Sayama City Museum (1-23-1 Inariyama, Sayama, Saitama Prefecture) is holding its autumn special exhibition "Doue Artist Shoji Ikehara Exhibition: Sketchbooks That Travel with Old Tales" (童絵作家 池原昭治展 昔ばなしと旅するスケッチブック) from Saturday, October 17 to Sunday, December 6, 2026.
The exhibition introduces the works of Shoji Ikehara, a Doue artist (童絵作家) who has continued to depict nostalgic scenery from across Japan, old folktales, and the lives of the people who live there in warm-touch "Doue" (童絵) pictures, along with the many sketchbooks he filled while traveling.
Details of the exhibition are available on the museum's website: https://sayama-city-museum.com/exhibition/8769/
About Shoji Ikehara
Shoji Ikehara was born in 1939 in Takamatsu, Kagawa Prefecture. In 1963 he joined Toei Doga (東映動画) and worked as an animator on titles including Taiyo no Oji Horusu no Daiboken (太陽の王子ホルスの大冒険), Nagagutsu o Haita Neko (長靴をはいた猫), Kaitei 3-man Mairu (海底3万マイル), and Doubutsu Takarajima (どうぶつ宝島). From 1982 he was in charge of direction, drawing, and art for the TV series Manga Nihon Mukashibanashi (まんが日本昔ばなし).
He now lives in Sayama, Saitama Prefecture, where he collects folktales and old tales from the western part of Saitama and draws them in his distinctive, heartwarming touch. He is a visiting professor at Takamatsu University and its junior college, an advisor to the Takamatsu City Cultural Association, and a Sayama City Tourism Ambassador (狭山市観光大使).
Exhibition Details
- Dates: Saturday, October 17 to Sunday, December 6, 2026
- Hours: 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM (last admission 4:30 PM)
- Venue: Sayama City Museum (1-23-1 Inariyama, Sayama)
- Admission:
- General: ¥500 (¥300)
- High school and university students: ¥300 (¥200)
- Junior high school students and younger: Free
- Prices in parentheses are group rates for 20 or more people. With a disability certificate of any kind, up to one accompanying person is admitted free of charge.
- Closed: Every Monday (open when Monday is a public holiday)
Highlights of the Exhibition
- The World of Old Tales: Centered on original illustrations from folktale and old tale picture books, the exhibition presents many humorous and warm Doue pictures.
- Traveling Sketchbooks: Valuable sketches and documentary drawings made while traveling around Japan, conveying the atmosphere of each place, are on display.
- The Artist's Footsteps and Ties to the Community: This section traces the course of Ikehara's career as an artist and the feelings he put into the landscapes of his origins.
Autumn "Maimai" Experience Workshops
The craft workshops (工作教室), "Autumn Maimai Experience Course" (秋のまいまい体験講座), include popular sand art as well as crafts related to the exhibition.
- Dates: Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays during the exhibition
- Times: Session 1 from 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM, Session 2 from 1:30 PM to 3:00 PM (reception closes 15 minutes before each session ends)
- Venue: Experience Learning Room (craft room) and other spaces on the 1st floor of the museum
- Fee: ¥300 to ¥960
- How to join: Numbered tickets are handed out on the day on a first-come, first-served basis (30-minute rotation)
Exhibition Goods
Besides museum goods, cute goods and books by Shoji Ikehara made to coincide with this autumn exhibition are sold as limited items. They are offered as mementos of a visit and as souvenirs.
The limited-edition exhibition catalog is filled with treasured images that are being shown to the public for the first time.
Advance Sale of the Picture Book "Kappa no Okurimono"
Shoji Ikehara has created his first picture book for children. To coincide with the exhibition, it is being sold at the museum ahead of its general release.
- Title: "Minwa Ehon Kappa no Okurimono" (『みんわえほん かっぱのおくりもの』)
- Author: Shoji Ikehara
- Format: A4 size, hardcover, full color
- Price: ¥1,980 (tax included)
- Intended readers: Children aged 3 through the lower grades of elementary school, and parents who read aloud to them
- Advance sale: From Saturday, October 17, 2026
- Advance sale locations:
- Sayama City Museum (1-23-1 Inariyama, Sayama, Saitama)
- SAYA Market & Café (1st floor of the Sayama City Citizen Exchange Center (狭山市市民交流センター), 1-3-1 Irumagawa, Sayama, Saitama)
- General release: From Sunday, November 1, 2026
- General release sales channels:
- Official online shop: https://ikeharadoue.thebase.in/
- Amazon
- It is also planned to be sold at Miraiya Shoten Musashi-Sayama (未来屋書店武蔵狭山, 2nd floor of Soyora Musashi-Sayama) and Ogaki Shoten Soyora Iriso Store (大垣書店そよら入曽店, 2nd floor of Soyora Iriso Ekimae) in Sayama City.
Inariyama Cafe "Kome to Cha"
Inariyama Cafe "Kome to Cha" (稲荷山カフェ コメと茶) is open from 10:30 AM to 4:30 PM (last order 4:00 PM). Lunch time is from 11:30 AM to 2:00 PM.
Limited-quantity menu
- Sayama Chazuke (狭山茶漬け), ¥900: Comes with a waffle, and diners can choose between plum chazuke and salmon chazuke. Sayama tea is poured over Sayama-grown rice cooked with Sayama tea paste.
Ancient series menu (古代シリーズメニュー)
- Sayamaccha Waffle (さやまっちゃワッフル), ¥550 (¥900 with a drink set): A syrup that recreates amazura-sen (甘葛煎), said to have been loved by Sei Shonagon, based on component analysis, is served with Sayamaccha paste and kinako (roasted soybean flour).
Organic herbal tea
- Organic herbal tea, ¥600 each: Several kinds are available. See the museum guide for details: https://sayama-city-museum.com/guide/?tab=3
Limited Capsule Toys of Oripii
Limited capsule toys of Oripii (おりぴぃ), the Tanabata fairy, are available. Visitors have a chance to get the Junkissa version and the umbrella markers. Each play costs ¥500.
Access
By train and bus
- 3-minute walk from the north exit of Inariyama-koen Station on the Seibu Ikebukuro Line
- From the west exit of Sayama-shi Station on the Seibu Shinjuku Line, take a Seibu Bus bound for Inariyama-koen Station and get off at the last stop, then walk 3 minutes
By car
- 3 km (about 15 minutes) from Sayama-Hidaka IC on the Ken-O Expressway (圏央道)
- 6 km (about 20 minutes) from Kawagoe IC on the Kan-etsu Expressway
Parking for 100 cars is available. Please use the parking lot of the adjacent park.
Sayama City Museum
- Website: https://sayama-city-museum.com/
- Phone: 04-2955-3804
