Tokyo

Beyond Ukiyo-e: The Cream of the Corp of Japanese Treasures

 

Cultural News, 2008 May Issue

 

Tokyo National Museum

 

By Yuko Itatsu

 

   In the age of specialization and compartmentalization, museum exhibits have become quite narrow in focus. The Tokyo National Museum (TNM) is an anomaly. It is a collection of the “best” of all Japanese art. “Best” is a relative word, of course, meaningless unless defined.

 

    The TNM represents the best and most significant pieces of Japanese art according to the Japanese government. There is no doubt that the selected pieces reflect the culture of the top echelons in each respective period. 

 

    There are four exhibit pavilions at the Tokyo National Museum. The main gallery is the perfect pavilion to go to get a sweeping understanding of the aesthetical transformation of Japanese high art.

 

   In addition to the main gallery, there is the Asian gallery, the Japanese archaeology gallery, and the gallery that holds treasures from Horyuji, the oldest wooden structure in the world. In addition to the TNM, there are National Museums in Kyoto, Nara and Kyushu.

 

   You might visit the main gallery expecting the Ukiyo-e prints to be the highlight of your stroll, and will be pleasantly surprised at the variety and quality of the rest of the items, including quite a few National Treasures and other pieces registered as “Important Cultural Properties.”

 

    The grandeur of the main gallery architecture represents the determination of the Japanese government in the Meiji era and the late 1930s to put on display the longevity and high level of cultural sophistication to both domestic and foreign visitors.

 

   Those of you who would like to see the absolute best may be interested in a special exhibit called “Dueling Geniuses: The Greatest Highlights of Japanese Art” from July 8 to August 17 at the Tokyo National Museum.

 

    Normally open from 9:30 a.m.- 5 p.m., Tues-Sun. 10 minute walk from JR Ueno Station. Adult admission 600 yen. Free admission for those over 70 and students up to high school. For more info: www.tnm.jp/en

 

   Yuko Itatsu is a Ph.D. Candidate in History at the University of Southern California and Project Assistant Professor at the University of Tokyo.