Special Exhibition ‘SHARAKU’ Opened

On May 1, the special exhibition titled ‘SHARAKU’ opened at the Tokyo National Museum (until June 12). It showcased 142 woodblock prints by the enigmatic ukiyo-e artist TŌSHŪSAI Sharaku, who vanished just ten months after his striking debut. Originally scheduled to open on April 5, the exhibition was postponed due to the Great East Japan Earthquake that struck on March 11. It consisted of five chapters: Chapter 1 ‘Sharaku izen no yakusha-e (Yakusha-e Prints before Sharaku)’; Chapter 2 ‘Sharaku o umidashita Tsutaya Jūzaburō (Tsutaya Jūzaburō, the Man Who Produced Sharaku)’; Chapter 3 ‘Sharaku no zenbō (The Complete Works of Sharaku)’; Chapter 4 ‘Sharaku to raibaru (Sharaku and His Rivals)’; and Chapter 5 ‘Sharaku no zanei (Afterimage of Sharaku)’. The exhibition identified the actors and plays depicted by comparing the prints with theatre programs and traced the chronological evolution of Sharaku’s artistic career according to the performance dates. Alongside works by other ukiyo-e artists depicting the same roles, this substantial exhibition highlighted the distinctive characteristics of Sharaku’s artistic style. (Japanese)