Since long ago, swords made in the Hokuriku region have been known as Hokkoku-mono, or “items from the Hokkoku region,” and these swords were known for unique characteristics such as their dark jigane. This exhibition focuses on works by swordmakers from Etchu Province (modern-day Toyama Prefecture), which make up a large part of the museum’s collection, as well as other celebrated swords, past and present, from the three prefectures of the Hokuriku region. From the late Kamakura period (late 13th to early 14th c.) through the Nanbokucho period (14th c.), Etchu Province was home to outstanding swordmakers like Norishige, said to have been a senior apprentice to the great swordmaker Masamune, and Go no Yoshihiro, who was active in the Matsukura area of modern-day Uozu City, and who was once regarded as one of Japan’s three finest swordmakers. Around this time, Konyudo Kunimitsu, founder of the Uda school of swordmaking, moved here from Yamato Province (in modern-day Nara Prefecture); the works produced by this school have been highly acclaimed. This exhibition also includes an overview of celebrated Hokkoku-mono from Kaga Province to the west (in modern-day Ishikawa Prefecture), produced by such swordmakers as Kashu Sanekage, Fujishima Tomoshige, and Kanewaka, who was nicknamed “the Masamune of Kaga.”
Temporary Exhibition Produced through Collaboration between the Mori Shusui Museum of Art, the Toyama Municipal Folk Museum, and the Sato Memorial Art Museum Toyama
Invitation to Japanese Culture: Three Stories from Toyama
Temporary Exhibition at the Toyama Municipal Folk Museum
Toyama Castle and the Samurai
Sat., Jul. 7 to Sun., Sep. 9, 2018 (closed Wed., Jul. 18)
Toyama Municipal Folk Museum
1-62 Honmaru, Toyama City • Tel: (076) 432-7911
http://www.city.toyama.toyama.jp/etc/muse/
Temporary Exhibition at the Sato Memorial Art Museum Toyama
Enjoying the Beauty of Nature: Art with Ties to Toyama
Sat., Jul. 7 to Sun., Sep. 30, 2018 (closed Tue., Jul. 7)
Sato Memorial Art Museum Toyama
1-33 Honmaru, Toyama City (Toyama Castle Park) • Tel: (076) 432-9031
http://www.city.toyama.toyama.jp/etc/muse/
Three-Museum Exhibit Tours!
Sat., Jul. 28 and Sun., Jul. 29
For More Details: Details are printed in the July 5 edition of the Koho Toyama newsletter. Alternatively, visit the Toyama City (Culture and Internationalization Department), Toyama Municipal Folk Museum, Sato Memorial Art Museum Toyama, or Mori Shusui Museum of Art websites on or after July 5, 2018.
Contact: Toyama City Culture and Internationalization Department, Tel: (076) 443-2040