The Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art is set to present "Japan in Focus," a comprehensive exhibition series running from October 26, 2024, through late 2026. The museum, with over a century of history, will showcase various aspects of Japanese art from ancient times to the present day through this exhibition.
Left: Tea bowl, Edo period, 17th century, Japan, Kagoshima prefecture, Satsuma ware, White Satsuma type, Stoneware with
clear, crackled glaze, stained by ink; gold lacquer repairs, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer
Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.323;
Right: Yūzū Nenbutsu Engi (Origins of the Yuzu Nenbutsu Sect) 融通念仏縁起(detail), Handscroll, Kamakura or period, 14th century, Japan, Ink, color, and gold on paper, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1959.13.
The museum's history began in 1923 with a collection of approximately 9,500 artworks donated by Charles Lang Freer. Of these, more than 2,000 pieces were Japanese art, including paintings, ceramics, Buddhist paintings, metalwork, and sculptures. Today, the collection has expanded to over 15,000 pieces, constituting about one-third of the museum's permanent collection. Museum Director Chase F. Robinson states, "Our founding is deeply rooted in Japanese art and culture. As we enter our second century, we aim to create new opportunities to connect with visitors."
The exhibition consists of five major displays. First, starting October 26, the reconstructed permanent exhibition "Japanese Art from the Collection" will open, featuring over 60 works from 3000 BCE to the 20th century, reorganized into themes such as ecology, trade, body expression, and crisis and opportunity. Beginning November 16, the "Generations of Prints" exhibition will focus on the early 20th century "creative printmaking" movement. Additionally, "Bound in Clay: Raku and the Tea Ceremony" will explore the relationship between traditional Japanese ceramics and tea culture.
From April 2025, "The Essence of Gathering: The Heart of Japanese Tea Ceremony" will display nearly 200 tea ceremony implements from the Kinsey Tea Collection. Furthermore, "Cut + Paste" is scheduled for June 2025, introducing works by experimental 20th-century Japanese artists.
In addition to the exhibitions, various public programs will be held throughout the year. These include tea ceremony demonstrations, traditional craft workshops, and lectures, allowing participants to experience Japanese culture through all five senses.
Japan in Focus
Period: October 26, 2024 - Late 2026
Venue: Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art
(1050 Independence Ave. SWWashington, DC 20013202.633.1000)
Admission: Free
Opening hours: 10:00 - 17:30
Closed: December 25
Website: asia.si.edu
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