Momoyama: Artistic Visions in a Turbulent Century

In Japanese political history, the Azuchi-Momoyama period refers to the 30-year period from the 1573 fall of the Muromachi shogunate until the establishment of the Edo shogunate in 1603. Focusing on the Momoyama arts that flourished during these years, the most vibrant and magnificent in Japanese art history, the many masterpieces presented here introduce Japan’s shifting aesthetics from the late Muromachi period through the early Edo period.

The 1543 arrival of firearms in Japan symbolized the beginning of what would become a warring states period that extended almost 100 years until Portuguese boats were banned from Japanese waters in 1639, a year after the Shimabara Uprising ended. During these years centered on the Azuchi-Momoyama period, Japan changed, shifting from the medieval to the pre-modern, from a time when samurai warlords rose to power through to the Edo shogunate's establishment of a peaceful regime.

This exhibition presents approximately 230 superb works to summarize the characteristics of the Momoyama period arts created in the turbulent years from the end of the Muromachi period through the early Edo period. What were the lives of the Japanese like during these chaotic years, what kind of culture did they develop? This exhibition’s assembly of art works from this almost century-long period will provide visitors with a chance to consider the "body and soul" of this noteworthy transitional time within the history of Japanese art.

• Section 1 : Art During a Turbulent Century
• Section 2 : Muromachi Aesthetics: Prelude to the Momoyama
• Section 3 : Chanoyu and the Flowering of Momoyama Ceramics
• Section 4 : Looking West
• Section 5 : Mature Momoyama: From Splendid to Stylish
• Section 6 : Equipping a General: Arms and Armor
• Section 7 : Towards Peace: Art for a New Shogunal Era

List of Works (PDF/632KB)

General Information

Period	October 6–November 29, 2020
Venue	Heiseikan, Tokyo National Museum (Ueno Park) 13-9 Ueno Park, Taito-ku, Tokyo, 110-8712, Japan
Hours	9:30 a.m.-6:00 p.m. Open until 9:00 p.m. on Frydays and Saturdays. * The regular exhibitions are open untill 5:00 p.m.
Closed	Mondays (Except for November 23) and November 24
Admission	All tickets will be timed-entry tickets (timed tickets) Adults: 2400 yen University students: 1400 yen High school students: 1000 yen Junior high school students and under: Free * All tickets will be timed-entry tickets (timed tickets) and must be purchased in advance online. Museum members and other visitors eligible for free admission must also make advance reservations online. * Persons with disabilities are admitted free with one accompanying person each (please present an ID at the ticket booth). * The Special Exhibition "Kōgei 2020－The Art of Crafting Beauty from Nature" requires a separate admission fee, and reservations must be made online to view this exhibition. * Special exhibition tickets are package tickets that include admission to the regular exhibitions on the date of entry. Regular Exhibitions do not require an advance reservation to enter. However, the number of visitors allowed inside the building at the same time is restricted. Admission Tickets (Reserve a time to visit)
Access	10 minutes' walk from JR Ueno Station (Park exit) and Uguisudani Station 15 minutes' walk from Keisei Ueno Station, Tokyo Metro Ueno Station and Tokyo Metro Nezu Station
Organizers	Tokyo National Museum, The Yomiuri Shimbun, Agency for Cultural Affairs
With the Special Sponsorship of	Canon Inc., East Japan Railway Company, JAPAN TOBACCO INC., Mitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd., MITSUBISHI ESTATE CO., LTD., Meiji Holdings Co., Ltd.
With the Sponsorship of	SHIMIZU CORPORATION, Takashimaya Co., Ltd., TAKENAKA CORPORATION, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, Mitsubishi Corporation
General Inquiries	03-5777-8600 (Hello Dial)