Exhibition Schedule 2010

April 3 (Sat) - June 6 (Sun), 2010: Discover the Beauty of Japan III
Tea: The Joy of Tea Drinking; Matcha (powdered green tea) and sencha (green leaf tea) were introduced from China and developed into a unique culture in Japan. Drinking matcha and sencha in tea ceremonies not only provided a place for enjoying tea, but also provided the occasion for art appreciation and reminiscing. The items used in tea ceremonies, such as kakemono (hanging scrolls) and tea utensils, were all very distinctive. When the taste of the participants was added to the sum of the items in hand, new esthetic discoveries were made.
In this exhibition, masterpieces of tea utensils for drinking matcha and sencha tea will be displayed with masterpieces from the painting collection. The aim is to see the trend and development of the culture of tea drinking from a contemporary viewpoint.

June 12 (Sat) - July 25 (Sun), 2010: Discover the Beauty of Japan IV
The World of Screen Paintings: Transition and Development; Byōbu (folding screens) were originally created for protection from circulating air in China. After the introduction to Japan, the artists illustrated the changes of the four seasons on byobu using uniquely Japanese techniques such as elaborate decorations in gold and silver and application of fan-shaped paintings, developing a characteristic style that depicted the differences in time and space. The folding form of the byōbu in particular enabled the artists to literally "bring out" and emphasize the climax of a story or a scene, providing a stage to demonstrate their artistic techniques and abilities.
This exhibition will trace the development of Japanese byobu through masterpieces of flowers-and-birds paintings, painted tales and landscapes from the Muromachi to the Edo period.

July 31 (Sat) - September 12 (Sun), 2010: "Venus" in Japanese Art: Ukiyo-e and Modern Japanese Beauty Paintings; Beautiful and elegant figures of women have always captured our hearts. Admiration and respect toward women are probably universal feelings of mankind. Centering on the paintings of Edo period ukiyo-e and modern beauties, this show will feature the comely form of women over the centuries. While the expressions of an artist may differ according to his personal taste, and are influenced by preferences of the time period, the unchanging form of female beauty in Japanese art will be explored.

September 18 (Sat) - November 3 (Wed), 2010: Commemorating the 260th Anniversary of his Birth
Sengai: Zen and Humor; Sengai (1750-1837) was the head abbot of Shōfuku-ji, a Zen temple in Hakata (present day Fukuoka city) in Kyūshū. In his late years after his retirement as chief priest, Sengai drew many ink paintings and calligraphy for local people upon their request. They included various classes of people from high ranking samurai to merchants, intimate friends and neighbors to children with whom he played. His paintings and calligraphy are expressions of Zen teaching, but they are never stern moral discourses. They are simple and easily understood teachings with humor and wit. And these works have an appeal and a message for us all. We hope visitors will enjoy and appreciate the timeless teaching of Sengai.

November 13 (Sat) - December 23 (Thu), 2010: Getting to Know Ceramics VIII
The Tea Ceramics Road: Temmoku and Gosu-Akae; Since the Southern Song period, many ceramics, from tenmmoku that developed in the Fujian area to other ceramics such as the so-called Jukō (Jukō style) celadon, Dehua-yao, Huanan sancai, black-brown glazed and gosu-akae (blue and red decoration) ceramics, were brought to Japan from Fujian province in China. Many were for the tea ceremony, and the sea route from Fujian to Japan was even called "the Tea Ceramics Road. ".
This exhibition will feature Chinese tea ceramics of the Fujian area in the Idemitsu collection, together with Longquan and Jingdezhen wares, introducing the ceramic culture of the country just across the sea.

January 8 (Sat) - March 21 (Mon), 2011 Part I: Glittering World of Gold / January 8 (Sat) - February 6 (Sun), 2011 Part II: Reincarnating the World of Beauty / February 11 (Fri) - March 21 (Mon), 2011: * The museum is temporarily closed from February 7 (Mon) until February 10 (Thu), 2011.; Commemorating the 250th Anniversary of the Birth of Sakai Hōitsu
The Art of Rimpa: From Kōetsu and Sōtatsu to the Edo Rimpa School; At a time when the lofty culture of the Momoyama period was about to close, with the brilliance of the golden taste as its background, the elegant art of Rimpa was just beginning to emerge. Decorative art based on the esthetic sensibilities of the aristocratic Heian period was revived by artists like Hon’ami Kōetsu and Tawaraya Sōtatsu, who were considered to be founders of the Rimpa style. This movement inspired a new creativity in later artists like Ogata Kōrin and Sakai Hōitsu.
In Part I, the art of Rimpa will be shown from the work of Kōetsu, Sōtatsu and Kōrin. In Part II, the beauty of Edo Rimpa will be explored, centering on the work of Hōitsu.