For just 23 days in June the Chiba City Museum of Art combines the best of its collection with Itabashi Art Museum for a splendid display of Edo and Meiji Period paintings. Imagine you combined Itabashi and Chiba, you would get Chitabashi, a dream world of the best of two collections.
If you don’t know the names, you probably know the images. The master who created the powerful Wind God and Thunder God image on a folding screen, Tawaraya Sotatsu, is represented in this exhibition, as are many of the artists of the Rinpa School. Many of these artists produced grand decorative works on byobu folding screens and scrolls. The images in the combined collections reveal birds, flowers and characters from Buddhist and popular culture of the day.
When you visit the Chiba City Museum of Art, linger on the first floor before or after you see the exhibition. The 90s era hall envelops the antique Kawasaki Bank building erected in 1927, one of the few vintage structures in the city.
Elizabeth S @elizabeth.scally
You will see many of my stories on Japan Travel are about places and events outside of big city centers and tourist destinations. While I highly recommend the big name sights and experiences, I encourage visitors to see and feel the atmosphere off the beaten path, too.
