The Nara Prefectural Museum of Art and the Nara Prefectural Man'yo Cultural Museum are teaming up for their first full-scale collaborative exhibition, "みやこのかたち — Forms of the Capital: From the Collections of the Nara Prefectural Museum of Art and the Nara Prefectural Man'yo Cultural Museum." Running this summer, the show weaves together both institutions' holdings around the intertwined themes of "capital city" and "travel."
At the Nara Prefectural Museum of Art, works are organized around the theme of "みやこのかたち" (Forms of the Capital), tracing how urban landscapes have been depicted in Japanese painting — from the "Rakuchu Rakugai-zu" genre of early cityscape art to diverse expressions of the city in the early modern, modern, and contemporary eras.
At the Nara Prefectural Man'yo Cultural Museum in Asuka, the focus shifts to "travel," examining the movement of people as described in Man'yo poetry, alongside famous-place paintings and guidebooks from the Edo period, and modern works inspired by landscapes across Japan.
By bringing their distinct areas of expertise together and presenting the closely related themes of "travel" and "capital city" in a three-dimensional way, the two venues introduce fresh perspectives on Nara Prefecture's collections.
Highlights
1. The Tradition and Transformation of "Capital City" in Japanese Painting
Drawing from the collections of both institutions, the exhibition traces how the depiction of capital cities has been inherited and transformed in Japanese painting. Spanning from traditional "Rakuchu Rakugai-zu" (genre paintings of Kyoto) to the urban landscapes captured by modern and contemporary artists, the full exhibition examines both the unchanging aesthetic sensibility of tradition and the evolution of perspectives and techniques across different eras.
2. "Urban Landscapes" in the Ohashi Collection — Shining a Light on Lesser-Known Masterpieces
The Nara Prefectural Museum of Art highlights works depicting cities from its Ohashi Collection, focusing on artists and pieces that have had fewer opportunities for public exposure. Among them is 野村耕 (1927–1991), who went beyond mere landscape reproduction to analyze and reconstruct the urban motif through a distinctive value system. The exhibition examines how the inner world of these painters and their gaze on society are projected onto urban landscapes, revealing the full expressive range of the paintings and introducing new appeal within the collection.
3. The Changing Image of "Nara" — Explored Through Works by Artists from Both Museums
The exhibition explores how Nara — a place where ancient history and new life coexist — has been depicted in painting through the ages. From scenes of old temples and shrines to shifting streetscapes, visitors can discover what today's and past painters found in Nara and what emotions they poured into their work. Artists represented in both museums' collections — including Koji Kinutani, Yoshiyasu Kanamori, and 烏頭尾精 — are given special focus, comparing each artist's distinctive portrayals of Nara as viewed from different perspectives and themes.
Admission
- General: 400 yen (group rate 300 yen)
- University students: 250 yen (group rate 200 yen)
- Elementary, middle, and high school students and those under 18: Free
- Seniors 65 and over: Free on weekdays; general rate on weekends and public holidays
- Holders of physical disability, rehabilitation support, or mental health welfare handbooks (including app), and one accompanying caregiver: Free
Group rate applies to groups of 20 or more.
Opening Hours
9:00 AM – 5:00 PM (last admission 4:30 PM)
Closed
Mondays; July 21 (Tuesday)
Open on July 20 (Monday, public holiday)
Related Events
Art Lecture: "The Man'yo Cultural Museum and Man'yo Nihonga"
- Date: Saturday, August 1, 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM (doors open 1:30 PM)
- Lecturer: Minori Hiraide (Curator, Nara Prefectural Man'yo Cultural Museum)
- Capacity: 60 (first come, first served on the day)
- Venue: Lecture Room, Nara Prefectural Museum of Art
Outreach Lecture: "Man'yo Ancient Studies Lecture in Nara"
- Date: Saturday, July 11, 1:15 PM – 4:30 PM (doors open 12:45 PM)
- Lecturers:
- Sayaka Inoue (Head of Planning & Research, Nara Prefectural Man'yo Cultural Museum)
- Kazu Nakamoto (Senior Researcher, Nara Prefectural Man'yo Cultural Museum)
- Shogo Enokido (Researcher, Nara Prefectural Man'yo Cultural Museum)
- Capacity: 300 (details including registration will be posted on the museum's website)
- Venue: Nara Prefecture Bus Terminal, Lecture Hall
Gallery Talk by the Curatorial Team
- Dates: Saturday, July 25 and Saturday, August 8, 2:00 PM (approx. 1 hour)
- Lecturer: Keinin Miura (Curator, Nara Prefectural Museum of Art)
- Venue: Exhibition Gallery
Closing Gallery Talk
- Date: Saturday, August 22
- Lecturers: Keinin Miura and Minori Hiraide, 2:00 PM (approx. 1 hour)
- Venue: Exhibition Gallery
All events are free to attend, but a valid same-day admission ticket is required (except for the outreach lecture on July 11). Further details will be posted on the museum's website.
Related Exhibition
Nara Prefectural Museum of Art Gallery Exhibition: "Contemporary Artists from Nara — Light to Touch: 三輪途道"
- Period: Saturday, June 27 – Sunday, August 23
- Organizer: Nara Prefectural Museum of Art
- Venue: Gallery, Nara Prefectural Museum of Art
- Admission: Free
Joint Exhibition at the Nara Prefectural Man'yo Cultural Museum: "On the Journey — From the Collections of the Nara Prefectural Man'yo Cultural Museum and the Nara Prefectural Museum of Art"
- Period: Saturday, May 16 – Sunday, July 12
- Organizer: Nara Prefectural Man'yo Cultural Museum
- Venue: Nihonga Exhibition Gallery, Nara Prefectural Man'yo Cultural Museum
- Admission: General 600 yen (480 yen), high school/university students 500 yen (400 yen), elementary/middle school students 300 yen (240 yen). Figures in parentheses are group discount rates.
Venues & Access
Nara Prefectural Museum of Art
- Address: Noborioji-cho, Nara City, Nara Prefecture
Nara Prefectural Man'yo Cultural Museum
- Address: Asuka Village, Takaichi District, Nara Prefecture
