Exhibitions

Japanese tradition is rich in legends and folktales that are also represented in the plastic arts, forming a body of work indivisible from the culture of Japan. As in the rest of the world, the fables (densetsu) and folktales (mukashi-banashi: ancient stories) embody the moral values and way of life of the country.

Originally, the netsuke was a carved and embellished clothing accessory that was tied with a cord to other items, known as sagemono (hanging things).

Landscape (sansui-ga) is one of three artistic subjects deriving from the Chinese classification of art.

Utagawa Toyokuni I (1769-1825) was a designer of woodblock prints of the genre known as ukiyo-e (pictures from the floating world), an illustrator of books, and a painter.

This exhibition presents contemporary Japanese art dealing with the complexities of gender and sexual identity, the differences between male and female, and all that lies between.

Kitagawa Utamaro (1753-1806), who died just 200 years ago, was one of the most productive and creative artists of the ukiyo-e ("pictures from the floating world") school.

Foreigners visiting Japan often encounter groups of teenage schoolgirls, many of whom can be seen on the trains, absorbed in thick manga boolets such as the special edition of Betsuma-Maagareto (Margaret) or Gekkan Lala (Monthly Lala).

Many of the traditional festivals in Taiwan derive from the farmer's year, and offer the hardworking agricultural labourers a little relaxation from their efforts.