The Mitsui Memorial Museum, located in Nihonbashi, Tokyo, is currently hosting the special exhibition “100 Selected Tea Bowls from the Museum’s Collection.”
As part of our “Kan’ei Culture Is Here, Too!” series, the exhibition features the Takatori Faceted Tea Bowl!
This tea bowl exemplifies kirei-sabi (refined, elegant simplicity), an aesthetic sensibility developed by Kobori Enshu, a feudal lord and distinguished master of the Japanese tea ceremony.
(Note: The photograph was taken in an area where photography is permitted.)
Kobori Enshu was also involved in the extensive renovations of Nijo Castle undertaken in preparation for the Kan’ei Gyoko (Imperial Visit to Nijo Castle in 1626) by Emperor Go-Mizunoo.
Active in a wide range of fields, including architecture, garden design, and chanoyu (the Japanese tea ceremony), he is remembered as one of the influential cultural figures who helped shape the flourishing culture of the Kan’ei era.
The aesthetic sensibilities that flourished in Kyoto 400 years ago can also be discovered at a museum in Tokyo!
We warmly invite you to take this opportunity to explore the beauty and cultural richness of the Kan’ei era through the art of the tea bowl.
Special Exhibition: “100 Selected Tea Bowls from the Museum’s Collection”
Dates: Saturday, September 12 – Monday, November 23 (National Holiday), 2026
Venue: Mitsui Memorial Museum (Nihonbashi, Tokyo)
▽ Further Details (Mitsui Memorial Museum Official Website)
https://www.mitsui-museum.jp/exhibition/index.html
