Origins and History of Nezu Museum
The Nezu Museum is located in the Minato district of Tokyo, Japan. It was established following the death of Nezu Kaichirō in 1940. A businessman and the president of the Tōbu Railway Company, Nezu Kaichirō was a passionate collector who assembled a private collection of pre-modern Japanese and East Asian art. This collection forms the foundation of the institution.
The museum foundation began opening exhibitions to the public in 1941. During the period of World War II, the collection was moved and safeguarded away from central Tokyo to ensure its preservation. Following the war, the institution resumed its activities in 1946.
The Building and Its Architecture
Located in the Minami Aoyama area of Tokyo, the museum occupies a site that integrates the urban landscape with natural surroundings. The architect Kengo Kuma designed the structure to act as an urban design, linking the busy commercial district to the adjacent woods. The building's roof, characterized by low eaves and tiled surfaces, runs between the street and the forest, creating a transition between the city and the greenery.
The architectural language utilizes specific materials to harmonize with the environment. A bamboo thicket borders the site, while the interior features coral-gray sandstone sourced from Qingdao. Within the structure, 'neritsuke' style thin, layered roofs are constructed from bamboo attached to a plywood base. These elements reflect a deliberate connection to traditional Japanese aesthetics through modern construction methods.
The Extensive Art Collection
The collection comprises more than 7,400 cultural objects, with over 7,600 works of pre-modern Japanese and East Asian art. These items represent a wide range of disciplines, including painting, calligraphy, sculpture, and ceramics. The holdings also encompass lacquerware, metalwork, textiles, armor, and various forms of wooden and bamboo craft, alongside archaeological artifacts. Among these are Chinese bronzes dating from the Shang and Zhou dynasties.
A significant portion of the metalwork collection consists of 1,200 Japanese sword fittings, acquired from the collection of Mitsumura Toshimo (1877–1955). The museum holds seven National Treasures and 88 Important Cultural Properties. These designations reflect the historical and artistic importance of the objects within the permanent holdings.
- Irises screen - Ogata Kōrin
- Mountain Streams in Summer and Autumn, 1859 - Suzuki Kiitsu
- Quail - Li Anzhong
- Dragon and Tiger, 1600 - Sesson Shūkei
- Fishing Village at Sunset, 1300 - Muqi
Masterpieces of the Collection
The centerpiece of the museum is the Irises by Ogata Kōrin. This byōbu (folding screen) is a National Treasure and was acquired by Kaichirō Nezu in 1914. To coincide with the seasonal blooming of the irises in the museum's garden, the work is displayed annually from April to May.
The collection also contains a bell taken from Korea during the Japanese colonial period. These objects represent the breadth of the pre-modern Japanese and East Asian art assembled by Nezu Kaichirō.
