Takehisa Yumeji—An Artist Who Defined His Era

Date

October 23, 2026 - January 11, 2027

Location

Special Exhibition Gallery (1st floor)

Takehisa Yumeji, *Kurofuneya*, 1919, Takehisa Yumeji Ikaho Memorial Museum

Takehisa Yumeji (1884–1934) was a multifaceted artist active from the late 1900s through the mid-1930s, working as a painter, poet, journalist, designer, and illustrator. Known for his depictions of women dubbed the “Yumeji style” and his retro-modern designs, he is recognized as a figure who epitomizes the “Taisho Roman,” a trend of thought or cultural events that conveys the atmosphere of the Taisho period (1912–1926).

　His deeply lyrical works, which captured the sentimentality of youth and nostalgia, the atmosphere of the Edo period (1600–1868) and exoticism, and a longing for urban sophistication, resonated with the public through magazines, postcards, and exhibitions, sweeping the nation. Furthermore, through his pioneering work—which included designing everyday household goods that enriched daily life, producing books and magazines for children, writing the lyrics for the popular song Yoimachi-gusa (evening primrose), and documenting the Great Kanto Earthquake—the artist had a profound influence lasting through subsequent generations. Active across a wide range of genres, Yumeji can be described as a pioneering creator who bridged art and media.

　Bringing together 500 works and materials from collections across Japan—including his renowned masterpiece Kurofuneya, as well as Japanese-style paintings, oils, woodblock prints, sketches, a wide variety of designs, and scrapbooks—this exhibition explores the diverse scope of Yumeji’s work. Beyond the framework of art, he was an artist who captured the spirit of his era, set trends, and was beloved by the public. We invite you to take a closer look at his work.

Exhibited Works

Chapter 1
The Beginning of the Yumeji Style

Woman at Rest on the Grass, early 1910s, Shizuoka City Museum of Art(display period: 10/23-11/23)

Yumeji Collection of Works: Spring (Rakuyōdō), 1911 [first edition: 1909], Chiyoda City (Ryūseikaku Takehisa Yumeji Collection) (display period: 10/23-11/23)

Koma-e: “Untitled,” Chokugen, vol. 2, no. 20 (Heiminsha), June 18, 1905, Kanazawa Yuwaku Yumeji-kan Museum

Chapter 2
Yumeji-Style Designs

Minatoya Print Publisher (Minatoya edition), 1914, Kanazawa Yuwaku Yumeji-kan Museum

Design drawing for a kimono collar: [Red Fruits and Birds], 1914–1916, Takehisa Yumeji Ikaho Memorial Museum

Evening Primrose, no. 106 from Senow Music Scores
Lyrics by Takehisa Yumeji
Composed by Ōno Tadasuke, 1921 (third edition) [first edition: 1918], Chiyoda City (Ryūseikaku Takehisa Yumeji Collection) (display period: 10/23-11/23)

Chapter 3
Generation of Nostalgic and Modern Values

Autumn in Inawashiro, c. 1923, Takehisa Yumeji Museum (display period: 10/23-11/23)

Spring in Arashiyama, c. 1923, Takehisa Yumeji Museum (display period: 10/23-11/23)

Chapter 4
In Search of a Utopia of Beauty in Daily Life

Harunasanfu (Ode to Mount Haruna), 1931, Takehisa Yumeji Ikaho Memorial Museum

Sketches of the Great Kantō Earthquake: Holy Trinity Church, Tsukiji, 1923, Takehisa Yumeji Ikaho Memorial Museum

Chapter 5
Modern Girls in Kimonos and Western-Style Clothes

Wakakusa, vol. 1, no. 1 (Hōbunkan), October 1, 1925, Takehisa Yumeji Ikaho Memorial Museum

Women of the Four Seasons, 1929, Furusato Art Museum

Location

Special Exhibition Gallery (1st floor)

Date

October 23, 2026-January 11, 2027

Closed

Mondays (except November 23, January 11), November 24 and December 28-January 1

Time

10 am–5 pm (Fridays and Saturdays open until 8 pm)

Last admission: 30 minutes before closing.

Admission

Adults ¥2,100 (¥1,900)

College/University Students ¥1,200 (¥1,000)

High School Students ¥700 (¥500)

All prices include tax.
Admission in the parentheses is for advance tickets and groups of 20 people or more.
Admission is free for individuals aged 15 and under, and individuals with a disability plus one companion. ID is required.
Students and staff at universities enrolled in the Campus Members program can show student/staff ID to get the group discount.
Includes admission to the Collection Exhibitions.

Tickets

Buy advance tickets online via e-tix from Auguest 25 to October 22.

Same-day tickets are available in person at the ticket counter or online via e-tix from October 23.

Organaized by

The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, The Mainichi Newspapers

With the sponsorship of

Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd., East Japan Railway Company, Kandenko Co., Ltd.

Exhibition Tours

January 23–March 28, 2027, Shizuoka City Museum of Art
April 24–June 13, 2027, Toyama Prefectural Museum of Art and Design (tentative)
2028, Nakanoshima Museum of Art,Osaka (tentative)