The distinct seasons in Japan make it possible to enjoy uniquely beautiful landscapes; various flowers bloom fully in spring, greenery becomes brighter in summer, red leaves add color in autumn, and pure white snow falls in winter. Moreover, each season shows its own gradual changes, so there is a clear difference between early and late spring, with various plants sprouting during the early period, and the cherry blossoms falling during the late period. Even within a day, appearances can vary through morning, afternoon and night.
Japanese have traditionally perceived very subtle seasonal changes, and have long expressed these feelings through literature, music and art. In Japanese paintings, the aesthetics of nature represents one of the most important themes, and has attracted much interest from artists. Works depicting nature demonstrate how painters are inspired and motivated when they face natural scenes that change from day to day. This exhibition displays paintings arranged by season. We hope you will enjoy the aesthetics of the changing seasons depicted in Japanese paintings, including flower and bird paintings, and landscapes.

In Japanese paintings, the painters' signatures and seals are often indicative of their character, and the origin of the work title is sometimes described on the storage box. This exhibition will focus on these signs. We hope that you enjoy the Japanese paintings from an unusual viewpoint.