'The Summer of Mononoke (Specters): Ghosts and Yokai in Edo Culture'

July 30-Sept. 8

During the Edo Period (1603-1868), stories of the supernatural boomed in the entertainment industry. Ghosts often appeared in kabuki plays, while yōkai (spirits and monsters) became popular subjects in artworks and prints.

This exhibition showcases eerie masterpieces selected from the National Museum of Japanese History, which houses one of the largest collections of of historical ghost, yokai and other folklore-related artworks in Japan. Highlights include “Night Procession of One Hundred Demons” (ca. 1684) by Kano Toun Masunobu; Kitagawa Utamaro’s “Napping Boy Dreaming of Monsters” (ca. 1800); and “The Earth Spider Conjuring-up Monsters in the Residence of Minamoto no Yorimitsu” (1843) by Utagawa Kuniyoshi.

National Museum of Japanese History; 117 Jonai-cho, Sakura, Chiba. Keisei-Sakura Stn. 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. ¥600. Closed Mon. 03-5777-8600; www.rekihaku.ac.jp
 
Ticket Giveaway: We have five pairs of tickets to “The Summer of Mononoke (Specters): Ghosts and Yokai in Edo Culture” at the National Museum of Japanese History to give to readers. The ticket giveaway is now online only. To apply, visit http://jtimes.jp/tickets. Deadline: July 30.

• Twitter
• Facebook
• LinkedIn

LATEST ART STORIES

Bontaro Dokuyama: The art of expression

Even before the shut down of "After 'Freedom of Expression?'" — the Aichi Triennale exhibit that included the "Statue of Peace," a work symbolizing "comfort women" that has stirred debate over what...

Genta Ishizuka: Beneath and on the surface

Graduating in 2008 with a master of fine arts from Kyoto City University of Arts, contemporary urushi lacquerware artist Genta Ishizuka held his first international solo exhibition in Lond...

'Her Own Way: Female Artists and the Moving Image in Art in Poland — From 1970s to the Present'

Aug. 14-Oct. 14 Japan and Poland have shared 100 years of diplomatic relations, which were first established on March 22,