A Contest of Allure: Katsushika Hokusai and Keisai Eisen — Kabukicho in Full Bloom
Apr 4 — May 31, 2026
From April 4 (Sat) to May 31 (Sun), 2026, the third installment of the Shinjuku Kabukicho Shunga Exhibition: WA will present
“A Contest of Allure: Hokusai and Eisen — Kabukicho in Full Bloom.”
Bold, unrestrained, and bewitching.
Katsushika Hokusai (1760–1849) wielded his brush with absolute freedom—even in shunga.
Decadent and seductive.
Keisai Eisen (1791–1848) admired Hokusai’s style, studied it deeply, and developed a sensuality uniquely his own.
Although Eisen first studied ukiyo-e under Kikukawa Eizan and began his career as a ukiyo-e artist, he later wrote in his book Mumeiō Zuihitsu, he wrote that he “admired Master Hokusai’s style, received instruction in the fundamental principles of painting, and later established his own school,” acknowledging the influence of Hokusai on his work.
Yet while the two artists influenced one another,
their visions of allure were never the same.
How did they confront the human condition?
How did they depict desire?
This exhibition presents approximately 100 works from the shunga collection of Mitsuru Uragami, representative of Uragami Sōkyūdō. Centered on the shunga of Hokusai and Eisen, the exhibition also introduces works by artists who inherited Hokusai’s artistic lineage.
In addition, Hokusai’s celebrated masterpiece “Tako to Ama” (The Dream of the Fisherman’s Wife) from the series “Kinoe no Komatsu” (Pine Seedlings on the First Rat Day) will be featured in a special limited-time display.
Ukiyo-e works evoking the arrival of spring will also be exhibited, bringing together shunga and spring imagery in full seasonal bloom.
Kabukicho is a place where people gather night after night, where countless lives intersect.
A city filled with human warmth, human contradictions, and the unmistakable scent of life—yet one that ultimately affirms the tenderness of being human.
Shunga and Kabukicho.
Edo and Kabukicho.
Even across centuries, the gaze that cherishes humanity remains unchanged.
Hokusai and Eisen breathe once again in Kabukicho.
Now begins the contest of allure between two masters.
Kabukicho, in full bloom.
VENUE
- URL
- https://nohstage.com/
- 住所
- 〒160-0021 Lions Plaza Shinjuku 2F, Kabuki-cho 2-9-18, Shinjuku City, Tokyo, Japan 160-0021
- Tel
- +81 3 3209 9619
- 入館料
- 円
- 備考
- Opening hours, closed days, and admission fees vary by event. Our phone line is only available during exhibition periods. For inquiries at all other times, please contact Wine Rice Co., Ltd. at 03-6380-3663.
NOTES
Dates
April 4 (Sat) – May 31 (Sun), 2026
First Period: April 4 (Sat) – April 30 (Thu)
Second Period: May 1 (Fri) – May 31 (Sun)
Please note that some works will be rotated during the exhibition period for conservation purposes.
Open daily.
Special Feature
Hokusai’s celebrated shunga masterpiece
“Tako to Ama” (The Dream of the Fisherman’s Wife)
from the series “Kinoe no Komatsu” (Pine Seedlings on the First Rat Day) will be exhibited.
Exhibition Period ①:
April 4 (Sat) – April 12 (Sun)
Exhibition Period ②:
May 1 (Fri) – May 10 (Sun)
Due to conservation requirements, the display period is limited.
Opening Hours
11:00 – 19:00 (Last admission 18:30)
Final day closes at 17:00 (Last admission 16:30)
Extended Evening Hours
Every Friday & Saturday:
11:00 – 21:00 (Last admission 20:30)
Venues
(Two locations)
1. Shinjuku Kabukicho Noh Stage
Reception and ticket check-in take place here
Lions Plaza Shinjuku 2F
2-9-18 Kabukicho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0021
Access
3-minute walk from Shinjuku-sanchome Station (Exit E1)
Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line / Fukutoshin Line / Toei Shinjuku Line
8-minute walk from Seibu-Shinjuku Station (North Exit)
Seibu Shinjuku Line
2. BOND
(Approx. 1-minute walk from the Noh Stage)
Kabukicho Social Building 9F
1-2-15 Kabukicho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo
■ Tickets■
Advance Tickets (Until April 3)
https://www.smappa.net/shunga/en/exhibition/ex20.html
General: ¥1,900
Student: ¥1,300
Same-day Tickets
General: ¥2,200
Student: ¥1,500
(Student tickets require a valid student ID.)
Visitors with a valid disability certificate and one accompanying person receive free admission.
This exhibition uses date-specific ticketing. Purchase your ticket for a selected date online. No time slot is required; enter at any time during opening hours on the selected date.
If capacity allows, same-day entry without a reservation will be accepted. Please note that visitors with reservations will be given priority.
Re-entry is permitted only on the same day.
■ Age Restriction■
Admission is restricted to visitors aged 18 and over.
Age verification is required at the time of ticket purchase. Visitors may also be asked to present identification (such as a passport, driver's license, or health insurance card) upon entry.
Organized by: Smappa!Group / Wine Rice Co., Ltd.
Special Cooperation: Uragami Sōkyūdō
Curator: Mitsuru Uragami (Representative, Uragami Sōkyūdō / Executive Board Member, International Ukiyo-e Society)
Academic Advisor: Noriko Itasaka (Professor Emeritus, Senshu University)
Exhibition Cooperation: Minori Kuroda
Partners: The Chain Museum Co., Ltd., Ginza Tsutaya Books, Shinjuku Field Museum, Nihon Bunka Radio, Sebastian Takagi, Naoko Saito, Nekomachi Club
Media Partners: Kyūtōryū Sadō, Aoi Nikki-chō, Shinjuku Ganka Gallery, Tokyo Kawaraban
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Planning: Maki Tezuka (Chairman, Smappa!Group)
Art Direction / Curation: Yasutaka Hayashi (Chim↑Pom from Smappa!Group)
Project Manager / Curation: Honya Shan
Project Leader: Shinichi Kato
Planning Cooperation: Koichi Morota (Morota Office)
Public Relations: Hanako Aiyama (OFFICE-Hai), Rui Minamoto（Studio YUGEN）, Smappa!Group
Design: Smappa!Group
Merchandise Production: Kabukicho Information Center
Translation: Kaede Ebina
ORGANIZERS
-
Smappa!Group/株式会社ワインライス
