A special exhibition marking the 100th anniversary of the death of Sumitomo Shunsui (住友春翠) opens on October 31, 2026, at Sen-oku Hakukokan (泉屋博古館) in Kyoto's Higashiyama district. Shunsui, whose formal name was Sumitomo Kichizaemon Tomoito (住友吉左衞門友純, 1864–1926), was the 15th head of the Sumitomo family, which laid the foundations of today's Sumitomo Group.
The exhibition introduces the modern art that interested Shunsui. Drawing on the finest pieces of the Sumitomo Collection, it presents Japanese-style paintings, Western-style paintings, and crafts that gathered around him, inviting visitors to see where his sense of beauty lay through the works themselves. A number of works that were once in Shunsui's possession but have since left his hands are also shown, allowing a reconstructive examination of how the collection was assembled at the time.
Noblesse Oblige
Sumitomo Shunsui (childhood name Takamaro, 隆麿) was born in 1864 as the fifth son of the Tokudaiji family, a Seigake (清華家) court noble family. Under his father Kinito (公純), who enjoyed tea gatherings, Noh, and poetry composition, he studied Chinese and Japanese classics from an early age, acquired the education of a court noble, and grew up familiar with art. In 1892 he entered the Sumitomo family as an adopted heir and succeeded as head of the family the following year. In 1897 he toured Europe and the United States, where he witnessed how companies were run and how businesspeople contributed to society, and was deeply impressed.
In 1903, he worked for the success of the 5th National Industrial Exhibition (第5回内国勧業博覧会) as chairman of its supporting association and as a councilor, and the Sumitomo family residence served as a guest house for hosting distinguished visitors from Japan and abroad. He also devoted himself to collecting art to decorate the residence. In Japanese-style painting, he purchased works by leading artists of the day such as Tanomura Chokunyu (田能村直入), Murata Kōkoku (村田香谷), and Hashimoto Gahō (橋本雅邦). In Western-style painting, he supported Kuroda Seiki (黒田清輝) and Yamamoto Hōsui (山本芳翠) on the advice of his elder brother Saionji Kinmochi (西園寺公望), and he purchased a work by Monet during his tour of Europe and the United States.
He also longed to establish an art museum in Osaka. From 1909 to 1914, with a view to donating to such a museum, he concentrated on buying works shown at exhibitions such as the Bunten (文展) and the Tatsumi-gakai (巽画会).
What Runs Through "House" and "Self"
In the early Taisho era, the Sumitomo family's main residence moved from the Unagidani residence (鰻谷邸) in Osaka, which had a history of about 280 years, to the Chausuyama residence (茶臼山邸), whose construction Shunsui oversaw. Just two years after the Chausuyama residence was completed, however, Shunsui decided to donate the site to Osaka City on the condition that an art museum be built there.
Purchases of works at exhibitions gradually declined, but Shunsui deepened his exchanges with artists he trusted. Through Iguchi Sonsen (井口邨僊), the third head of Iguchi Kokindo (井口古今堂) and the mounter who handled all of the fittings for the Chausuyama residence, many works by Mochizuki Gyokkei (望月玉渓) and Ueda Kōho (上田耕甫) came to be collected. These were painters who were highly valued for performing impromptu paintings before distinguished guests. In his later years, Shunsui himself enjoyed painting and calligraphy and formed cultured friendships with artists, and the works gathered through those exchanges strongly reflect Shunsui, who held a sense of both "house" and "self."
Based on this distinctive outlook, in which "house" and "self" intersect, the exhibition traces Shunsui's encounters with works (shiawase, 仕合せ) in chronological order and takes a fresh look at his sense of beauty. It also offers an opportunity to reconsider the history of how the collection was formed, from the perspectives of the background to the acquisitions and the era.
Official Exhibition Catalog
The official catalog accompanies the exhibition held at Sen-oku Hakukokan Tokyo from August 29 to October 12, 2026, and at Sen-oku Hakukokan from October 31 to December 20, 2026.
- Size: B5
- Pages: 192
- Price: ¥2,300 (tax included)
Exhibition Information
- Exhibition Name: Special Exhibition: Centenary of Sumitomo Shunsui's Death, The Fortunate Encounters of the Sumitomo Modern Art Collection (特別展 没後100年記念 住友春翠－仕合せの住友近代美術コレクション)
- Dates: October 31 (Saturday) to December 20 (Sunday), 2026
- Closed: Mondays (open on November 23), and November 24
- Hours: 10 AM to 5 PM (last admission 4:30 PM)
- Venue: Sen-oku Hakukokan (泉屋博古館), Kyoto Higashiyama, Shishigatani (鹿ヶ谷)
- Admission: General ¥1,200, students ¥800
- Organizers: Sen-oku Hakukokan (public interest incorporated foundation), Nikkei Inc. (日本経済新聞社), Kyoto Shimbun (京都新聞)
- Official Website: https://sen-oku.or.jp/program/202610_shunsui100/
