Masterpieces of the Ota Memorial Museum of Art

The Ota Memorial Museum of Art opened in Harajuku in January 1980 as a museum specializing in ukiyo-e (Japanese woodblock prints).

We hold monthly exhibitions drawn from our 12,000-piece collection. Most of the objects were collected enthusiastically by the late Seizo Ota V (1893-1977) over approximately half a century beginning in the late Taisho period (1912-1926). The collection is known not only for its size but also the broad array of works such as paintings, woodblock prints and books it contains, as well as the large number of rare items. The most remarkable features of the collection are the in-depth coverage of ukiyo-e from its inception to conclusion and the excellent condition of the works.

We are pleased to publish this catalogue, Masterpieces of the Ota Memorial Museum of Art, in response to domestic and international requests. The catalogue contains 150 examples of ukiyo-e paintings, woodblock prints, books and fans carefully selected from our collections, and is organized to provide an overview of the 300-year history of ukiyo-e from the early Edo period (1615-1868) to the Meiji period (1868-1912). We welcome this opportunity to share our collection with you.