The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto will host "Modern Urban Life and Takehisa Yumeji: Works from the Kawanishi Hide Collection" from March 28 (Saturday) to June 21 (Sunday), 2026.
Yumeji Takehisa marked his 140th birth anniversary and 90th death anniversary in 2024. His reputation as a giant in modern Japanese art history is now firmly established, with retrospective exhibitions being held across the country. However, for the young boys and girls, art enthusiasts, and young artists of the Taisho and Showa periods, he was less of a master and more of a familiar illustrator and designer. The numerous goods he produced during his lifetime, including postcards, envelopes, chiyogami paper, and furoshiki wrapping cloths, tell this story. Printmaker Hide Kawanishi was one of those captivated by Yumeji's art and poetry, with over one-third of his massive print collection consisting of Yumeji's prints, books, and goods. This exhibition showcases Yumeji's works alongside pieces by Kawanishi and other Showa-era painters and printmakers, including Koshiro Onchi, who depicted urban life, modern landscapes, and a world of avant-garde and playfulness, presenting Yumeji as a popular star of the modern mass culture era of the Taisho period.
Main Featured Works
Yumeji Takehisa "Minatoya Ehon-zoshi Store" 1914 The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto
Yumeji Takehisa "Senoo Music Score No.44 Rantō" 1917 The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto
Yumeji Takehisa "Senoo Music Score No.157 The Last Rose of Summer" 1920 Lithograph on paper The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto
Yumeji Takehisa "Senoo Music Score No.164 Rappa wo Mina Hibikaseyo Kigeki Shō Kōshi" 1920 The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto
Yumeji Takehisa "Polydor Record May New Releases (Poster)" 1930 The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto
Yumeji Takehisa "Kurenkan" circa 1928 The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto
Hide Kawanishi "Circus (Kyokuba)" 1928 The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto
Senho Maekawa "Kanchu Kanhon Dai Kyū-satsu Fūbutsu Chiyogami-chō" 1951 The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto
Exhibition Overview
Exhibition Title: "Modern Urban Life and Takehisa Yumeji: Works from the Kawanishi Hide Collection"
Period: March 28 (Saturday) to June 21 (Sunday), 2026
Venue: The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto (Okazaki Enshoji-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto City)
Hours: 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM (until 8:00 PM on Fridays) *Admission closes 30 minutes before closing
Closed: Mondays (except May 4 [Monday/Holiday] which will be open)
Admission: General 1,800 yen (1,600 yen in advance), University students 1,100 yen (900 yen in advance)
*Prices in parentheses apply to advance tickets, groups of 20 or more, and night discount (after 6:00 PM on Fridays)
Free admission for high school students and under, those under 18 years old
Free admission for persons with disabilities and one accompanying person
Free admission for single-parent households
*Please present student ID, age verification, disability certificate, etc. at admission.
*Advance tickets are available for limited sale on the online ticket sales page (e-tix) from January 28 (Wednesday) to March 27 (Friday).
*The admission fee includes access to the Collection Exhibition
Organizers: The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto, Mainichi Shimbun, The Kyoto Shimbun
Sponsor: DNP Dai Nippon Printing
