Kumagai Tsuneko Memorial Museum: Kana Art Exhibition "Kumagai Tsuneko's Origins - A Look Back Focusing on the 'Kokin Wakashū'"

　Calligrapher Tsuneko Kumagai (1893-1986) will mark the 40th anniversary of her death in 2026. The Tsuneko Kumagai Memorial Museum will hold an exhibition showcasing the beauty of kana calligraphy, using the Kokin Wakashū, an imperial anthology of Japanese poetry compiled by order of Emperor Daigo (885-930) during the Heian period, as its theme, and introducing early works that represent the origin of Kumagai's kana calligraphy. The Kokin Wakashū is an anthology of Japanese poetry compiled by Ki no Tomonori, Ki no Tsurayuki, Ōshikōchi no Mitsune, and Mibu no Tadamine. Tsuneko, who was interested in the "Kokin Wakashū" (Collection of Ancient and Modern Japanese Poems), studied the masterpieces of the "Sekido-bon Kokin Wakashū," a copy of the poems written during the Heian period, and captured its characteristics as follows: "The lines have strong brushwork, sharp strokes, and rich thickness, and the flowing beauty of the brushwork is enhanced by many variations in speed, intonation, pace, and weight, making it delightful and vibrant" (Note 1).

　The "Sekido-bon Kokin Wakashu" (Sekido Edition of the Kokin Wakashu) is named after the fact that in 1882, the Sekido family in Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture, owned a booklet of the Kokin Wakashu, which is said to have been copied by Fujiwara no Yukinari, a poet of the Heian period. In 1949, Tsuneko copied the "Sekido-bon Kokin Wakashu" and has been creating calligraphy works based on the Kokin Wakashu since the 1950s.

　This exhibition will feature works such as "Chihayaburu" (1957), based on a long poem by Ono no Mitsune about the changing seasons of winter, and "Awaretefu" (1982), which expresses a waka poem by Ki no Toshisada about a single cherry tree that blooms late after spring has passed. The exhibition will also focus on the "Sekido-bon Kokin Wakashu," a calligraphy piece that Tsuneko respected as "a work that was beloved not only by me but by many people, with its sacred character forms, varying speeds of brushstrokes, and rich rhythm" (Note 2), and will look back on the circumstances that led her to start writing kana calligraphy, focusing on the waka poems in the "Kokin Wakashu."

Note　
1. Tsuneko Kumagai, "Calligraphy: Kana - From Basics to Creative Work," Macaw Publishing, 1978.
2. Tsuneko Kumagai, "One Calligraphy Copying a Thousand Times," in *My Favorite Calligraphy*, Daito Bunka University Calligraphy Research Institute, 2007.

Spring garden opening
Date and Time: Saturday, May 2nd, 2026 - Wednesday, May 6th, 2026 (Public Holiday)
Venue: Kumagai Tsuneko Memorial Museum Garden
Participation fee: Included in the admission fee

〇 Permanent exhibition related to Tsuneko Kumagai: "The World of Tsuneko Kumagai, Part I: 'Iroha-cho'"
Event dates: February 1st (Sun) to June 28th (Sun), 2026
　　　　　9:00 to 16:30 (Last admission 16:00)
Closed on Mondays (If Monday is a public holiday, the museum will be closed the following day).
Venue: Magome Art Gallery, 2nd floor (4-10-4 Minami-Magome, Ota-ku)
Entrance fee: free

18th February 2026(Saturday) - 27th May (Sunday) 　

Schedule	9:00~16:30 (Entry until 16:00)
Venue	Kumagai Tsuneko Memorial Museum
Genre	Exhibitions / Events

Leaflet PDF