The Japan Art Institute was established in 1898, as an organization to create a new style of Japanese painting, under the leadership of Okakura Tenshin. At the institute, painters including Yokoyama Taikan devoted themselves to seeking new methods of expression. The morotai method, which eliminates traditional lines, is one example of their efforts. The Institute, however, was forced to temporally stop their activities due to the criticism against the morotai method and the financial troubles associated with it.
The institute was re‐established in 1914. Taikan made great efforts to realize the vision of the late Tenshin, who died the previous year. The re‐established Inten has since provided the painters with opportunities to release masterpieces, and continues to play an essential role as the main organization in the Japanese art world.
This year, Inten is celebrating 100 years since its re‐establishment. Commemorating this, we will exhibit masterpieces by Taikan and other Inten painters. We hope that you will appreciate various great works by the masters who led the art world under the spirit of “reforming Japanese painting”.

Throughout the years, the aesthetics of women has been an essential theme of Japanese painting, and many Japanese painters have produced great works depicting this. In this exhibition, we will display various works depicting beautiful Japanese women, selecting from the numerous modern Japanese paintings housed at the museum. We hope you will enjoy the work of the great bijin‐ga masters such as Ito Shinsui and Kaburaki Kiyokata.