NINGYŌ: Art and Beauty of Japanese dolls

Under the title Ningyō, which means “doll” and “human shape” in Japanese, this exhibition explores the Japanese doll and its culture that have been nurtured in the history and folklore of Japan. The first section introduces the formation of the Japanese doll which originated in rituals and the form of prayers for the healthy growth of children. In the second and third sections, we will introduce “Ningyō as fine art” with artisans’ gorgeous techniques and "Ningyō as folk art," which are made of simple materials and various charming shapes. Finally, in the fourth section, we focus on the diversity of the Japanese doll culture that leads to the present day. We hope you will enjoy the splendid designs of Ningyō as well as discover their historical depth and craftsmanship.
*There are two sets of almost identical contents traveling.

Supervisors
Hayashi Naoteru (Japanese doll culture research institute)
Mita Kakuyuki (Tokyo National Museum)

Promotional video (6 episodes)

Exhibition leaflet (EN) (PDF:6.84MB)

Dates

2025 first semester Lithuania *TBC

2025 first semester Uzbekistan *TBC

2024 second semester Latvia *TBC

2024 second semester Zambia *TBC

2024 first semester India *TBC

2024 first semester Malaysia *TBC

March 1 - April 26, 2024
Archaeological Museum of Republic of North Macedonia (Skopje, North Macedonia)

February 2 - 16, 2024
Shilpakala Academy (Dhaka, Bangladesh)

January 11 - February 2, 2024
Art Gallery of Tirana (Tirana, Albania)

December 6 - 21, 2023
Nepal Art Council (Kathmandu, Nepal)

November 14 - December 10, 2023
National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina)

September 29 - October 15, 2023
Cush Cush Gallery (Denpasar, Indonesia)

August 24 - October 17, 2023
Signagi Museum (Signagi, Georgia)

August 23 - September 12, 2023
Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology (Surabaya, Indonesia)

July 6 - 30, 2023
Yerevan State Puppet Theathre (Yerevan, Armenia)

July 5 - 24, 2023
National Gallery of Indonesia (Jakarta, Indonesia)

May 5 - June 9, 2023
The Japan Cultural Institute in Rome (Rome, Italy)

April 19 - May 9, 2023
The Fine Arts Zanabazar Museum (Ulan Bator, Mongolia)

March 4 - March 25, 2023
The Japan Foundation, Yangon (Yangon, Myanmar)

March 1 - 29, 2023
Palace of Justice Cultural Center (Maaus, Brazil)

January 4 - February 12, 2023
Place of Liberty (Curitiba, Brazil)

November 24 - December 11, 2022
Hong Kong Visual Arts Centre (Hong Kong, China)

November 28 - December 16, 2022
Cultural and Information Center of the Consulate- General of Japan in Rio de Janeiro (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)

October 7 - November 20, 2022
Cidade das Artes (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)

September 13 - October 16, 2022
Pingtung Martial Arts Hall (Pingtung country, Taiwan)

July 29 - September 4, 2022
New Taipei City Yingge Ceramics Museum (New Taipei City, Taiwan)

July 27 - September 18, 2022
The Immigration Museum (Sao Paulo, Brazil)

June 10 - 26, 2022
Vietnam National Fine Arts Museum (Hanoi, Vietnam)

May 13 - 29, 2022
Ho Chi Minh City Fines Art Museum (Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam)

April 20 - May 4, 2022
Hue Fine Arts Museum (Hue, Vietnam)

April 19 - June 17, 2022
Cultural Center of Providencia Cultural Foundation (Santiago, Chile)

See past exhibition schedule

Section 1: Ningyō to pray for children’s growth

photo of Katashiro
Katashiro

photo of Dairi-bina
Dairi-bina

Section 2: Ningyō as fine art

photo of Gosho Ningyō: Treasure ship
Gosho Ningyō: Treasure ship

photo of Ishō Ningyō: Fuji Musume (Wisteria maiden)
Ishō Ningyō: Fuji Musume (Wisteria maiden)

Section 3: Ningyō as folk art

photo of Miharu Hariko: Onna Shibaraku
Miharu Hariko: Onna Shibaraku

photo of Shizuoka Anesama
Shizuoka Anesama

Section 4: Spread of Ningyō culture

photo of Peacefully
Peacefully

photo of Collector figure
Collector figure
(c) 2009-2018 MAGES./5pb./Nitroplus
(c) 川原 礫／アスキー・メディアワークス／SAO Project

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