The Kyoto City Kyocera Museum of Art's first anniversary exhibition, "Modern Architecture in Kyoto," opened on September 25th and will run until December 26th. The exhibition features a carefully selected collection of "modern architecture" from the Meiji, Taisho, and Showa periods that still remain in Kyoto. Thirty-six projects have been selected from the 100 buildings completed between the first year of the Meiji era and the early 1970s, and are being introduced in seven sections along with valuable materials. There are over 400 exhibits, many of which will be on public display for the first time.

Poster for "Kyoto City Kyocera Museum of Art 1st Anniversary Exhibition: Modern Architecture in Kyoto" illustrated by Nakagawa Manabu, art direction: Ouchi Osamu
This poster was created by illustrator Nakagawa Manabu based on a bird's-eye view by Yoshida Hatsusaburo, who was known as the "Hiroshige of the Taisho era." Up until now, architecture exhibitions have often used photographs of representative buildings or interiors in poster production, but this poster also attempts to take on a more graphic perspective.

Model of Gionkaku, Okura Villa, Kyoto (now Daiun-in Temple), circa 1928, h1683 x w805 x d805mm, Produced by: Sakamoto Jintaro (architectural model maker), Collection: Okura Museum of Art, Image courtesy of Mori Art Museum, Photography: Kita Takeshi

"There is much to see in Kyoto's post-Meiji architecture. This time, we have tried to create a variety of opportunities to see the architecture, not just the documents, models, furniture and videos on display in the museum, but also actual tours of the buildings, special exhibitions and an online salon," said Aoki Jun, director of the museum.

Kyoto Museum of Art, Memorial Ceremony of the Emperor's Birth (currently Kyoto City Kyocera Museum of Art), Photo: Kita Takeshi

As a collaborative project during the exhibition, Chorakukan (former Kyoto Villa of Murai Kichibei) will be open to the public for a special period from November 13th to December 5th (some exclusions apply), and the dessert cafe will be offering a limited-edition collaborative sweet, a tart cake modeled after the floor tile design of the sunroom on the first floor of the main building, during the exhibition period. The observation towers on the second and third floors of the main building of the former Mitsui family Shimogamo villa will be open to the public from November 18th to December 7th (open to the public outside of these periods, closed on Wednesdays), Daiun-in Gionkaku (former Okura family Kyoto villa) will be open to the public from November 19th to December 6th, and the Kyoto Railway Museum will be holding a collection photo exhibition, "Architecture seen through railways," until December 5th to coincide with the exhibition.In addition, HIS has planned an official walking tour of the city with an audio guide, and the audio guide app will feature popular voice actors, and various other collaborative projects and events are planned.

Chorakukan (former Kyoto villa of Murai Kichibei). Mother-of-pearl inlay chair from before the Taisho era. H1050 x W1830 x D650mm. Collection: Chorakukan. Photo: Miyoshi Fumitaka.
Chorakukan (former Kyoto villa of Murai Kichibei). Image courtesy of Chorakukan.
Venue: Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art, New Building, Higashiyama Cube, 124 Okazaki Enshoji-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto City
Dates: Saturday, September 25, 2021 - Sunday, December 26, 2021
Opening Hours: 10:00 - 18:00 (Last Admission: 17:30)
Closed: Mondays
Admission Fee: 1,900 yen for adults, 1,400 yen for university and vocational students, 900 yen for high school students, 400 yen for elementary and junior high school students