Date：Sun. January 4, 2026 ~ Tue. March 31, 2026
Place：Exhibition Room

A Visual Chronology of 1300 Years.

Bonsai is a traditional Japanese art form that has spread around the world.

In the long history leading up to the present day, how has bonsai been created, what has it been called, and how has its tradition been nurtured?

This exhibition traces the history of bonsai over 1,300 years, introducing the path that bonsai has taken from Japan to the rest of the world through a chronicle-styled panel display with a wealth of visual materials.

In the center of the exhibition room, selected works and materials from the museum’s collection will be displayed according to the season in which the exhibition is held.
While enjoying the bonsai of the season, we hope that this exhibition will also grip you by the history and culture of bonsai, which continues to this day. 

Collection Exhibition

List of Exhibition Materials and Dates

January 4-February 18, 2026

[Bonsai Pots]

・Seto ware (present day Seto City, Aichi Prefecture), “Cobalt-Blue-Glazed Pot with Sparrows and Bamboo,” Meiji era (1867-1911), rounded outer rim, one piece, B-167.

・Yixing ware (China), “Unglazed (Udei) Oval Pot with Landscape Design,” Qing Dynasty (China), outer oval rim, one piece, B-035.

[Paintings]

・Utagawa Kuniyoshi, “Reduce the Price,” first printed in December 1852, one piece of large format paper, E-017.

・Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, “She Looks Like She Wants to Buy,” first printed in 1888, one piece of large format paper, E-108.

[Historic Materials]

“The Path to Starting the Kokufu Bonsai Exhibition”

・Asahimatsu Taguchi “Bijutsu bonsai-zu” (Artisitic Bonsai Collection), 1892, three series collection.

・Toshio Kobayashi (publisher), “Dai-san-kai bonsai-ten shashin-jo” (3rd Bonsai Exhibition Photo Collection), Zen-Nippon Bonsaikai (Publisher), Jan. 1, 1931.

・Toshio Kobayashi (editor), “Kokufu bonsai-ten zen-shashin-jo” (Kokufu Bonsai Exhibition Complete Photo Colelction), Gekkan Bonsai Hakkou-jo Kusamura-kai (publisher), May 5, 1934.

・Toshio Kobayashi (editor and publisher), “Dai-ni-kai kokufu bonsai-ten shashin-jo” (2nd Kokufu Bonsai Exhibition Photo Collection), Gekkan Bonsai Hakkou-jo Kusamura-kai (publisher), Jan. 1, 1935.

・Toshio Kobayashi (editor and publisher), “Dai-san-kai kokufu bonsai-ten shashin-jo” (3rd Kokufu Bonsai Exhibition Photo Collection), Gekkan Bonsai Hakkou-jo Kusamura-kai (publisher), May 5, 1935.

・Toshio Kobayashi (publisher), “Dai-yon-kai kokufu bonsai-tenrankai shashin-jo” (4th Kokufu Bonsai Exhibition Photo Collection), Gekkan Bonsai Hakkou-jo Kusamura-kai (publisher), Jan. 1, 1936.

・Toshio Kobayashi (publisher), “Dai-go-kai kokufu bonsai-tenrankai shashin-jo” (5th Kokufu Bonsai Exhibition Photo Collection), Gekkan Bonsai Hakkou-jo Kusamura-kai (publisher), June 1, 1936.

※Catalog of Past Exhibition Materials 

May 30-July 2, 2025

[Bonsai Pots]

・Senseki-Sanjin (Unknown/China), “Unglazed (Hakudei) Pot with Landscape Design,” year unknown, Rectangular, one piece, B-139.

・Seto ware (Seto City, Aichi Prefecture), “Round Blue-and-White Pot with Morning Glory Design,” Meiji era, round outer rim, one piece, B-170.

[Paintings]

・Utagawa Toyokuni Ⅲ, a scene from “Yo-wa Nasake Ukina-no-yokogushi,” June 1857, two pieces of large format paper, E-009.

・Utagawa Kunisada, “A Woman Washing,” c. 1815-42, one piece of large format paper, E-105.

・Kokunimasa, “Morning Glory, from the Modern Manners and Customs,” 1895, three pieces of large format paper, E-129.

・Yoshu Chikanobu, “Morning Glory, from The All Kinds of Good Fortune,” Meiji era, one piece of large format paper, E-136.

[Historic Materials]

“The Roots of Bonsai Village: Dango-zaka”

・Dango-zaka Aoi-en Matsuba, “Tsukurigiku,” c. 1853-68, one piece

・Dango-zaka-shita Uekiya Asagoro, “Adult-shaped chrysanthemum doll,” 1889, one piece.

・Kumpu-en Kozaburo, “Tsukurigiku omawarikake,” 1889, one piece

・Ueshige, “Kikuzaiku iki-ningyo odogu mawari-butai seridashi,” 1901, one piece

・Bonsai Enthusiast Club, “Bonsai Gaho,” Issue 7, Nov. 10, 1906.

・Bonsai Enthusiast Club, “Bonsai Gaho,” Issue 83, Mar. 10, 1913.

May 2-28, 2025

[Historic Materials]

Edo Period Gardening Hobbies: Rare Specimens

・Tadatoshi Mizuno (author), Unpo Ooka (illustrator), Untei Sekine (illustrator), “Somokukin’yo-shu,” 1880 (first published 1829). 

・Sadajiro Ikai (author), Kozaburo Morita (proofreader), “Illustrated Manual on Cultivating Nippon Lilly,” 1883, two pieces

・Tsunegoro Shino (author), “Private Records on Cultivating Nippon Lily,” April 1885. 

・Tomekichi Kato (author), “Annual Report of Nippon Lily,” Jan. 1895.

April 25-May 28, 2025

[Bonsai Pots]

・Attributed to Liu Pei (China), “White Cochin Pot in Mottled-Brown Glaze,” Qing Dynasty (China), rectangular, one piece, B-045.

・Arita ware (Arita, Saga Prefecture), “Round Blue-and-White Pot with Floral Arabesques,” 20th c., with legs, one piece, B-156.

[Paintings]

・Yoshū Chikanobu, “Azuma Beauty, Asakusa Park Fountain,” Jan 1904, 3 pieces of large format paper, E-143.

・(Reference) Tsutsumi Kichibei, “View of Asakusa Park’s Large Water Fountain,” (lithograph), 1911. 

・(Reference) Unknown, “Postcard with Photograph of Asakusa Park Water Fountain,” 1912-1925.

・Utagawa Kunihisa・Toyokuni Ⅲ・Hiroshige, “The Flowers of Edo: A Collection of Famous Places,” large format paper, E-145.

・Utagawa Toyokuni Ⅲ, “A Scene from Nise Murasaki Inaka Genji, vol. 26,” 1847-1852, large format paper, E-150.

March 21-April 23, 2025

[Bonsai Pots]

・Yixing ware (China), “Rectangular Peach-Blossom-Clay Pot,” Qing Dynasty (China), outer rectangular rim, B-147.

・Arita ware (Arita, Saga Prefecture), “Round Blue-and-White Pot with Cloisonne Design,” Meiji period (1868-1912), round outer rim, B-160.

[Paintings]

“Ukiyo-e Publishers Tsutaya Juzaburo and Tsutaya Kichizo” 

・Utagawa Toyokuni Ⅲ, “Obō no Rokuza (Young Boy Rokusaburō),” 1847-1852, two pieces of large format paper, E-022.

・Utagawa Toyokuni Ⅲ, “Hanaōgi, “Selection of 36 Famous Courtesans,” Jan 1861, large format paper, E-111.

・Utagawa Toyokuni Ⅲ, “Takigawa, Selection of 36 Famous Courtesans,” Dec 1861, large format paper, E-112.

・Utagawa Toyokuni, “A Scene from Nise Murasaki Inaka Genji, vol. 21,” 1847-1852, 3 pieces of large format paper, E-167.

[Historic Materials]
“Forerunner of the Bonsai Art Exhibition”

・Asahimatsu Taguchi (author), “Artful Bonsai Illustrations,” 1892, 3 pieces.
・Shoshichi Kiso (author), “Bonsai heika jurakukai zuroku,” Dec. 30, 1903, 2 pieces.