ESUJ Event

Enjoy Edo Life through Masterpieces by Edo Artists
Exhibition "Paintings of the Edo Period from the Seikado Collection" at Seikado Bunko Art Museum

Explanation of the works by curator of Seikado Museum with English Translation

On Saturday, November 22 there was a trip to the Seikado Bunko Museum for the exhibition "Paintings from the Edo Period", with thirty-eight participants gathering at the Tokyu Futako Tamagawa Station on a beautiful autumn day. The Seikado Museum was founded in a quiet residential section of Setagaya's Okamoto district by Mitsubishi's second president, Iwasaki Yanosuke, and his son, Koyata. A road ascends up a beautiful forested slope from the entrance of the estate to the fine property and grounds, a pleasant, secluded surprise tucked away in this corner of Tokyo.

A talk about the exhibition, together with slides of the Edo period works, was provided beforehand by exhibition curator Yuko Kobayashi and was expertly interpreted into English by Sachiko Tsuchiya (ESUJ Councilor and Special Events Committee member). The talk was much appreciated both by non-Japanese participants, including exchange students, and Japanese visitors alike. Following the talk, group members toured the exhibition. Without the prior explanation, many easily overlooked aspects of the outstanding works on show by artists such as Okyo, Kazan, and Sakai Hoitsu, might have been missed. The beautiful garden with its autumnal foliage was inviting to stroll through. A group photograph was taken before many of the participants headed for lunch at a neighborhood Italian restaurant. Many of those present expressed a desire to return to the Seikado in future as they left.