Tokugawa Art Museum

The Tokugawa Art Museum displays a premier collection of artworks belonging to the Owari Tokugawa Family, a daimyō family from the Edo period. Run by the Tokugawa Reimeikai Foundation (a public incorporated foundation) founded in 1931 by Yoshichika Tokugawa, the museum opened to the public in 1935. After the Meiji Restoration, the museum acquired artworks from other daimyō families and received donations, further expanding the collection. Despite the war and its aftermath, the entire collection has been preserved to the present day. In 1987, the museum underwent expansion and renovation for its 50th anniversary, adding the Masterpieces Collection Galleries and improving the display of the precious treasures. With over 10,000 artefacts, the museum's collection includes Ieyasu Tokugawa's bequests as the core and treasures collected and inherited by generations of the Lords of Owari, starting with Ieyasu's ninth son, Yoshinao Tokugawa. The collection encompasses 9 National Treasures, among which are the Tale of Genji Illustrated Scrolls, and encompasses 59 pieces labeled as Important Cultural Properties.

The Tale of Genji, Illustrated Scrolls

The Genji monogatari emaki, also known as the Tale of Genji Illustrated Scrolls, is considered the earliest existing illustration of the novel and dates back to the mid-12th century, during the reigns of retired Emperors Goshirakawa (1053-1129) and Toba (1103-1156). Thought to have been created mainly at the imperial court, about a hundred years after Lady Murasaki wrote The Tale of Genji, this revered set of handscrolls masterfully captures the essence of the court's cultural atmosphere during that time period.

Featuring:

• Swords, armours, arms

• Paintings, calligraphy, religious art

• Noh and kyogen masks, costumes, musical instruments