Exhibition schedule : April 2020 to March 2021

April to July

Recovery Memorial Exhibition Five Years after the Kumamoto Earthquakes​
​Straw Hat Pirates, Unite!
Special Unveiling of Six Original Autographed Illustrations by Manga Artist Oda Eiichiro

Saturday, April 3 to Sunday, June 20, 2021

 Original autographed illustrations by manga artist Oda Eiichiro have been donated to Kumamoto Prefecture to accompany the installation of bronze statues as part of the “ONE PIECE Kumamoto Revival Project.” This exhibition is a special unveiling of six hand-drawn illustrations depicting Luffy, Sanji, Usopp, Chopper, Brook, and Franky. The exhibition will also introduce the state of damage to the Kumamoto Prefectural Museum of Art following the 2016 Kumamoto earthquakes as well as the reconstruction efforts.

Free admission

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Thank You for 45 Years! 
Highlights of the Museum Collection​

Saturday, April 3 to Sunday, June 27, 2021

  On March 4, 2021, the Kumamoto Prefectural Museum of Art celebrates the forty-fifth anniversary of its opening in 1976. Out of gratitude to all of those who have supported and nurtured KPMA over the course of the past forty-five years, this exhibition will showcase the finest picks from KPMA’s collection.

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July to December

Famous Treasures of the Hayashibara Museum of Art​

Saturday, July 16 to Sunday, September 5, 2021

  Many famous treasures belonging to the Hayashibara Museum of Art, located in Okayama City, Okayama Prefecture, are on display! This magnificent exhibition contains numerous National Treasures, Important Cultural Properties, and Important Art Objects.
  The extravagant selection of featured works includes armor, noble furnishings, gorgeous Noh costumes and masks, and paintings and calligraphy passed down as heirlooms by the Ikeda family, the former feudal rulers of Okayama Domain, as well as swords collected with exquisite taste by Okayama business magnate Hayashibara Ichiro, a picture scroll of The Tale of the Heike depicting the famous scene in which the samurai Nasu no Yoichi shoots a fan off the top of a pole on one of the enemy’s ships, modern paintings, ceramics such as Bizen and Nabeshima ware, lacquerware, and metalwork.
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• ​Important Cultural Property of Japan
  Shell Bucket with Makie Design of Lions and Peonies on Zigzag Background/Painted Shells
• Edo period (17th century) 
• Collection of the Hayashibara Museum of Art

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Kagawa Gentaro Maze Picture-Book Exhibition​

Saturday, July 17 to Saturday, September 4, 2021

  Starting with “Maze of Time” released in 2005, the images in the “Maze” series of picture books, which boasts a cumulative total of three million copies in print, are each drawn intricately based on careful investigation. As you tackle the mazes and the hidden pictures interspersed within them, you can have fun learning about their respective themes, such as history and nature. This exhibition showcases original drawings from a total of sixteen titles in the series, starting with the first book, “Maze of Time,” and also including titles such as “Maze of Space” and “Maze of Toys.” It is an exhibition where you can have fun and learn with your family and friends.

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• Kagawa Gentaro
• Tower of Babel
• 2008

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The Joy of Picture Scrolls

Saturday, July 17 to Sunday, September 12, 2021

  Picture scrolls or illustrated handscrolls (emakimono in Japanese) are a traditional Japanese painting format viewed by unrolling the scroll from right to left. They are said to be the origins of modern animation because of the manner in which the storyline unfolds as the scroll is unrolled, as well as their vibrant portrayals of characters. They are also valuable materials offering insight into the lifestyles and values of the eras in which they were created.
  This exhibition features picture scrolls of various styles with a focus on Haseo Zoshi (“The Tale of Lord Haseo”), an Important Cultural Property from the fourteenth century. It provides an easy introduction to the artistic beauty and appeal of picture scrolls.

 

• ​Important Cultural Property of Japan
  The Tale of Ki-no-Haseo (part)
• Nanbokucho period (14th century) 
• Collection of Eisei Bunko​

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Introduction to “Crafts”: A Primer for Appreciating the Antiquities of the Hosokawa Family

Thursday, September 23 to Friday, December 24, 2021

  The works of art passed down by the Hosokawa family, the former feudal rulers of Kumamoto, include various kinds of crafts such as armor, horse gear, Noh masks, and furnishings. Shining a spotlight on those crafts, which tend to be initially perceived as difficult in nature, this exhibition attempts to explain their characteristics and appeal. What kinds of functions did components of armor such as helmets and cuirasses serve on the battlefield? What kinds of techniques were used to produce beautifully gleaming maki-e decorations on furnishings? Visitors can acquire the basic knowledge necessary to appreciate crafts from various angles.​

• Tobacco tray with the Yoro Falls design in Makie
• Edo period (19th century)
• Collection of Eisei Bunko (Entrusted to KPMA)​

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January to March

The Multifaceted Hosokawa Family: Curators’ Highlights from the Hosokawa Collection

Saturday, January 8 to Monday, March 21, 2022

  The Hosokawa Collection consists of works in a wide range of fields, from paintings and sculptures to crafts and historical documents, comprising approximately 90,000 items in total! Since the works are still under investigation, much about them remains unknown. Nonetheless, this exhibition presents items of the Hosokawa Collection stored in Kumamoto Prefecture from the unique perspective of the museum curators who are in contact with them on a regular basis. Prepare to be astonished at the breadth of the works in the collection and discover the richness of the Hosokawa family’s history and culture spanning many centuries until the present day.

• Confucius Statue
• Late Edo priod (19th century)
• Collection of Eisei Bunko

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Spring Celebration: An Early Glimpse of Spring at the Museum ​

Saturday, January 8 to Monday, March 21, 2022

  For most people, the word “spring” will probably bring to mind the cherry-blossom season. However, during the Edo period (1603-1868), spring was thought to run from January to March, starting with the arrival of the New Year. In this exhibition, visitors can get a slightly early glimpse of the arrival of spring through artworks on display at the Museum. Room 1 presents calligraphy of meaningful words and phrases connected to the New Year; Room 2 contains enduring favorites, the ornamental dolls of the modern Hosokawa family, as well as paintings with auspicious motifs such as pine, bamboo, and plum, the crane and tortoise, and Mount Fuji; and Room 3 features paintings on the subject of “flowers.”

• Festival Dolls Representing the Emperor and the Empress
• 1914
• Collection of KPMA

The Era of Ebihara: 1945-1970

Friday, February 25 to Wednesday, March 30, 2022

  The Kagoshima-born painter Ebihara Kinosuke (1904-1970) left a significant mark on modern Japanese art history. After firmly establishing himself as an up-and-coming artist in Tokyo during the period before World War II, he used Kumamoto, where he had evacuated to escape air raids, as a base for his artistic endeavors for a period of fifteen years following the end of the war, and it was there that he produced many outstanding works. At the same time, he also made great contributions to the promotion of local culture through the operation of a private painting school and the creation of public art, garnering tremendous support from the people of Kumamoto. This exhibition attempts to recreate “the era of Ebihara” in Kumamoto by showcasing Ebihara’s masterpieces, as well as works by his pupils and related materials.

• Circus
• EBIHARA Kinosuke 
• 1935 
• Collection of KPMA