What is “Japanese painting”? Some people may think that Japanese painting is difficult, serious and conventional. The term “Japanese painting,” however, is relatively recent. It spread throughout Japan, in contrast to the term “Western painting” during the Meiji Period. So, what is the difference between Japanese and Western painting styles? First of all, the materials are different. For Japanese painting, pictures are depicted mainly on washi, traditional Japanese paper, and silk, and coloring materials are sumi ink and natural mineral pigments. Tarashi-komi, an ink diffusion technique, and the morotai method are also unique to Japanese painting. Expressions taking advantage of beautiful lines and blank space imply the delicate Japanese aesthetic sense. This exhibition will provide the viewer with basic knowledge about Japanese painting, displaying modern Japanese painting masterpieces. The “teaching materials” will be works by Yokoyama Taikan, Takeuchi Seiho, Uemura Shoen and Kaburaki Kiyokata, who were great masters of the modern Japanese art world. Be sure to visit the exhibition, a special “class”, to learn about and enjoy Japanese painting through various masterpieces.

The resplendent morning sun, the sunset warmly glowing and the astral moonlight – Painters have expressed various types of light in their works. This exhibition will feature lights expressed by Yokoyama Taikan, Hishida Shunso, Hashimoto Kansetsu and more. We hope you will enjoy the diverse expression of light in Japanese paintings.