Tokugawa Art Museum - Nagoya

The Tokugawa Art Museum is a museum showcasing a singular collection of artwork owned and inherited by a daimyō family (powerful Japanese feudal lord-based family) of the Edo period, the Owari Tokugawa Family. Operated by the Tokugawa Reimeikai Foundation, established in 1931 by Yoshichika Tokugawa, the museum was opened to the public in 1935. The architectural plan for the museum main building and southern archives were drawn up by Yoshio Yoshimoto. The architecture is in the Imperial Crown style, in which the roof and exterior follow a classic Japanese design over a Western style building. The collection features over 10,000 items, and includes artifacts related to Ieyasu Tokugawa as well as Ieyasu’s ninth son, the first Lord of Owari, Yoshinao Tokugawa, and his successors. Nine items in the collection are designated as National Treasures, including the world famous Tale of Genji Illustrated Scrolls. Another 59 items are registered as Important Cultural Properties, and 46 pieces are recognized as Important Art Objects. In 2004, the land area adjoining the Museum was refurbished as a traditional daimyō garden, the Tokugawaen Garden. Together with the Museum’s exhibition galleries and the Nagoya City Hōsa Library, a library housing the old Owari Tokugawa Family manuscripts, records and books, it provides a relaxing space where daimyō culture can continue to be experienced. | Photos by Martin Grossmann, April 2014 | URL: https://www.tokugawa-art-museum.jp/en/