Primarily featuring works from the collection of the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, this exhibition showcases Japanese artists who went to Paris in the years from before World War II into the postwar period. There they refined their craft, established original styles, and rose to prominence at the Salon and beyond.

Amis de Paris was the title of the journal of Pari-kai, a social club formed in 1930 by artists, writers, and businesspeople who had lived in Paris. In the 1920s, when artists from around the world gathered in this capital of the arts, the Japanese artists living in Paris are said to have numbered more than 200. With the outbreak of World War II, however, most of them returned home. After the war, many artists once again went to Paris, immersing themselves in an art world that was recovering its vitality.

Alongside works by Fujita Tsuguharu and others such as Saeki Yuzo, Itakura Kanae, and Okamoto Taro, we present a special display of works, on loan, by Kono Misao and Okanoue Riu, two artists who were especially popular in the Paris of those years. We also invite you to turn your attention to works by women artists who pursued their art in Paris, among them recent acquisitions by Hasegawa Haruko and Mori Mami.

List of works (PDF: 303KB)

MOMAT Collection Focus

Hours & Admissions

Location

 Gallery 4 (2nd floor)

Date

September 29, 2026–January 11, 2027

Closed

Mondays (except October 12, November 23, January 11), October 22, November 24 and December 28-January 1

Time

10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. (Fridays and Saturdays open until 8:00 p.m.)

• Last admission: 30 minutes before closing.

Admission

Adults ¥500 (400)
College and university students ¥250 (200)

• The price in brackets is for the group of 20 persons or more. All prices include tax.
• Free for high school students, under 18, seniors (65 and over), Campus Members, MOMAT passport holder.
• Show your Membership Card of the MOMAT Supporters or the MOMAT Members to get free admission (a MOMAT Members Card admits two persons free).
• Persons with disability and one person accompanying them are admitted free of charge.
• Members of the MOMAT Corporate Partners are admitted free with their staff ID.
• Including the admission fee for MOMAT Collection.

Discounts

Evening Discount (From 5:00 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays)
Adults ¥300
College and university students ¥150

Organaized by

The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo