すみだ北斎美術館 - Past Special Exhibitions

Tue, June 24, 2025 - Sun, August 31, 2025: Katsushika Hokusai, one of Japan’s preeminent artists, employed a multitude of devices that make the viewer gasp with astonishment. Noticing one, we wonder what devices he used in other works. Excited, we turn to the next work—eager to learn more about Hokusai and ukiyo-e. The "Wow, Hokusai!" exhibition invites visitors to experience Hokusai’s appeal through the discoveries they find in his works. The process is clear: look at his pictures, examine each work with care, and make new discoveries. Here we introduce the work of Hokusai and his students through simple descriptions that will, we hope, spur your interest in Hokusai and ukiyo-e. Please have a delightful time discovering that “Ah!” moment, that “Wow!” sensation.

Tue, March 18, 2025 - Sun, May 25, 2025: Ukiyo-e, commercial publications, were not be produced by the artist alone. A hanmoto, who was involved from planning to sales, a block carver, and a printer were essential. Among them, the hanmoto was the comprehensive ukiyo-e producer who detected trends, proposed plans to expand sales, and was in charge of hiring the artist and directing the carver and printer. This exhibition explores how the hanmoto produced Hokusai’s work and what works each introduced to the world. It introduces the Edo-period hanmoto Tsutaya Jūzaburō, the Edo media king, who observed Hokusai’s talent early on, Nishimuraya Yohachi, who made the Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji a hit, and Eirakuya Tōshirō, who published Sketches by Hokusai, plus the work of contemporary artists inspired by Hokusai, their work published by contemporary studios that continue producing ukiyo-e as traditional woodblock prints. Enjoy the world of those producers, from Tsutaya Jūzaburō in the Edo period to contemporary hanmoto, whose support is the critical underpinning of the ukiyo-e business world.

Past Special Exhibitions