Exhibition
Past Exhibition 2024-25
The “Perfect Guide to Japanese Swords,” Revived:
Studying the Great Swords of the Kamakura Period
June 22 – August 25, 2024
National Treasure, Tachi sword, signed “Kanenaga”, By Tegai Kanenaga
Kamakura period, 13th century
Important Cultural Property, Tachi sword, signed “Takatsuna”, Known as Takigawa(owner’s name) Takatsuna, Ko-bizen Takatsuna, 12-13th century, Kamakura period 
Katana sword, unsigned, Known as Goke Kanemitsu (widow’s Kanemitsu), Attributed to Osafune Kanemitsu,14th century, Nanbokucho period 
Important Cultural Property, Twelve Divine Generals (Horse General)”By Unkei’s Successors, ca.1228, Kamakura period 
Set of three sword fittings with design of Chinese characters in twelve zodiacal sign, Attributed to Gotō Jōshin, 16th century, Muromachi period
Reviving the “Perfect Guide to Japanese Swords” exhibition, which was a hit in the days when the museum was located in Okamoto, Setagaya-ku, this exhibition will be the first to focus on Japanese swords since we moved to our new premises in Marunouchi. The exhibition brings together nine swords from the museum’s collection that have been designated as national treasures and important cultural assets and provides the ideal introduction to the appreciation of Japanese swords, with a focus on the Kamakura Period.
Special Exhibition to Mark 100 Years Since the Completion of Seikado Bunko
The Demon Painter and the Demon Collector:
Kawanabe Kyōsai and Matsuura Takeshirō
April 13 – June 9, 2024
Inportant Cultural Property, “Nirvana Painting of Matsuura Takeshirō” by Kawanabe Kyōsai, Meiji period, 1886, from the collection of the Matsuura Takeshirō Memorial Museum 
Necklace (Jōmon Period with modern additions) Collection of the Seikado Foundation 
Kawanabe Kyōsai, Travelling through hell and paradise, Meiji era, dated 1869-72, Collection of the Seikado Foundation 
‘A Bell of Devil’s Face’ by Kawanabe Kyōsai, from“Hatsuunyokyo”, 1882, Collection of the Seikado Foundation 
A Bell of Devil’s Face, Collection of the Seikado Foundation
The painter Kawanabe Kyōsai and Matsuura Takeshirō, the explorer, antiquarian, and writer who gave Hokkaido its modern name, were two multi-talented figures active in the closing years of the feudal era. This exhibition unites Kyōsai’s famous “Nirvana Painting of Matsuura Takeshirō” with the cultural treasures depicted in the painting, to consider these two men’s passion for ancient times.
