge has greatly driven the development of science, from anatomy to cutting-edge biochemistry and genetics. Furthermore, he emphasizes that the abilities of dangerous creatures are a “treasure trove of scientific knowledge,” and that much of it can be used for materials and technologies necessary for our lives.

As you explore this exhibition, you will come to realize that the knowledge needed to “fear appropriately” is a survival strategy for humanity that will lead to a better tomorrow.

At the press preview held prior to the exhibition, Akira Kawashima of the comedy duo Kirin, who serves as the exhibition’s ambassador and audio guide narrator, made an appearance.

Regarding his impressions of the exhibition, he commented, “There are many globally valuable materials, and the exhibition unfolds in a laboratory-like world in each area, so it felt like an attraction. As I went further in, I became more immersed, and I felt like I was part of the research team.” He said that the most noteworthy dangerous animal was the giraffe, and he said, “They are herbivores, and judging from their eyes, I thought they were gentle and cute, but when I saw the video, I learned that they can fight with necking, which is powerful enough to kill a person with their own neck. I felt bad for casually saying, ‘It’s a giraffe’,” which drew laughter from the audience.

Finally, they promoted the exhibition as follows:
“There was an exhibit showing that the weaker the scorpion’s venom, the larger its claws. It’s a lesson in how the weaker you are, the more likely you are to put on a brave face and pick a fight—a trait common to humans. After seeing the exhibit, you can reconsider what your own strengths are. You might find that it’s a compassionate heart, or the kindness to prioritize others—a strength unique to humans. I think it’s an exhibition where you can make such wonderful discoveries.”

The special exhibition “Exhibition of Extremely Dangerous Creatures: Science Takes on the Serious Challenges of Living Things” will run until June 14, 2026.

Special Exhibition “Exhibition of Extremely Dangerous Creatures: Science Takes on the Serious Challenges of Living Things” Overview

venue	National Museum of Nature and Science
Exhibition period	March 14th (Sat) – June 14th (Sun), 2026
Opening hours	9:00 AM – 5:00 PM (Last entry at 4:30 PM)
Open at night	From April 25th (Sat) to May 6th (Wed, holiday), the museum will be open until 6:00 PM (last entry at 5:30 PM).
Closed days	Monday, May 7th (Thursday) *However, the museum will be open on April 27th (Monday), May 4th (Monday/National Holiday), and June 8th (Monday).
Price (tax included)	General admission/University students: 2,300 yen; Elementary/Junior high/High school students: 600 yen (Tickets available on the day)
Organizer	National Museum of Nature and Science, TBS, TBS Growdia, Asahi Shimbun
inquiry	050-5541-8600 (Hello Dial), 03-5814-9898 (FAX)
Official website of the operator	https://chokikenseibutsuten.jp/

*Please note that the exhibition period, opening hours, and closing days may be subject to change.
*Please note that this information may not be up-to-date. For details, please check the exhibition’s official website.

 

Article provided by: Cocosil Ueno

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Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum

The Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum is hosting the first-ever exhibition in Japan showcasing paintings from the Golden Age of Swedish art, which has been gaining global attention in recent years. The exhibition, "Swedish Paintings: Nordic Light, Everyday Brilliance," commemorating the 100th anniversary of the opening of the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, will run from Tuesday, January 27, 2026, to Sunday, April 12, 2026.

*All works shown are owned by the National Museum of Sweden.

Coastlines lined with rocky reefs. Majestic forests and lakes. Lands covered in harsh snow in winter. Traditional culture exemplified by midsummer festivals and a lifestyle of well-being. What we think of as "Swedishness" today was "rediscovered" by Swedish painters from the 1880s to around 1915, known as the Golden Age of Swedish art. With the full cooperation of the Nationalmuseum of Sweden, this exhibition systematically introduces the development of Swedish art during this Golden Age through approximately 80 paintings. It explores the uniquely Nordic sensibility of living a rich life in harmony with nature.

The exhibition is divided into six chapters. Chapter 1, "The Dawn of Modern Swedish Painting," begins with Nils Blommar, who is said to be the first painter to use Nordic mythology and folklore as themes, with the aim of establishing a uniquely Swedish art form.

Sweden was the first Nordic country to establish the Royal Academy of Drawings (later renamed the Royal Academy of Fine Arts) in 1735. Traditional art education was modeled on France, and Sweden's history and mythology were encouraged as important subjects, but by the mid-19th century, Sweden was strongly influenced by the new Romantic ideas that were gaining popularity in France and Germany. In landscape painting in particular, the works of painters from Düsseldorf, Germany, who dramatically depicted the ruggedness and sublimity of nature based on a meticulous view of nature, were seen as models, and many Nordic painters, including those from Sweden, traveled to that city in awe.

This trend was related to an exhibition of Nordic art held in Stockholm in 1850. Norwegian painters who had studied at the Düsseldorf School exhibited works at the exhibition depicting the lives of Norwegian peasants and the majestic landscapes of the fjords. To Swedish painters, these works appeared to be art that, while clothed in innovative foreign styles of expression, was deeply rooted in the real world of Scandinavia, and this sparked a desire to create a new, indigenous art form in their own country.

In the late 1870s, young Swedish painters, dissatisfied with the Academy's outdated teaching methods, headed to Paris in search of new forms of expression, values, and instruction. At the time in Paris, new forms of expression such as Impressionism, which overturned traditional artistic values, were flourishing, but many Swedish painters instead chose to gravitate towards realism and naturalism, which sought to capture humans and nature in their natural state.

Hugo Salmson (1843-1894), introduced in Chapter 2, "Towards Paris: Encounters with Modern French Painting," was one of the earliest Swedish painters to study in France. He favored the Barbizon School, which focused on peasants at work, as well as the Realist paintings of Jules Bastien-Lepage and Jules Breton. Looking at "The Gleaners," we can see that their influence is evident not only in the subject matter but also in the improvised, rough brushwork used to depict nature.

Another painter who came into contact with the plein air movement during his stay in Paris and acquired a style filled with bright, fresh colors and light was Arnold Josephson (1851-1906). In 1885, a group of young artists led by Josephson submitted a statement calling for reform to the outdated Royal Academy of Fine Arts. These artists, who chose to break away from the school, came to be known as the "Oponentena" (rebels), and would go on to lead the way in Swedish painting from the 1890s onwards.

Chapter 3, "The Artists' Village of Grez-sur-Loing," introduces the formation of artistic colonies (communities) across France by Scandinavian artists who began to place importance on outdoor art. In the 1880s, one of the bases for Swedish painters was the small village of Grez-sur-Loing, 70 kilometers southeast of Paris. They spent their summers here, capturing the daily lives of peasants and idyllic scenes along the Loing River.

The Swedish national painter Carl Larsson (1853-1919) also moved to the same area when he was still unknown, where he encountered watercolors and discovered a new direction for his expression in light-hearted landscape paintings filled with dazzling light.

Towards the end of the 1880s, many Swedish painters who had been working in France returned home and aimed to create art that was distinctively Swedish, in order to demonstrate their national identity.

Chapter 4, "The Brilliance of Everyday Life – Living a 'Swedish' Lifestyle," features works by artists who have found motifs in the harsh yet bountiful nature, their own families, close friends, or the fleeting joys hidden in everyday life, and have depicted them with intimate and emotional expressions.

It was Larsson, in particular, who shaped the image of "Swedish living." Larsson lived in Lilla Hitnes, a two-story house in the rural town of Sundborn in the central Dalarna region, with his wife Karin, also a painter, and their seven children. The house was repeatedly renovated to suit the family's needs, and, influenced by the Arts and Crafts movement that was popular in England at the time, he skillfully combined furniture from various eras and styles and decorated the interiors with textiles and embroidery designed by Karin herself. With passion, he created his ideal home, a comprehensive work of art for living.

In Swedish society at the time, the idea was spreading that a simple yet comfortable living environment surrounded by "truly beautiful things" made by artisans would foster people's aesthetic sense and lead to the creation of a better society. Against this cultural background, Larsson published "Ett hem" (A Dwelling) in 1899, a collection of watercolors depicting the interior decoration of his own home, scenes of a lively and carefree lifestyle, and seasonal events. This became widely known as an image of the ideal home symbolizing "Swedishness."

Although "A Home" contains 24 watercolors, in order to protect the artworks, only one original painting will be exhibited at each venue in Tokyo, Yamaguchi, and Nagoya. Instead, nine more watercolors will be introduced through specially produced video content, conveying the heartwarming atmosphere of "Lilla Hittnes" on a large screen.

Anders Sohn (1860-1920), a friend of Larsson and one of Sweden's earliest internationally successful painters, also returned from Paris and settled in Mora, his hometown in Dalarna. Dalarna is a region particularly steeped in history and tradition, and Sohn frequently used the folk culture of Dalarna, such as its traditional music and dress, which was in the process of being lost in the shadow of modernization, as his subject matter. His captivating style is characterized by his quick brushstrokes, vividly capturing fleeting moments of light and air, and his work Kor-Margit Knitting remains one of Sweden's most beloved and frequently reproduced works to this day.

Meanwhile, Chapter 5, "Beyond Reality: Painting the Invisible World," focuses on painters who were interested in the invisible world beyond reality, such as Norse mythology linked to their own spiritual worlds and nationalism, and the visualization of folklore.

Famous for his illustrations for the Swedish fairy tale collection "Bland tomtar och troll," Jon Bauer (1882-1918) was a beloved illustrator known for his fantastical worldviews based on Nordic folk tales featuring trolls and forest fairies. His depictions of dimly lit forests, painted in subdued colors and seemingly possessing a will of their own, and the trolls, whose eeriness is tinged with melancholy and humor, evoke a sense of mystery and a strong sense of awe for nature.

A particularly unique figure is August Strindberg (1849-1912), Sweden's leading playwright and writer of the 19th century. Self-taught, Strindberg devoted himself to painting for only a limited period of his life, which coincided with a period of mental instability, including a slump in his playwriting, family discord, and an interest in occultism and chemical experiments. Using a painting knife, he created landscapes that directly appealed to the viewer's psyche, even his own state of mind, with a unique style that made the most of the coincidences and images that emerged from the unconscious in the creative process.

Chapter 6, "With Nature: The Creation of New Swedish Painting," is the highlight of the exhibition. Sweden was once considered a country with "nothing to paint," but from the 1890s onwards, painters began to "discover" Sweden's unique natural beauty, such as its lush forests and lakes, rocky coastlines, and snow-covered winter landscapes, and they began to seek out suitable ways of depicting it.

For example, Gustav Fjestad (1868-1948) was a painter who settled on the shores of Lake Lacken in Värmland, central-western Sweden, and continued to paint winter scenes throughout his life. His work, Winter Moonlight, is characterized by its voluminous, decorative depiction of the fluffy, rounded snow that covers the ground and conifers. The light effects created by his unique pointillism, which rhythmically layers small dots and lines to create a sense of unity as a surface, give the snowy world a mysterious and tranquil atmosphere that is characteristic of Fjestad.

In particular, landscape paintings of this period placed emphasis not only on exploring subject matter and techniques, but also on expressing emotion and atmosphere through the landscape. This was fulfilled by the soft, delicate light of dusk and dawn, which replaced the brilliant sunlight seen in works of the 1880s. On summer nights, the long periods of twilight and the blue light that enveloped the night gave a lyrical feel, illuminating Sweden's rich natural landscapes. This artistic trend, later known as "National Romanticism," gave rise to distinctively Swedish paintings not found in art from other countries.

Nils Kruger (1858-1930), who had a strong interest in horses working in various working environments since his time in Paris, continued to paint scenes of grazing horses, cows, and other livestock resting on the island of Uland, near his hometown of Kalmar, even after returning to Sweden. Heavily influenced by Van Gogh in his later years, Kruger's painting "The Coming of Night" emotionally captures the air and light of twilight, with a blue light filling half of the canvas, rendered in short, Van Gogh-esque strokes. A closer look reveals that the blue light not only fills the sky, but also pours down on the bodies of the grazing horses and the earth, creating a grand, fantastical atmosphere in an otherwise ordinary landscape.

Additionally, the audio guide for this exhibition (fees apply) incorporates "slow looking" into the special track, a first for the museum. This viewing program is also implemented in the Nationalmuseum's educational programs, and allows visitors to appreciate the artworks more deeply through the process of carefully observing each piece and asking questions, so be sure to check it out when you visit.

Overview of "Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum 100th Anniversary Exhibition: Swedish Paintings: Nordic Light, Everyday Brilliance"

*The content of this article is current as of the time of coverage. Please check the official exhibition website for the latest information.

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Taito City Ichiyo Memorial Museum

 

The Taito City Ichiyo Memorial Museum is currently hosting a special exhibition, “Shitaya Ryusenjicho, where Ichiyo lived,” showcasing Ichiyo Higuchi’s life in Shitaya Ryusenjicho (now Ryusen), the setting for her masterpiece, “Takekurabe.” The exhibition will run from Saturday, October 25th to Sunday, December 21st, 2025.

■ Taito City Ichiyo Memorial Museum <br />Thanks to the efforts of volunteers who came together to preserve the literary achievements of Higuchi Ichiyo, an outstanding female writer of the Meiji period, this museum opened in 1961 as Japan’s first literary museum dedicated solely to a female writer. Triggered by Ichiyo’s portrait being chosen to appear on the new 5,000 yen bill, the old, dilapidated building was renovated in 2006. Another highlight is the beautiful design by architect Yanagisawa Takahiko. The museum houses and exhibits a large number of valuable materials that convey Ichiyo’s creative activities and lifestyle, including unfinished manuscripts of “Takekurabe,” as well as letters and waka poem strips.

The experience of living in Shitaya Ryusenjicho that fueled the “Miraculous 14 Months”

Higuchi Ichiyo (real name: Natsu) was born in 1872 (Meiji 5) into a middle-class family. She was gifted from a young age, and at the age of 14 she entered Nakajima Utako’s poetry school, Haginoya, where she studied classical poetry, waka poetry, and calligraphy.

In 1889, his father died of illness, leaving him with a large debt, and at just 17 he was forced to lead a difficult life as head of the household, supporting his mother, Taki, and younger sister, Kuni. He studied under newspaper journalist and author Hanai Tosui, and made his debut as a novelist with “Yamizakura,” published in the literary magazine Musashino in 1892. He tried to support his family with royalties from his writing, but was unable to escape poverty, so in July 1893 he moved from the quiet Hongo Kikusaka-cho to 368-banchi, Shitaya Ryusenji-cho, near the Yoshiwara red-light district, where he opened a general goods and candy store. He experienced the excitement of local annual events such as the Senzoku Inari Festival and Tori no Ichi, and spent his days observing the people coming and going in the red-light district.

In the end, his business did not get on track, and he ended up moving to Fukuyama-cho, Maruyama, Hongo after just over nine months. From there, he devoted himself to writing, publishing a succession of masterpieces, including “Takekurabe,” “Nigorie,” and “Juusanya,” based on his experiences living in Shitaya Ryusenji-cho. These were later described as “14 miraculous months.” He was highly praised by Mori Ogai and Koda Rohan, and received numerous requests to write, but he died of pulmonary tuberculosis in 1896, at the young age of 24.

The special exhibition “Shitaya Ryusenjicho, where Ichiyo lived” introduces the local characteristics of Shitaya Ryusenjicho, the fertile ground for Ichiyo to blossom as a writer, and unravels how she lived there, what she saw, and what she learned.

The poor tenement district where Ichiyo lived

Upon entering the exhibition room, visitors are greeted by a model of Shitaya Ryusenjicho as it was at the time , recreated based on meticulous historical research and interviews. In the center are the two tenement houses where Ichiyo lived, and at the end of Daionji Street (now Chayamachi Street), which stretches straight out from there, you can see the stone wall and emergency gate of Ohaguro-dobu, which marks the boundary with the Yoshiwara red-light district. It is only a few minutes’ walk away.

■ “The lights reflected in the Ohaguro moat made it seem as if they were there, and the constant coming and going of carriages bespeaks an immeasurable prosperity. (Omitted) Turning the corner at Mishima Shrine, there was no visible large building, just a row of ten tenement houses with sagging eaves, numbering 20 houses in total…” (From the beginning of “Takekurabe”) Modern translation: The commotion of the three-story red-light district, its lights reflected even in the blackened gutters, can be heard clearly. The volume of traffic, morning and evening, suggests the immeasurable prosperity of the area. (Omitted) However, once you turn the corner at Mishima Shrine, there are no large, conspicuous mansions to be seen, but rather a row of ten or twenty row houses with slanting eaves.

■ “This house is on a single road that runs from Shitaya to Yoshihara. Since evening, the sounds of carriages flying by and the light of lights have been heard. It is a sight beyond words.” (From the diary “In the dust”) This house is located on the only road that leads from Shitaya to Yoshiwara, and in the evenings, the sound of rickshaws echoes and lights flicker here and there. The scene is beyond description.

Daionji Street, which connects Mishima Shrine to the Yoshiwara pleasure district, was a major route taken by rickshaws bound for Yoshiwara. When you look at the model together with Ichiyo’s words, the stark contrast between Yoshiwara’s vibrant lights, the bustling three-story brothels, and the constant traffic, and the shabby tenement district nearby, becomes clear.

Yoshiwara in the Meiji era – Children are also fascinated by Niwaga

“Takekurabe” is set in the Shitaya Ryusenjicho area and the Yoshiwara red-light district, and is an emotionally rich story that depicts the faint love between Nobuyuki, who will one day become a monk, Midori, who will become a prostitute, and their childhood friend Shotaro, as well as the conflicts they face as they approach adulthood, all set against the backdrop of seasonal events.

The story begins on August 18th, two days before the Senzoku Inari festival, and ends after the Third Bird Festival, around the end of November or early December, which overlaps with the period Ichiyo spent in Shitaya Ryusenji-cho. It is clear that Ichiyo’s own life experiences are heavily reflected in her work, and it is said that many of the characters were modeled after real people.

The hustle and bustle can be felt in the nishiki-e print “Nakanomachi Niwaka Iryou No Zu from Inamotoro, Corner Street of Shin-Yoshiwara,” which depicts the autumn Niwaka, an event that also appears in the work. This is an event where geisha perform impromptu plays at street stalls. In Yoshiwara, the spring Nakanomachi cherry blossoms (night cherry blossoms), the summer Tamagiku lanterns, and the autumn Niwaka are all popular as the three major views of Yoshiwara, and Ichiyo beautifully expressed the changing seasons by incorporating these into her work.

The story also depicts how the children, who have become completely immersed in the Yoshiwara atmosphere, begin to imitate geisha during the Ninwaka period, and Ichiyo writes with a hint of amazement at how quickly they improve, saying, “Mencius’s mother would be amazed.”It can be said that only Ichiyo, who actually lived in the area, could include such realistic impressions.

Ichiyo not only observed Yoshiwara from the outside, but also visited it herself. She heard about the circumstances of the pleasure quarters from the head maid of the Hikite-chaya teahouse who arranged work for her, viewed the Tamagiku lanterns, and took detailed notes on the age, clothing, and demeanor of the female courtesans performing the Shinnaibushi dance through the pleasure quarters… Each of these interviews would go on to shape the future Takekurabe.

Days of trial and error at a candy store – and sometimes complaining

Ichiyo’s striking portrait is said to have been inspired by an entry in her diary “Dust Inside” dated August 6, 1893: “The sixth day, clear skies. I open the shop. (omitted) Tonight I load my first load, and it’s quite heavy…” August 6 was the shop’s opening day, and initially, the shop sold miscellaneous goods such as dusters, soap, scrubbing brushes, and Asakusa paper. Ichiyo soon realized that this alone would not be enough to make a profit, so she turned to a friend’s father, who ran a candy wholesale business, and began selling toys and cheap sweets such as menko, balloons, and illustrated books. She spent her days befriending the children who came to the shop.

Although Ichiyo was so energetic that she would walk 20km a day in geta or zori sandals in the heat of summer while searching for a new place to live, she found the hectic pace of business difficult to bear, and her letters and diary contain many complaints. For example, when her friend Nonomiya Kikuko invited her to her hometown of Tako Town in Chiba Prefecture for a retreat, Ichiyo wrote:

■ “I hope to escape from the dust for at least three days… but I’m stuck in a burning house, squirming without a moment’s rest, battling the fury of my neighbors, and you’ll laugh at me.” Modern translation: I wish I could escape from this troublesome world, even if only for three days, but petty problems keep popping up, I have no time for anything, and I struggle in my difficult living conditions. Please make me laugh.

In his reply letter, he wrote about his situation with a hint of self-mockery.

Despite trying all sorts of help, business worsened when a competitor opened a shop on Chayamachi Street in January of the following year. In the end, he closed the store after just over nine months and moved to his new home in Maruyama Fukuyamacho, Hongo, where he decided to devote himself to writing.

Ichiyo returns to the path of novelist

Incidentally, even while Ichiyo was living in Shitaya Ryusenji-cho and had almost completely stopped writing, writers Hoshino Tenchi and Hirata Toki, who had praised her talent for “Umoregi,” continued to patiently persuade her to continue writing despite her hesitation due to her busy schedule. As a result, she was able to publish two works, “Koto no Oto” (The Sound of the Koto) and “Hanagomori” (The Flowering Garden), in the magazine they founded, Bungakukai. This exhibition features an unfinished draft of “Hanagomori,” which shows signs of revision and significant deletions, conveying the pains of the writer, as well as diary entries describing the agonies she experienced while writing “Koto no Oto,” and the magazines in which both works first appeared .

At the end of the venue , there are materials related to “Takekurabe,” including unfinished drafts, the origami book “Takekurabe Emaki,” and even books containing the manuscripts published in the “Bungei Club” magazine . The unfinished drafts are significantly different in content from the finished versions, so you’re sure to make new discoveries by reading them side by side.

Ichiyo’s early works featured a fantastical style, including mundane tales of tragic love, but her vivid experiences living in Shitaya Ryusenji-cho led to a more realistic style that sometimes captured harsh realities such as poverty and the plight of women. This exhibition showcases a major turning point in her creative career, which led to her being highly regarded as one of the leading writers of the Meiji period.

Additionally, there is a monument to the former residence of Higuchi Ichiyo on Chayamachi Street, about a two-minute walk from the Ichiyo Memorial Museum. The Ryusen area has changed significantly since Ichiyo lived there due to land readjustment projects as part of the Imperial Capital Reconstruction Plan following the Great Kanto Earthquake, but traces of the “single straight road from Shitaya to Yoshihara” still remain.

If you go east along Chayamachi Street, you will come across a pillar marking the location of the emergency gate to Yoshiwara Ageyamachi. In addition to viewing the special exhibition, why not take the time to imagine what the Yoshiwara pleasure quarter looked like from Ichiyo’s tenement house?

Overview of the special exhibition “Shitaya Ryusenjicho, where Ichiyo lived”

Dates	October 25th (Sat) – December 21st (Sun), 2020
venue	Taito City Ichiyo Memorial Museum (3-18-4 Ryusen, Taito-ku, Tokyo)
Opening hours	9:00 AM – 4:30 PM (entry until 4:00 PM)
Closed days	Every Monday
Admission fee	Adults: 300 yen, elementary, junior high and high school students: 100 yen * Free admission for those with a physical disability certificate, rehabilitation certificate, mental health and welfare certificate, or specific disease medical care recipient certificate, and their caregivers. *Every Saturday, admission is free for elementary and junior high school students who live or attend school in Taito Ward and their accompanying supervisors.
inquiry	Ichiyo Memorial Museum 03-3873-0004
Official website	https://www.taitogeibun.net/ichiyo/

*The content of this article is current as of the date of the interview. Please check the official website for the latest information.

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National Museum of Nature and Science

 

The National Museum of Nature and Science is currently hosting a special exhibition titled “The Great Extinctions: The Big Five in the History of Life,” which focuses on the five “mass extinctions” that have occurred over the Earth’s 4 billion year history, commonly known as the Big Five. The exhibition will run from November 1, 2025 (Saturday) to February 23, 2026 (Monday, national holiday).

In the history of life, “extinction” and “evolution” go hand in hand. Extinction occurs when a species dies out without leaving any offspring, and it is generally thought that around 10% of species become extinct every million years. On the other hand, a mass extinction is when species from different taxonomic groups become extinct all at once in a geologically extremely short period of time.

At one point, around 90% of species were wiped out, causing a massive impact on ecosystems. This may give a negative impression of the phenomenon of mass extinction. However, while the asteroid impact around 66 million years ago brought an end to the “age of dinosaurs,” mammals took over the terrestrial ecosystem, leaving a void, and the subsequent diverse evolutionary process led to the birth of humans. In this way, the thriving of new taxa in place of extinct taxa has been repeated throughout the history of life. In other words, mass extinctions are major turning points in the history of life, and can also be seen as a driving force behind the evolution and diversification of life.

The special exhibition “The Great Extinctions – The Big Five in the History of Life” focuses on the five major mass extinction events , commonly known as the Big Five, that significantly influenced the history of life. It explores the causes of each extinction and the biodiversity before and after the extinctions, using evidence based on the latest research.

After the introduction, visitors are greeted by the spherical video exhibit “The Great Extinction Sphere,” which displays digest images of the Big Five.

With this Great Extinction Sphere at the center, there are six areas arranged radially, including an area that explains the Big Five episode by episode, and an area that touches on the world of the Cenozoic Era that followed. Every time you finish looking at one area, you return to the Great Extinction Sphere, which is a somewhat unusual exhibition structure for a special exhibition at the National Museum of Nature and Science, and the key point is that it is easy to move between each area.

The exhibit contents are as follows:

Episode 1: “OS Boundary: Diversification of the Marine Environment”
Episode 2 “FF Boundary: The Development of the Terrestrial Ecosystem”
Episode 3: “PT Border: The Greatest Extinction in History”
Episode 4: “TJ Boundary: A Great Transformation to the Age of Dinosaurs”
Episode 5: The K-Pg Boundary: The End of the Mesozoic Era
Episode 6: “Biodiversity in the Cenozoic Era: The Post-Big Five World”

“XX boundary” is a term used to divide geological time periods; for example, the “OS boundary” represents the boundary between the Ordovician and Silurian periods, approximately 444 million years ago, when the first mass extinction occurred.

In preparation for this exhibition, the museum has also conducted research in Morocco, which has a strong connection to the Big Five, including the Fezouata Fossil Site, which offers a glimpse into the world before the mass extinction at the end of the Ordovician period, as well as collecting specimens of trilobites and other creatures, and investigating volcanic activity related to the mass extinction at the end of the Triassic period, and the results of these surveys are being shown to the world for the first time. One of the results of this research is the fossil specimen of the giant armored fish, the placoderm Dunkleosteus, which appears in Episode 2.

The mass extinction that occurred in stages at the FF boundary (corresponding to the Late Devonian period) between approximately 380 million and 360 million years ago is believed to have been caused by the combined impact of sudden cooling caused by volcanic eruptions and ocean acidification. Although it was the smallest in scale among the Big Five, marine organisms suffered the greatest damage, with 18-41% of genera and 42-69% of species becoming extinct. There was also a major collapse of coral reefs, and nearly 100% of jawless fish species disappeared.

Dunkleosteus was a large placoderm with a body length of over 4 meters and a skull with powerful jaws. It dominated the oceans of the Late Devonian period, but it seems that placoderms also did not survive into the Calcareous period.

On the other hand, on land, plants that had no roots or leaves underwent rapid evolution in their body structures throughout the Devonian period, and from the middle of the Devonian onwards, several taxonomic groups appeared that developed thick trunks and became trees. Of these , the world’s oldest known tree is the primitive fern, Wattiersa , discovered in New York State, USA (a replica is on display in this exhibition). Early gymnosperms and microphyllous plants also appeared, and the first forests in history were formed in the late Devonian period.

It has also been pointed out that the massive carbon dioxide consumption caused by the emergence of these forests may have contributed to the cooling of the climate and contributed to the mass extinction of marine life.

Episode 5, “The K-Pg Boundary: The End of the Mesozoic Era,” explains the fifth mass extinction that occurred at the end of the Cretaceous period, approximately 66 million years ago, triggered by the impact of an asteroid approximately 10 km in diameter that fell near the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico.

The impact energy of the fire generated a large amount of sulfur-containing vapor, which reacted with water vapor to form sulfate aerosols. Together with the soot from the forest fires, these blocked sunlight for years to decades. This not only stopped photosynthesis in plants, which are the foundation of the food chain, but also caused acid rain, which dealt a major blow to living organisms.

The venue displays a CM2-type carbonaceous chondrite meteorite that is believed to be of the same type as the asteroid, which fell in the Murchison region of Australia in 1969, as well as specimens of the geological strata formed by the earthquake and giant tsunami that occurred when the asteroid collided.

In addition, the section that focuses on Mesozoic mammals that survived the fifth mass extinction and the recovery of forests features a number of valuable fossil specimens that have been brought to Japan from the Denver Museum of Nature and Science in the United States, which boasts one of the world’s leading collections of vertebrate and plant fossils.

Speaking of rare specimens, Episode 6, “Biodiversity in the Cenozoic Era: The World After the Big Five,” features the world’s first public unveiling of a complete skeletal fossil of Steller’s sea cow, discovered in Tokyo’s Tama River. Steller’s sea cows are large, algae-eating mammals that lived in the North Pacific Ocean, and the fossil on display, measuring approximately 6 meters in length, is the oldest in the world. The last known sighting of this species was in 1768, and some believe that human activity may have hastened its extinction.

In recent years, environmental changes and loss of biodiversity thought to be caused by human activity have become a hot topic around the world, with some describing the current situation as the “sixth mass extinction period.” Visitors to this exhibition will understand the importance of using the knowledge gained from natural science research, such as that reviewed here, to predict what the extinctions and climate change currently occurring may bring about in the future, and to use this knowledge to develop preparations and countermeasures.

At the press conference held prior to the event, Masaharu Fukuyama, who will be the special navigator for this exhibition, took the stage.

Fukuyama served as the host for NHK’s nature documentary program “Hot Spot: The Last Paradise,” and for 15 years has traveled around the world, pursuing the amazing ecology and evolutionary mysteries of endangered wild animals. In the second venue, a special exhibition of 27 photographs of animals taken by Fukuyama is being held, along with the statement “Voice of Life, Song of the Earth.”

Fukuyama says that the origin of her creative work was her grandmother, who continued to face nature through farming while raising four children on her own. “From an early age, I’ve thought of nature as something incredibly beautiful that lies far away, but also as a very difficult place to live in. So when I received the offer to appear in a nature program, rather than wanting to go and see something beautiful, I was interested in what was happening to the nature that our family had lived in and been allowed to live in,” she explains of her thoughts on the program.

Fukuyama also said that through this exhibition, he felt that crustal movements and volcanic activity were occurring as part of the “metabolism” of the Earth when viewed as a single living organism. “When a mass extinction occurs, 70%, and in some cases 90%, of all living organisms become extinct. Was this a sacrifice made so that the Earth could grow and evolve? If we think of the surviving organisms as being essential to the Earth… If that’s the case, then if we consider the present to be the ‘sixth extinction,’ what exactly are we doing for the Earth as a living organism? Perhaps we too will become sacrifices to the Earth’s growth and change,” he said, reflecting on the many thoughts that have been swirling around in his mind.

Finally, he gave the following message to the children who will be visiting the exhibition:

“After seeing the exhibits, I felt that we cannot survive without both what is given to us (such as our surroundings and luck) and what we work hard to grasp for ourselves. Some people may wonder why they have to study and why they have to go to school. However, I hope that people will realize that, in a world where there is poverty, discrimination, division and disconnection, we are extremely blessed to be able to go to school for compulsory education and to have an environment where we can learn. Even if the Great Extinction exhibit makes you feel scared, I hope that it will make you think about what you can do to survive with your beloved family and friends, and that you need to do your best.”

Overview of the special exhibition “The Great Extinction: The Big Five in the History of Life”

Dates	Saturday, November 1, 2025 – Monday, February 23, 2026 (Holiday)
venue	National Museum of Nature and Science (Ueno Park, Tokyo)
Opening hours	9:00-17:00 ( entry until 16:30)
Closed days	Mondays, November 4th (Tue), November 25th (Tue), December 28th (Sun) – January 1st, 2026 (Thu), January 13th (Tue) *However, the museum will be open on November 3rd (Monday, national holiday), November 24th (Monday, closed), January 12th (Monday, national holiday), February 16th (Monday), and February 23rd (Monday, national holiday).
Admission fee	Adults and university students: 2,300 yen; elementary, junior high and high school students: 600 yen *Free for preschool children. *Free admission for those with a disability certificate and one caregiver. *For further details, please check the official exhibition website.
Organizer	National Museum of Nature and Science, NHK, NHK Promotion, Yomiuri Shimbun
inquiry	050-5541-8600 (Hello Dial)
Official exhibition website	https://daizetsumetsu.jp/

*The content of this article is current as of the date of coverage. Please check the official exhibition website for the latest information.

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National Museum of Western Art

The National Museum of Western Art is hosting an exhibition titled “Impressionism from the Musée d’Orsay: Stories of Interiors,” which focuses on the representations of interiors by Impressionist painters. The exhibition will run from Saturday, October 25, 2025 to Sunday, February 15, 2026.

When we hear the word “Impressionism,” the first thing that comes to mind is probably landscape paintings that capture outdoor light or the changing atmosphere. Their approach to creating landscapes and their use of plein air certainly brought about a revolution in modern art. At the same time, an interest in interior space was also an essential aspect of Impressionism, as exemplified by Edgar Degas, who explored the effects of artificial lighting rather than natural light and left behind many masterpieces of interior paintings based on refined human observation.

The first Impressionist exhibition was held in Paris in 1874, a time when the city was rapidly modernizing after undergoing extensive urban development projects, known as the Haussmann Reformation. In this bustling and vibrant metropolis, indoor scenes, where people spent much of their time, were more intimate than outdoors and could be said to be an essentially modern subject. In other words, they provided the perfect subject to inspire artists seeking to create new paintings that were in tune with the times.

This exhibition will feature approximately 100 paintings, drawings, and decorative arts, including around 70 masterpieces from the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, known as the “Temple of Impressionism,” as well as important works from Japan and abroad . The exhibition will explore the interests and expressive challenges of the interiors of Impressionist and contemporaries painters such as Degas, Manet, Monet, and Renoir in four chapters.

 

Chapter 1, “Portraits in Interiors,” focuses on portraiture, which was extremely popular in salons and the art market in the late 19th century and was an important means of expression for the Impressionists. In their portraits, they depicted models in their everyday environments, attempting to express social attributes such as their personality, occupation, social class, and aesthetic tastes, sometimes interweaving them with careful direction.

The highlight of this section is Degas’s masterpiece from his youth , “Family Portrait (The Berelli Family)” (1858-69), which has been restored and is now on display in Japan for the first time. Degas’s aunt and her family, who were in exile in Florence, appear at first glance to be a formal family portrait, set in a room in a typically bourgeois, custom-built apartment, adorned with a striking blue hue. However, the work not only frankly captures the personalities and individuality of each individual, but also suggests the couple’s tense relationship and the psychological distance between them through skillful manipulation of facial expressions, poses, and positioning, like a psychological drama. This approach, which departs from the conventional, superficially idealized image of the family, is strikingly modern, and the young Degas’s sincerity and keen, keen observational eye are evident.

The poetic Corner of an Apartment (1875), depicting Monet’s home in Argenteuil near Paris, is one of his few interior paintings. Monet’s keen sense of light effects is fully displayed, with the open curtains and plants in the foreground and the dimly lit room beyond creating a dramatic contrast of light and shadow, warm and cool colors. The figures of his son Jean and a woman believed to be his wife, Camille, are depicted very subtly, almost as silhouettes, but the repeated diagonal lines on the curtains and parquet floor guide the eye and emphasize their impact.

In the second half of the 19th century, when clear boundaries were being drawn between the workplace and the home, in contrast to men who roamed public spaces, women of the bourgeoisie, who were not permitted to go out freely, mainly focused their activities within the home. Chapter 2, “Scenes of Everyday Life,” introduces works that capture casual scenes of women enjoying their hobbies and handicrafts in the comfort of their homes, such as musical recitals, reading, and needlework.

Renoir’s Girls Playing the Piano (1892), which is also used as the main visual for this exhibition, was created at the request of the Director General of the Fine Arts Bureau at the time, with the expectation that the work would be purchased by the Musée du Luxembourg (then the National Museum of Modern Art). At the time, owning a piano signified wealth and a cultured lifestyle, and playing the piano was a hobby enjoyed by the daughters of the upper class, making it a popular subject for painting. This work, with its dazzling composition of warm colors and soft brushstrokes, depicts girls with their faces close together, peering at sheet music, as an ideal image of a bourgeois family.

Chapter 3, “Outdoor Light and Nature Indoors,” showcases how the Impressionists incorporated their interest in outdoor light and nature into their work, featuring works set in complex spaces that connect the indoor and outdoor spaces, such as balconies, terraces, and greenhouses, which were popular social spaces in the 19th century.

Albert Bartolome’s In the Greenhouse (c. 1881) depicts a scene in a glass greenhouse custom-built for his home. Leaving the strong sunlight behind, Bartolome’s wife, Prosperi, dressed in a cool purple summer dress, steps into the dim light of the greenhouse, where palm trees and geraniums are sprouting vibrant leaves. The soft light that casts irregular shadows on her face and dress creates a comfortable summer atmosphere.

Shortly after this work was painted, Prosperi fell ill and passed away in 1887. Bartholomew, overcome with grief, treasured the memory of the glorious day captured in this work, and apparently never let go of either the painting or the dress. As a special touch, the actual dress has been displayed alongside the painting at the exhibition.

The chapter also introduces still life paintings that presented nature as a decorative element brought indoors, and the development of Japonism, which used nature as its primary source of inspiration to create innovative decorative art.

Chapter 4, “Impressionist Decoration,” examines the various interior decorative representations that emerged as the Impressionists incorporated nature into the interior, at a time when decorative art, which had previously been considered a low-class and superficial form of expression, was increasingly viewed positively. Examinations include a mansion design for the Romanian aristocrat Prince Bibesco, a collaboration between the young Renoir and architect Charles-Justin Le Cour, and a model of Morisot’s own drawing room and studio, providing a glimpse of the effect that decorative paintings added to living spaces.

Manet and Monet created paintings to decorate the château owned by their patron, the businessman Ernest Hoschedé. Manet’s Child Among Flowers (Jacques Hoschedé) (1876) depicts the Hoschedé family’s eldest son, Jacques, peeking out from the flowers growing in the garden, while Monet’s Turkeys (1877) depicts a flock of poultry strolling across a meadow with the château in the background. Both paintings capture scenes and motifs familiar to the Hoschedé family with the bright colors and bold brushstrokes typical of Impressionism, allowing us to enjoy the aesthetics of Impressionism as well as the tastes of their clients.

Gustave Caillebotte, who shared Monet’s passion for horticulture and landscaping, also had a strong interest in decorative botanical paintings. Bed of Daisies (1892-1893) is an unfinished work that is thought to have been conceived as a wall decoration for his own home. By scattering white daisies across the canvas from a bird’s-eye view, the work creates a sense of immersion that seems to envelop the viewer. The image, which stretches out infinitely without beginning or end, overlaps with the Water Lilies series that culminated in Monet’s “Large Decorative Paintings” project.

The exhibition “Impressionism from the Musée d’Orsay – A Tale of the Interior” allows visitors to experience the charm of Impressionism, which created innovative art that transcended the boundaries between nature and the interior amid urban life in 19th century Paris. The exhibition will run until Sunday, February 15, 2026.

Overview of “Impressionism from the Musée d’Orsay: A Tale of Interiors”

*The content of this article is current as of the time of coverage. Please check the official exhibition website for the latest information.

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Ueno Royal Museum

Located within the former grounds of Todaiji Temple in Nara, Shosoin is a miraculous treasure house that has protected and passed down for nearly 1,300 years 9,000 treasures that convey the essence of Tenpyo culture. Every autumn, the Shosoin Exhibition is held, where the treasures are open to the public, but recently, the Ueno Royal Museum is holding "Shosoin THE SHOW – Feel. The miracle that exists here, now," which proposes a new way to enjoy the treasures that takes a different approach from viewing the actual items.

The event will run from Saturday, September 20th to Sunday, November 9th, 2025.

Empress Komyo (701-760) supported the 45th Emperor Shomu (701-756), known for the construction of provincial temples and the Great Buddha of Todaiji Temple, and worked on Buddhist policies and relief for the poor. The history of the Shosoin treasures began when Empress Komyo, praying for the repose of Emperor Shomu's soul, donated some of Emperor Shomu's beloved belongings to the Great Buddha of Todaiji Temple. Among the approximately 9,000 treasures, many have clear records of their dates of creation, purpose, and origin, conveying to the present day the techniques, aesthetic sense, and aspirations of the people of that time.

This exhibition is under the full supervision of the Imperial Household Agency's Shosoin Office and has the theme of "Weaving Love and Beauty," unraveling the various stories behind the treasures that have been carefully protected under the imperial seal system, allowing visitors to experience their charm with their whole body.

At the beginning of the venue, a full-size replica of the "National Treasure Book," a catalogue of the donated treasures and measuring over 14 meters in length, is displayed unfolded on a full sheet of paper, showing the origins of the Shosoin treasures. While this exhibition is a traveling exhibition from the Osaka venue, the "National Treasure Book" is a new exhibit from the Tokyo venue.

At a press briefing held prior to the event, Takehiko Iida, director of the Imperial Household Agency's Shosoin Office, spoke of the dilemma that trying to strictly manage the treasures, which have become fragile over the course of 1,300 years, makes it difficult to open them to the public, and explained that this exhibition was born as a solution. "We wanted to provide a more innovative experience than just looking at the treasures themselves, so we have also included exhibits that appeal to all five senses, allowing visitors to appreciate the appeal of the treasures from all angles," he said, and as such, the exhibition does not feature actual treasures on display .

Some people may be disappointed and think, "What, there are no real ones?", but instead, there are "reproductions" on display that have been researched and produced for many years by the Shosoin Office of the Imperial Household Agency .

Unlike ordinary replicas, reproductions do not simply resemble the appearance, but rather utilize a variety of analytical and optical equipment to investigate the materials and techniques of the time, and Living National Treasures and other master craftsmen use their skilled techniques to aim to recreate the original appearance of the treasures. This exhibition features 11 reproductions, including the world's only surviving ancient five-stringed biwa, the "Mother-of-pearl Purple Sandalwood Five-Stringed Biwa," and the "Mother-of-pearl Box," both of which are renowned as representative treasures of the Shosoin Repository.

The goal of the Shosoin Office is to "create another Shosoin treasure." The replica is like a treasure that has traveled back in time to the present day, allowing us to see the treasures as close as possible to the ones that people of the Nara period actually saw, without any discoloration or damage.

In addition, since 2019, the Shosoin Office has been collaborating with TOPPAN to create detailed 3D digital data (digital archives) of the treasures, making full use of the latest 3D measurement, high-resolution photography, and texture capture technologies .

In this exhibition, a video work that adds special effects to this 3D digital data will be projected in high-definition video of approximately 12K on a huge screen approximately 4 meters high and 20 meters wide. The screen uses screen paint developed based on research on "Quantum Dots," which won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2023, making the treasures shine with even sharper contrast.

The approximately 17-minute screening is set to magnificent music and is divided into three parts: a "story video" about the hidden tales of Shosoin, a "digital treasure video" that approaches the overwhelming "beauty" of the treasures themselves, and a "reproduced and imitation treasure video." The most impressive part is the "World of Beauty of Shosoin" in the story video, which recreates a fantastical universe of "beauty" with camels, elephants, and mythical beasts strutting about among the flower and bird patterns and mother-of-pearl decorations on the treasures. The sense of beauty embodied in the treasures is condensed into this video, and standing in front of the screen provides an even greater sense of immersion.

The digital treasure footage projects treasures at angles that allow viewers to glimpse the details and textures of treasures that are difficult to see with the naked eye, such as the gorgeous decorative mirror "Circular Mirror with Flat Mother-of-Pearl Back No. 11," featuring a floral and bird motif interspersed with lapis lazuli and turquoise flakes, and the beautiful incense burner stand "Urushi-Kin Usu-Eban (Lacquer and Gold Thin Picture Board) B," featuring 32 brilliantly colored petals. A truly immersive viewing experience is possible even without the use of monoculars. "Urushi-Kin Usu-Eban (Lacquer and Gold Thin Picture Board) B" offers a truly enjoyable experience that can only be achieved with digital data, with the petals being disassembled to reveal the design, as if a flower is blooming, and the appearance of incense rising.

One of the highlights is the display of a reproduction of the scent of the legendary fragrant wood "Ranjatai ." Ranjatai (treasure name: Huang Jukkou) is a type of agarwood made by depositing resin and essential oils on the stumps of the Aquilaria genus of the Thymelaeaceae family, which is found in Southeast Asia. It was coveted by rulers of the time, such as Oda Nobunaga, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, and Yoshimasa, and has been called "the most famous fragrance in the world." Amazingly, it is said that you can still smell a faint scent of it today.

To record the fading scent, the Shosoin Office, with the cooperation of Takasago International Corporation, will begin analyzing the aromatic components in the air volatilizing from the Ranjatai starting in 2024. Furthermore, through the perfumer's 'monko' (a method of savory aroma appreciation in which fragrant wood is heated in an incense burner and the aroma is savored), they discovered that the fragrance resembled labdanum, a natural fragrance extracted from the resin of the cistus plant, and created the first-ever replica fragrance based on this.

Takashi Suzuki of Takasago International Corporation's IR/PR department explained, "Rather than the scent of Ranjatai itself, it is closer to the scent you smell when you listen to it, the scent that Oda Nobunaga and others smelled." At the venue, a replica fragrance will be placed in a glass container so that visitors can actually enjoy the scent.

The writer felt that it had an elegant fragrance reminiscent of cinnamon and apricot kernel. This world-famous fragrance has been revived in modern times, and we highly recommend experiencing it at the venue.

Beyond the "Avenue of Beauty," which is covered up to the ceiling with colorful designs of a wide variety of treasures, lies an exhibition area where new works created by contemporary artists inspired by the Shosoin treasures are on display.

The participating artists are music producer Kameda Seiji, photographer Takimoto Mikiya, ceramic artist Kamee Michiko, and designer Shinohara Tomoe .

Seiji Kameda has released a piece called "Hikari," which combines recordings of his treasured biwa and shakuhachi instruments with contemporary music.
Takimoto Mikiya exhibited a series of monochrome photographs of the majestic Shosoin Repository illuminated by moonlight in the dark, evoking the nocturnal world seen by people 1,300 years ago, when there was no light like we have today.
Michiko Kamee imagined the stories of people at the time who would have been moved by the colors, materials, and patterns they had never seen before, and acted out those stories while creating her works.The small plates and vases on display are decorated with patterns created by skillfully combining digital technology and analog brushwork.

Shinohara Tomoe, who attended the press preview, spoke about the production process and details of her "LACQUERED EWER SHOSOIN DRESS, " a dress that combines tradition and modernity with a motif of a Persian-style water pitcher called a "lacquered gobin," inspired by the "beauty that is relevant to the present day" of the Shosoin treasures.

"Lacquer Hubin" is a delicate design of flowers, birds and animals made from thin silver plates using lacquer art unique to East Asia. Shinohara was captivated by the overwhelming presence of this piece, saying, "I felt a sense of the generous flow of the continent and a timeless aesthetic sense."

The creation of this piece, which took about a year from conception to completion, involved hand-tracing over 400 different pattern parts based on 3D data of the treasures, while also embracing the passion of past artisans. Intensely committed to embodying 1,300 years of history, the designers repeatedly applied the cut brass pieces to the crushed velvet fabric, soaking them in chemicals and applying heat to add nuances through repeated trial and error.

The focus of the dress was on its form, and she commented, "I made sure to preserve as much of the oriental form of the lacquered gobin as possible, based on the 3D data. It was my first attempt at creating a costume from 3D data, but I created it with the hope that people would feel as if they were actually peering into a treasure."

While observing the lacquered gobins, he noticed that not only animals such as deer and birds, but even small insects existed in pairs of male and female. He shared the following story, revealing how he was moved when he discovered a "love story between Emperor Shomu and Empress Komyo" in the lacquered gobins.

"The main feature of this exhibition is that it allows you to experience the Shosoin treasures as art, and it is an exhibition that shows the seriousness of the Imperial Household Agency's Shosoin Office. I would be very happy if this exhibition allows you to feel the charm of the Shosoin treasures, the value of handiwork, and the passion of our ancestors who have passed them down to the present. I hope everyone will come and see it."

"Shosoin THE SHOW – Feel the miracle that exists here now" allows you to not only experience the charm of the treasures that have been brought back to life in modern times using the latest technology, but also to come into contact with the feelings of the people who have protected and passed down the history of the ancient treasures. The exhibition will run until Sunday, November 9th.

Overview of "Shosoin THE SHOW – Feel the miracle that exists here and now"

Dates	Saturday, September 20, 2025 – Sunday, November 9, 2025
venue	Ueno Royal Museum
Opening hours	10:00-17:00 (Last admission 30 minutes before closing)
Admission fee	(Same-day tickets) Adults: 2,300 yen, High school and university students: 1,700 yen, Elementary and junior high school students: 1,100 yen *Free admission for preschool children *For ticket details, please see the exhibition's official website.
Organizer	The Ueno Royal Museum, "Shosoin THE SHOW" Executive Committee (Yomiuri Television, The Yomiuri Shimbun, TOPPAN, Kadokawa Media House), Nippon Television Network, BS Nippon Television
Supervision	Shosoin Office of the Imperial Household Agency
inquiry	Hello Dial 050-5541-8600 (9:00-20:00 open every day)
Exhibition official website	https://shosoin-the-show.jp/tokyo/

*The content of this article is current as of the time of coverage. Please check the official exhibition website for the latest information.

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"Berabou: Tsutaju Eika no Yumebanashi" is a historical drama that depicts the turbulent life of Tsutaya Juzaburo, also known as Tsutaju, a media mogul active in the mid-Edo period.

The "Berabou Edo Taito Taiga Drama Museum" that we visited this time is a facility that opened in Taito Ward, Tokyo, an area associated with Tsutaya Juzaburo, the main character of "Berabou – Tsutajueika no Yumebanashi." The Taiga Drama Museum is packed with content that will allow you to enjoy the drama even more, such as the costumes and props of the characters.

In this report, we will introduce its charms and highlights.

Experience the atmosphere of the Edo period

The Taito Civic Hall, where the Taiga Drama Museum is located, is just a few minutes' walk from Asakusa Station. The 9th floor is an Edo-period town called "Oedo Karamarumachi," and upon stepping inside, you'll feel as if you've traveled back in time.

The corridor leading from the elevator to the Taiga Drama Museum is also filled with various gimmicks that entertain visitors, such as panels where people appear from silhouettes when photographed with a flash, and walls painted with ukiyo-e art that changes depending on the angle from which you view it.

When you step into the "Berabou Edo Taito Taiga Drama Museum," you will be greeted by the main visual of Tsutaju, played by Yokohama Ryusei.

Tsutaya Juzaburo was born in 1750 in Shin-Yoshiwara, Edo (present-day Senzoku, Taito Ward), and opened the bookstore "Koshodo" in front of the Yoshiwara Daimon Gate in his twenties. He interacted with Toshusai Sharaku, Kitagawa Utamaro, and other writers who represent Edo culture, and achieved great success as the "media king of Edo."

The historical drama "Berabou: Tsutaju Eika no Yumebanashi," which depicts the life of Tsutaju, will begin airing on January 5, 2025, and was already entertaining many viewers at the time of this interview in early October.

"Berabou Introduction" introduces the main cast and staff

The Taiga Drama Museum is divided into nine zones.
The "Berabou Introduction" section will feature an exhibition of Tsutaju's costumes and an introduction to the main cast and staff.
The highlight is Tsutaju's costume displayed in the center. It is the black-green tsumugi striped kimono that Tsutaju wore in the drama.

Sachiko Ito, who was in charge of costume design, explained why she chose green for the kimono worn by the main character, Tsutaju, instead of the more common indigo blue:

"He's still nobody, but he's not bound by anything, and he's mischievous and imaginative, and he's going to create something new. I chose the color green, which is not easy to reproduce, as a color to symbolize the start of such an original life."

He said:

The exhibit also features comments from actors such as lead actor Yokohama Ryusei and narrator Ayase Haruka, who plays Kurosuke Inari, as well as from the production team, including screenwriter Morishita Yoshiko, composer John Graham, and title calligrapher Ishikawa Kyuyo.

The photo spot featuring the English title for overseas audiences, "UNBOUND," seems to be extremely popular, with many people taking the same arm-crossed pose as Tsutaju to have their photo taken.

Incidentally, "UNBOUND" means "liberated" or "unconstrained." It seems to have been chosen as a word to describe Tsutaya Juzaburo, who lived a life unconstrained by social status or origin, and unconstrained by convention.

The "Ijikkenmichi Zone" displays props and panels related to Tsutaju.

The next zone, the "Ichikkenmichi Zone," displays props related to Tsutaju, the publisher (a modern-day publishing company; originally referring to the business owner who owns the "plates" used in printing), as well as panels of related characters. The exhibit also includes costumes and props (some of which are replicas) actually used in filming, making for an extremely valuable exhibit.

In particular, "Ehon Mushi Erami," which appeared in the 34th competition, is a gorgeous picture book that fully demonstrates Utamaro's keen observational skills and realism. You will be captivated by the vivid colors and exquisite realism.
It's a rare opportunity to see items that are essential to the drama's episodes up close.

A replica set of "Tsutaya" is also on display. Of course, the scale is adjusted to fit the venue, but it is truly "Tsutaya" itself. The level of reproduction is amazing.

The interior has been meticulously recreated, from the chest of drawers to the household altar, and the eaves are lined with books that Tsutaju was involved in publishing and rental books. You can even sit inside, so be sure to take a commemorative photo.

Recreating Yoshiwara's main street! "Nakanomachi Zone"

The most eye-catching exhibit is the costume worn by Segawa, the legendary courtesan played by Fuka Koshiba, during her courtesan procession. You can picture the courtesans walking briskly down the main street, garnering attention.
The visual of Nakanomachi, Yoshiwara's main street, in the background also leaves a striking impression, but since it would not be possible to build such a long set during the actual filming of the drama, a panel explained that an LED wall of images was used to create depth.

Additionally, the 4K Theater next to the Nakanomachi Zone screens video content that delves into the themes and behind-the-scenes of the program, and also introduces famous places and historical sites in Taito Ward related to Tsutaju.

There is also a circular bus that runs from the Taiga Drama Museum to places associated with Tsutaju, such as Shohoji Temple, Tsutaju's family temple, and the grave of Hiraga Gennai, who had a connection with Tsutaju, so it's a good idea to actually visit the spots you saw in the theater (you will need to present a commemorative visitor's card from the Taiga Drama Museum to board the circular bus).

The official website for "Taito Ward, a place associated with Tsutaju" introduces model tourist courses that take visitors to the Taiga Drama Museum and places associated with Tsutaju, as well as events and traditional rites related to the culture of the Edo period, when Tsutaju lived.
If you're interested, please check out the official website of "Taito Ward, the place associated with Tsutaju."

The Edo Castle Zone focuses on the Shogunate and its retainers

Edo Castle is also an important location in the story.
The setting of "Berabou: Tsutaju Eika no Yumebanashi" is the mid-Edo period, a time of prolonged peace and flourishing arts and culture. However, with the "Kansei Reforms" of Matsudaira Sadanobu as a turning point, the circumstances surrounding Tsutaju and his friends also began to change dramatically.

The Edo Castle Zone features exhibits focusing on people associated with the Edo Shogunate, such as the Shogun family and their retainers, as well as panels introducing the program's art and behind-the-scenes filming.

At the end of the Taiga Drama Museum, handwritten messages and autographed colored paper from the cast members are displayed, conveying the passion they have for this drama. It's also a great way to find the autograph of your favorite character, or to remember characters who have unfortunately already left the show.

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Experience the Edo market! "Taito Edo Market"

The adjacent Taito Edo Market sells souvenirs bearing the logo of the historical drama "Berabou," as well as items related to Edo and products made by local Taito ward companies.

The Taito Edo Market has such a wide variety of souvenirs that you could easily spend an hour just looking around, and the beautiful interior decorations are also noteworthy. There is also a corner where you can try your hand at solving "hanjie," a type of riddle that was popular in the Edo period, and it's full of fun. It would be fun to try it with your children.

Speaking of fun, the commemorative stamp corner in the lobby also has a unique feature.
By layering five color plates on the back of the visitor's certificate, you will eventually complete Utagawa Hiroshige's "One Hundred Famous Views of Edo: Asakusa Kinryuzan." This is a fun experience of the multicolor printing technique of ukiyo-e.

The Taiga Drama Museum is currently holding guided tours, which are enjoyable for both first-time visitors and repeat visitors, so why not give it a try?

Although I had not seen the drama, I was intrigued by the character of Tsutaju, the "media king of Edo," portrayed through the drama, and the place where he grew up, Taito Ward.

The Taiga Drama Museum will be open until Monday, January 12th, 2026 (national holiday).
After viewing the Taiga Drama Museum, why not take a tour of the places associated with Tsutaju and let your thoughts wander back to the Edo period?

■ Overview of the "Berabou Edo Taito Taiga Drama Museum"

period	February 1, 2025 (Saturday) – January 12, 2026 (Monday/Holiday)
Opening hours	9:00-17:00 (last entry 16:30)
Closed days	The second Monday of every month (the following day if the second Monday is a public holiday), New Year's holidays, etc.
place	Taito Civic Hall, 9th floor, 2-6-5 Hanakawado, Taito-ku, Tokyo
Organizer	Taito Ward Historical Drama "Berabou" Promotion Council
inquiry	03-4330-1409 (Taiga Drama Museum)
"Taito Ward, the place associated with Tsutaju" official website	https://taito-tsutaju.jp/features/exhibition

■ Overview of the Taito Edo Market

period	February 1, 2025 (Saturday) – January 12, 2026 (Monday/Holiday)
Opening hours	9:00-17:00 (last entry 16:30)
Closed days	The second Monday of every month (the following day if the second Monday is a public holiday), New Year's holidays, etc.
place	Taito Civic Hall, 9th floor, 2-6-5 Hanakawado, Taito-ku, Tokyo
inquiry	03-6802-8150 (Taito Edo Market)
"Taito Ward, the place associated with Tsutaju" official website	https://taito-tsutaju.jp/features/edomonoichi

*The content of this article is current as of the time of coverage. Please check the official website for the latest information.

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Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum

 

The exhibition “Van Gogh: A Painter’s Dream Passed on by a Family” is currently being held at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum , tracing the activities of the Van Gogh family, including the devoted support of the globally beloved painter Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890), his brother Theo, his wife Jo, and his nephew Vincent Willem, and showing how Vincent’s dreams and works have been passed down to the present day.
The event will run from Friday, September 12th to Sunday, December 21st, 2025.

Vincent van Gogh started his career as a painter somewhat late, in 1880, at the age of 27, but he produced around 2,000 works in the short 10 years until his death in July 1890 at the age of 37. During his lifetime, Vincent was devotedly supported both emotionally and financially by his younger brother, close friend, and fellow artist, Theo (Theodorus van Gogh), but he passed away six months after his brother’s death.

Although Vincent was not unknown during his lifetime, it is well known that he only sold a few of his works. So how did he come to achieve such a brilliant reputation today as a painter whose works are treasured in art museums around the world?

Theo’s wife, Johanna van Gogh-Bonger, who inherited the vast collection after his death, played a key role in this. Jo dedicated her life to bringing her brother-in-law’s work to the world, working tirelessly to ensure that he was properly recognized as a painter by exhibiting his works in exhibitions, strategically selling them, and organizing and publishing his correspondence.

Furthermore, Theo and Jo’s son, Vincent Willem van Gogh, established the Vincent van Gogh Foundation in 1960 to prevent the collection from being dispersed, and was instrumental in opening the National Vincent van Gogh Museum (now the Van Gogh Museum), which has a generous policy on lending artworks.

This exhibition is the first in Japan to focus on this carefully handed-down family collection. It features over 30 of Vincent’s oil paintings and drawings, primarily from the Van Gogh Museum’s collection. In addition, the exhibition is divided into five chapters, showcasing oil paintings and drawings by Paul Gauguin and Édouard Manet, illustrated prints from British and French newspapers, and ukiyo-e prints, all of which reveal the interests of the Van Gogh brothers and the art trends of their time, as well as four handwritten letters by Vincent, which will be shown in Japan for the first time.

Vincent aspired to be a painter, and from 1881 he honed his drawing and oil painting skills in The Hague and the rural village of Nuenen in the Netherlands. He established his modern style in Paris, where he moved in 1886, and went on to create innovative masterpieces in Arles, Saint-Rémy, and Auvers-sur-Oise, the place of his death in the south of France. The works on display at this exhibition allow visitors to trace the artist’s career over those intense 10 years.

“Face of a Fisherman in a Waterproof Hat” (1883) was painted during his time in The Hague, when he was enthusiastically studying black media such as pencil, chalk, and ink, influenced by the realistic subject matter and black-and-white contrasts found in illustrated newspaper prints. During his stay in Nuenen, his interest in color theory grew, and he began actively working on still lifes as a way to practice working with color. “Vase with Lunaria” (1884) is one of his first botanical still lifes, produced in late autumn and early winter of 1884.

Upon arriving in Paris, he was astonished to find that the works of the new avant-garde painters were completely different from what he had imagined, and he began to move away from the dark tones seen in this work and to seek out new colors and brushwork. Taking inspiration from the painters he respected, such as Delacroix’s colors and Monticelli’s impasto technique, he produced over 30 still lifes of flowers in the summer of 1886 alone. One of these, Vase with Gladiolus and Aster Flowers (1886), features a distinctive background resembling overlapping crosses.

If you turn your eyes to the highlight of this exhibition, the masterpiece Self-Portrait as a Painter (1887-1888) , which is said to be the last work he produced during his time in Paris, you will be amazed at how, in just two years, he had transformed into an extremely modern painter, compared to the oil paintings he produced during his time in the Netherlands.

The rich and skillful use of color, the fruit of his color theory studies in Paris, is born from the palette of colors that can be seen on the canvas, and the brushstrokes, imbued with unwavering confidence, spread vividly across the canvas. His posture is good, and his gaze, though slightly shadowed, is directed directly at the viewer, giving the impression of a strong will, perhaps a declaration of his pride as an artist, or perhaps a declaration of his resolve.

 There is an anecdote about this work, about the first time Vincent and Yeo met in 1890, before Vincent left the Saint-Rémy asylum and headed for Auvers-sur-Oise. Yeo had heard many stories about Vincent’s illnesses and poor health, so he imagined him to be a frail-looking man, but in his memoirs he wrote that he found him to be “a sturdy, broad-shouldered man with a healthy complexion, a smile on his face, and a very resolute demeanor.” He added, “Of all his many self-portraits, this one, in which he is at his easel, is the one that most resembles him at that time.”

Vincent himself seems to have had a negative impression of the painting, associating it with the Grim Reaper, but in any case, this work is considered one of the most important treasures of the Vincent van Gogh Foundation and, by extension, the Van Gogh Museum.

Vincent also admired Jean-François Millet, known as the “rural painter,” from the early days of his career, and left behind many copies. His “The Sower” (1888), painted during his time in Arles, was based on Millet’s work of the same name. Wanting to paint his own colorful “The Sower,” he repeatedly made prototypes until he was satisfied with the composition of this work.

The influence of ukiyo-e is clearly evident in the treatment of motifs and the deformed depictions, such as the innovative composition that boldly crops the farmer below the knees, the tree trunk that is shown close up in the foreground with extreme perspective, and the huge sun that shines divinely on the farmer, and so the work is being exhibited alongside a collection of ukiyo-e prints.

At the same time, the exhibition also includes a section featuring works that Yeo sold, i.e., works outside the Van Gogh Museum’s collection, in order to showcase his unparalleled entrepreneurial spirit and achievements in the art world .

Although Yo was originally an amateur in the field of art, after marrying Theo, she gradually became familiar with modern and contemporary art, including Van Gogh, the world of private collectors and museums, and the mechanisms of the art trade. After Theo’s death, she regularly sold Vincent’s works, but the economic reason of making a living for father and son was secondary; it was her ambitious goal to establish the reputation of Vincent, whom she believed to be a central figure in modern art.

The “accounting books” kept by Teo and Yeo shed light on Yeo’s efforts. Initially, they only recorded the household income and expenditures, but after Teo’s death, sales of his artworks were also recorded, leaving behind a vivid record of which works Yeo sold, when, to whom, and for how much. As a result of research and investigation, over 170 paintings and 44 works on paper have been identified, of which three oil paintings are on display in this exhibition.

The Van Gogh Museum boasts the world’s largest collection of Vincent’s works, with approximately 200 oil paintings and 500 drawings, and it is said that if Yeo had not sold them, there would have been around 250 more. However, it was Yeo’s strategic maneuvering that allowed his works to be included in collections around the world, making it relatively easy for those of us living in Japan to see the originals and properly appreciate them. Vincent’s dream of “having his paintings seen by people living 100 years from now” has thus been realized.

The Van Gogh Museum’s collection has gradually expanded, particularly since the late 1980s, thanks to donations and grants. While the collection has expanded to include works by the Barbizon School, the Hague School, Symbolism, Impressionism, and Post-Impressionism, as well as works on paper such as prints and posters, Vincent’s works and letters have also been incorporated. This exhibition marks the first time that four letters addressed to Anton van Rappard, whose whereabouts had been unknown for a long time but were discovered in a private collection in 2006, will be coming to Japan.

These are four pieces of paper from four letters addressed to Van Rappaardt, a senior painter whom Vincent met in Brussels, containing illustrations of people sitting on benches and old people he saw in a workhouse. These letters are prone to deterioration and are very rarely exhibited in exhibitions, making this an extremely rare opportunity.

At the end of the exhibition, an “Immersive Corner” will be created, offering an experience of a space over 4m high and 14m wide. High-definition images of Van Gogh Museum masterpieces such as “Branches of Blossoming Almond Trees” and “Wheat Field with Crows Flying” will be projected on a giant monitor, along with a 3D scanned CG video of “Sunflowers” (SOMPO Museum of Art). Come and enjoy this immersive experience, where you can expect to make new discoveries from a bold perspective that is too close for the naked eye.

Overview of the “Van Gogh Exhibition: A Painter’s Dream Continued by a Family”

*The content of this article is current as of the time of coverage. Please check the official exhibition website for the latest information.

Article provided by: Kokosil Ueno

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