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Otsu-e paintings and the fifty-three stations of the Tokaido


January 2 [Wed]-March 6 [Sun], 2021.




Hiroshige Utagawa 《The Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido Otsu》 (Marusei version)
 

In the first half of the 1830s, Hiroshige UTAGAWA published the highly praised first edition of The fifty-three stations of the Tokaido, also known as the Hoeido edition after its publishers. Following this success, throughout the course of his life the artist created more than 20 variations of the Tokaido Road. However, since most of them remained uncompleted, only a few editions consist of the complete set of 55 prints. This exhibition showcases all 55 pieces respectively from both the Hoeido edition and the Maru-sei edition, which in particular, owning to the fact that only a few blocks have survived until today, is considered of incredible value. Featuring as the 53rd station of the Tokaido road, the post town of Otsu had been represented as a place of faith since the early Edo period in what were known as Otsu-e paintings which mainly depicted Buddhist images. Eventually the subjects of the paintings grew in numbers reaching over than 100 types, incorporating, for instance, doka, moral poems characterized by a satirical bite and a more didactic orientation that could already be found in genre painting. It became a popular trend among tourists all over the country to purchase Otsu-e as souvenirs. The paintings were treated as cheap common goods which might explain why only a few have survived throughout the years. The exhibition presents 35 variations of Otsu-e paintings, including the pieces newly discovered from artist Gentaro KOITO's old collection. A further addition to the show is The fifty-three stations of the Tokaido manga picture scroll', by manga artists who were active during the Taisho era, such as Ippei OKAMOTO and Ibaraki-born Minoru YAMADA.




《Oni no Nenbutsu,Praying Goblin》

《Neko to NeZumi,Cat and Mouse》
Exhibition Otsu-e paintings and the fifty-three stations of the Tokaido
Date January 2 [Wed]-March 6 [Sun], 2021.
Place Kasama Nichido Museum of Art
Hours 9:30-17:00 Tuesday-Sunday
Closed Mondays(Exceptionally, the museum will be open on January 10 , and instead it will be closed on the following Tuesdays; January 11, 2021)
Admissions Adults 1000 yen/ Seniors 65+ 800 yen Collage/ High School Students 700 yen Junior High School/ Elementary School Students 500 yen
(200 yen discount for each visitor in a group more than 20 people, 50% discount for the handicapped ID holders and their companion.)

If you visit the museum for the second or subsequent time during the "Otsu-e and the Phantom Fifty-five Stations of the Tokaido" exhibition period, please bring your admission ticket stub with you and receive a 200 yen discount. (Cannot be used in conjunction with other discounts.)

Special Event

Gallery Talks in Japanese
January 8 [Sat.], February 20 [Sat.]
14:00-


For further enquiry about the exhibition, feel free to contact us. Kasama Nichido Museum of Art
Ibaraki, Kasama-city, Kasama 978-4
309-1611
TEL: (+81) 0296 (72) 2160 FAX: (+81) 0296 (72) 5655
E-mail: k-museum [at] nichido-museum.or.jp