TOKYO –
The Museum of the Imperial Collections at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo will reopen on November 3 following a major renovation that has expanded its interior space eightfold, with a series of special exhibitions featuring artworks associated with Japan’s Imperial Family, including folding screens depicting scenes from The Tale of Genji and a celebrated painting by Ito Jakuchu.
Located in the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace, the museum, officially known as the Sannomaru Shozokan, first opened in 1993 to preserve and manage artworks, traditional crafts, and other cultural treasures donated to the Japanese government following the death of Emperor Showa, also known as Emperor Hirohito.
The collection contains approximately 20,000 items with historical connections to the Imperial Family, offering visitors an opportunity to explore centuries of Japanese artistic and cultural heritage.
The renovation has increased the museum’s interior area to eight times its previous size, significantly expanding its capacity to preserve and exhibit the collection.
To commemorate the reopening, the museum will hold special exhibitions across three separate periods, allowing different works to be displayed in succession.
Among the highlights is a folding screen illustrating famous scenes from The Tale of Genji, the classic Japanese literary masterpiece written by Murasaki Shikibu during the Heian period. The work is widely regarded as one of the world’s earliest novels and has inspired generations of Japanese painters and craftsmen.
Another featured work is Rising Sun and Phoenix, a representative painting by Ito Jakuchu, an Edo-period artist celebrated for his imaginative compositions, elaborate detail, and distinctive depictions of nature. Jakuchu is often described as an eccentric or unconventional painter whose works have attracted renewed attention in recent years.
The museum regularly organizes special exhibitions to mark significant occasions, and the three-part reopening program will provide visitors with an opportunity to view selected masterpieces from the Imperial Collection in the newly expanded facilities.
Source: TBS
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