Ueno Royal Museum
From Friday, March 6th to Tuesday, March 10th, 2026, the 5th annual “Exhibition in the Forest” was held at the Ueno Royal Museum.
“The Exhibition in the Forest” is an art exhibition by people with disabilities, co-sponsored by Taito Ward and the Ueno Royal Museum since 2021. Its aim is to allow people to experience the joy of engaging in culture and art through the opportunity to exhibit their work in a museum.
The competition was open to people with disabilities who live, study, or work in Taito Ward, or who use disability facilities or organizations within the ward. Participants were free to create works in any genre or on any theme, including watercolors, crayons, paper cuttings, and clay sculptures (*). This year, the fifth time the event was held, a record-breaking 325 works were exhibited.
(*)…Limited to two-dimensional works that can be displayed on a wall.
An awards ceremony was held on Saturday, March 7th, where works deemed particularly outstanding were awarded the “Taito Ward Mayor’s Award” (1 work), the “Ueno Royal Museum Award” (1 work), “Excellence Awards” (3 works), and “Honorable Mentions” (6 works). The judges were Yuwa Kabayama, President of Musashino Art University ; Masanori Fukino, calligrapher and chairman of the board of directors of Takayusha; and Akemi Sakamoto, curator at the Ueno Royal Museum. The associate judges were Kirika Ito, calligrapher and instructor for this year’s art workshop, and Satoshi Yoshida, painter.
At the beginning of the ceremony, Taito Ward Mayor Yukio Hattori offered his congratulations to the award recipients and encouraged them, saying, “I hope that this award will inspire you to further your creative activities.” He introduced the exhibited works as being full of rich expressiveness and originality, and expressed his hope that “this will be an opportunity to feel the charm of art born from the thoughts and free ideas embedded in the works, and to deepen understanding of people with disabilities.”
Next, Masayoshi Miyauchi, director of the Ueno Royal Museum, took the stage. He explained that since 2022, the Ueno Royal Museum has been collaborating with Taito Ward to hold exhibitions and also to conduct art workshops at facilities for people with disabilities, and expressed his delight at the expansion of art activities in Taito Ward. Regarding the exhibited works, he commented that “each is an irreplaceable expression, overflowing with the joy of drawing and the desire to communicate,” and said, “I hope that visitors will feel the various emotions that arise from these works.”
Finally, on behalf of the judges, President Yuwa Kabayama of Musashino Art University gave his comments. While the exhibition brings together a diverse range of expressions, President Kabayama noted a particular trend this year: “There are a great many works using ink, such as ink paintings and calligraphy, and many excellent pieces have been collected.” He reflected, “Looking at the works displayed on the wall again today, I felt as if each one was singing in a different voice.”
Furthermore, regarding the reason why art (visual expression) touches people’s hearts, he stated, “Perhaps it is because it is full of vitality, and the works themselves give us a pure feeling,” and praised the exhibited works, saying, “They are all pure and have a gentle impression.” In these turbulent times, he said, “Painting and expressing oneself has the potential to overcome various difficulties,” and expressed his hopes for the further development of the exhibition and his respect for those involved.
Naoyoshi Nakajima’s acrylic painting “Maehotaka,” which won the Taito Ward Mayor’s Award, depicts the early summer scenery of Mount Maehotaka in the Northern Alps, with patches of lingering snow. The contrast between the deep blue sky and the vibrant green slopes is striking. The flowing brushstrokes, deliberately left visible, give the dynamic mountain landscape a lively rhythm.
Ms. Nakajima is a regular exhibitor at the “Exhibition in the Forest,” having participated since its very first edition. She began painting after her health deteriorated due to illness. Among her subjects, mountains, which she says “bring peace to my mind when I paint them,” have been a theme she has been working on for over 10 years.
This work was created over approximately six months, based on memories of looking up at Mount Maehotaka from Kappa Bridge over the Azusa River in Nagano Prefecture, before his health deteriorated, and with reference to photographic materials. He expressed his delight at receiving the award, saying, “I just painted what I like, but I’m happy to receive an award like this,” and showed his enthusiasm for next time, saying he would like to try painting the landscape of Eboshi Rock on Mount Haruna in Gunma Prefecture.
The Ueno Royal Museum Award went to “The Painter of the Egg Kingdom” for his work, “The Kaleidoscope House.” The vibrant primary-colored stripes and geometric composition create a sense of depth and narrative in the space, inviting the viewer into a world of color in this energetic piece.
She originally enjoyed visiting art museums and cultural facilities in Ueno, and the Ueno Royal Museum was one of her favorite places. Therefore, she was especially delighted to win an award on her very first submission.
The distinctive artist name, “The Painter of the King of the Egg Kingdom,” reflects a worldview in which the artist paints a king and motifs from a fictional kingdom. He has previously depicted flowers, cars, animals, and other things that appear in the kaleidoscope the king looks through in over 50 paintings. Among these, “home” is a particularly meaningful motif for him, representing a warm and safe place, which led to his inclusion in this exhibition.
To faithfully recreate the scenes and inspirations that come to mind, the production process is always speedy, and it’s amazing that this piece was completed in about 10 minutes. The next project is planned to be themed around “The King’s Holiday.” We can’t wait to see how the “Egg Kingdom” world will unfold.
At the venue, exhibiting artists were seen happily taking commemorative photos with their families, while visitors were also seen enthusiastically discussing the brilliance of the ideas and ingenuity of the works, using the artists’ comments accompanying the pieces as a starting point. In one corner, a “Forest Market” selling original products made at welfare workshops and other facilities was held, and the event was bustling with activity throughout.
The “Exhibition in the Forest” continues to expand its reach. Some of the winning works will be on display at the Taito Ward Office 1st Floor Art Gallery until early April, so please be sure to visit.
■ Overview of the 2025 (5th) “Exhibition in the Forest” <br />Dates: March 6th (Fri) – March 10th (Tue), 2026
Venue: Ueno Royal Museum Admission: Free List of Award-Winning Works: https://www.culture.city.taito.lg.jp/ja/shogaisha_arts/morinonakanotenrankai/r07
■We are sharing footage from our art workshop <br />Video of the art workshop held on December 5, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFAXP3nOTe8
