The Kai Shuzaburo Collection: Scenes of the Floating World as Depicted by Kyosai – Tracing His Artistry Through Ukiyo-e Paintings and Prints

Kashima Arts is proud to announce the opening of “The Kai Shuzaburo Collection: Scenes of the Floating World as Depicted by Kyosai – Tracing His Artistry Through Ukiyo-e Paintings and Prints” from June 13 (Sat) to June 28 (Sun), which explores the artistic career of Kawanabe Kyosai, a painter who thrived during the late Edo and Meiji periods.

The exhibition showcases a selection of works from the “Kai Shuzaburo Collection,” amassed over many years by Fujita Noboru, one of Japan’s leading collectors and researchers of Kawanabe Kyosai. The collection was named by Fujita himself in homage to Kyosai’s childhood name, “Kai Shuzaburo.” Of the 167 works, including ukiyo-e paintings and prints, 65 will be exhibited in Tokyo for the first time. The exhibition is being held as part of Kashima Arts’ efforts to promote Japanese art, with free admission and no artworks for sale.

Kawanabe Kyosai was a painter who formally inherited the traditional techniques of the Kano school, while also producing numerous woodblock prints, including ukiyo-e, a popular form of entertainment among the common people. In this exhibition, ukiyo-e paintings and prints are regarded as essential expressions that helped shape Kyosai’s art. They are displayed together across 14 themes, including “Beauty and Fashion,” “Flowers, Birds, Wind and Moon,” and “Caricature, Parody, and Satire,” offering a multifaceted introduction to the breadth and depth of Kyosai’s artistic world. Through this collection of works, we hope to convey the full scope of Kyosai’s diverse and unique expressions, while also exploring his character through his depictions of the social conditions and values of his time.

The “Kai Shuzaburo Collection,” built over many years by Mr. Fujita Noboru through his deep passion for Kawanabe Kyosai, boasts a richness that is hard to believe could come from a single individual’s collection. We hope that this exhibition, which offers the opportunity to experience Kyosai’s art through Mr. Fujita’s eyes, will encourage a rediscovery of this extraordinary painter, Kawanabe Kyosai, and further deepen your interest in Japanese art.

Kawanabe Kyosai (1831-1889), a painter who was active from the late Edo period to the Meiji era and was also known by his fierce nickname, the “Demon of Painting,” received his first painting lessons from the ukiyo-e artist Utagawa Kuniyoshi in his childhood. At the age of 11, he entered the Surugadai Kano family’s art school and studied there until he was 19. After that, he vigorously built his own unique style by drawing on various techniques from different schools of art. Living through the turbulent times from the late Edo period to the Meiji era, Kyosai continued to depict a wide variety of subjects, responding to the interests and desires of ordinary people, including their lives, beliefs, entertainment, and customs. His works, created with overwhelming skill and free-flowing imagination, continue to captivate many people today.

Of the works from the “Kai Shuzaburo Collection” featured in this exhibition, 65 will be shown in Tokyo for the first time. Among these, 35 of the 60 ukiyo-e paintings and 30 of the 94 prints will be on public view for the first time, introducing many works that have had few opportunities to be widely exhibited until now.
Among them, “Otsu-e Giga”, a work based on the legendary tale of a “Nenbutsu-oni” (a demon associated with Buddhist chanting) emerging from a painting created by an artist, will be exhibited to the public for the first time anywhere in Japan.

It is said that Kawanabe Kyosai produced thousands of works throughout his lifetime. However, very few paintings from his early twenties survive, and little is known about this period of his artistic development. This exhibition will feature the first public showing in Japan of the newly discovered painting “Mandarin Ducks,” which is believed to date from his early twenties. The work, which strongly retains the style of the Edo Kano school, is a valuable example that offers a glimpse into the earliest stylistic phase of Kyosai’s art.

“Seisei Kyosai Uchiwa-e shugajo” (Kyosai’s sketchbook of fan designs) contains 15 hand-painted fan-shaped paintings. Richly colored and executed with meticulous detail using high-quality materials, these works demonstrate Kyosai’s exceptional artistry. No other album of hand-painted fan-shaped paintings is known to survive, and this work was featured as a masterpiece in the 2019 exhibition “Kawanabe Kyosai: Nothing Escaped His Brush” at the Suntory Museum of Art.

Other works on display include “Empress Jingu and Takenouchi no Sukune: Boys’ Festival Dolls,” “Eagle and Rabbit in the Snow,” and “Kose Kanaoka’s Artwork,” showcasing Kyosai’s profound knowledge and impressive artistic skill.

When discussing the artistic career of Kawanabe Kyosai, his woodblock prints, including ukiyo-e and illustrated books, are indispensable.
This exhibition presents 94 works from diverse genres, including caricatures and satirical drawings. From “Shadow Pictures,” said to satirize the Western powers, to “Kyosai Hyakuzu” (Hundred Caricatures by Kyosai), which humorously illustrates proverbs, each work vividly displays Kyosai’s distinctive artistic expression and keen sense of humanity. This is a rare opportunity to appreciate a large number of his woodblock prints gathered in one place.

To commemorate this exhibition, we will be selling a catalog featuring all 167 exhibited works. Each work includes a commentary by Mr. Fujita, providing a deeper understanding of the work’s appeal and highlights. The catalog also includes a chronology, his signatures and seals, making it an excellent reference.

■Number of pages: 176 pages (full color)
■Price: 1,000 yen (tax included)
■Sales Method:
Kashima Arts
Online Sales

For inquiries regarding the catalog, please contact:
Tel: 03-3276-0700
Mail: intl@kashima-arts.co.jp

We will be offering a guided gallery tour led by Mr. Fujita Noboru. Under his guidance, visitors will have the opportunity to explore the exhibition and discover the appeal of Kyosai while learning about the background of the works, key highlights, their historical context, and the formation of the Kyosai collection.

Date:
Sun.14 June 1pm- / 3pm- *Registration is now closed.
Sun.21 June 1pm- / 3pm- *Registration is now closed.
Sun.28 June 1pm- / 3pm- *Registration is now closed.

Capacity: 10 people per session
Duration: Approximately 30-45 minutes
Participation Fee: Free
How to Participate: Advance reservation required
Venue: Kashima Art (3-3-2 Kyobashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo)

If you wish to participate, please contact us.
Mail: intl@kashima-arts.co.jp
Tel: 03-3276-0700

Fujita Noboru was born in Kiryu City, Gunma Prefecture in 1956. Around 1988, he began collecting works, primarily original paintings by Kawanabe Kyosai, and has continued collecting and researching for approximately 40 years. The collection name, “Kai Shuzaburo Collection,” is an homage to Kyosai’s childhood name, “Kai Shuzaburo.”
From 2012 to 2022, he served as auditor, director, and vice-chairman of the Kawanabe Kyosai Memorial Museum.
He is also involved in educational activities, including teaching courses as a part-time lecturer at the Open University of Japan’s Chiba and Saitama Study Centers.

Open every day during the exhibition period / Free admission / No sales
Dates: June 13 (Sat) – June 28 (Sun), 2026
Hours: 10am – 6pm
Exhibiting works: 167
Venue: Kashima Arts (3-3-2 Kyobashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0031, Japan)
Organizer: Kashima Arts Co., Ltd.

We welcome media coverage during the event period. For all inquiries, please contact us at the address below.
Kashima Arts Co., Ltd.
Overseas Dept Tel : +81(0)3-3276-0700
Email : intl@kashima-arts.co.jp