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Katarium
February 7 [Sat] - May 24 [Sun], 2026

About this exhibition
Once upon a Time, in a Certain Place; Listening and Indulging in the Narrative
Katarium is a word coined from katari, “speaking, telling a story,” and -arium, a suffix indicating a space. A place for storytelling, a Katarium, is the exhibition’s theme.
Listen to the person who conceived a certain work announcing the thoughts put into it, or to a soliloquy of a painter contemplating in the studio. Alternatively, lend an ear to the narratives unfolding in front of the works such as the reactions of the viewers having seen how a work has been completed, and imagine the scene depicted.
There are folding screens considered to have been commissioned by a daimyo in the Edo period, Meiji- and Taisho-era oil paintings and nihonga depicting mythological themes, and a collection of prints by Ben Shahn. Sister segments of “the Deeds of the Zen Masters” by Yin Tuoluo and “Caricatures of Animals”, which once respectively formed a single work as a scroll, will be on view too. Enjoy lively narratives from different periods and genres.
This exhibition is composed of 56 works including 2 National Treasures, 7 Important Cultural Properties, and 5 Important Art Objects.
*Works on display will be changed.
2/7[Sat]―5/24[Sun] Illustrated Scrolls of the Tale of the Heiji Rebellion, Tokiwa Scroll * Scene rotation on 4/3 [Fri]
2/7[Sat]―4/2[Thu] Views in and around the City of Kyoto
4/3[Fri]―5/24[Sun] Edo Tenka Matsuri (Sanno Festival)
2/7[Sat]―2/26[Thu] Detached Segment of the Battle at Rokuhara Scroll of the Tale of the Heiji Rebellion
2/27[Fri]―3/12[Thu] Detached Segment of Poem Anthology Iseshu, known as "Ishiyama-gire", Detached Segment of Poem Anthology Tsurayukishu, known as "Ishiyama-gire"
3/13[Fri]―3/26[Thu] Detached Segment of Poem Anthology Kokin-wakashu, known as "Koya-gire"
3/27[Fri]―4/23[Thu] Detached Segment of Caricatures of Animals
4/24[Fri]―5/7[Thu] Detached Segment of the Deeds of the Zen Masters
5/8[Fri]―5/24[Thu] The Tale of Genji
Exhibition overview
Exhibition title
- Katarium
Exhibition period
- February 7 [Sat] - May 24 [Sun], 2026
Opening hours
- 10:00 - 18:00 (until 20:00 on Fridays and May 2, 9, 16, 23 [except March 20] ) *Last entry 30 minutes before closing.
Closed
- February 16 [Mon], March 16 [Mon], April 13 [Mon], May 11 [Mon]
Organizer
- Artizon Museum, Ishibashi Foundation
Venue
- 4F Gallery
Concurrent Exhibition
- Monet: Questioning Nature (6,5F Galleries)
Ticket prices (incl. tax)
| On-line ticket | In-Person ticket (purchase at museum) | |
|---|---|---|
| General | 2,100 yen | 2,500 yen |
|
University college high school students |
Free entry Advance booking required
Please present their student ID upon entry. | |
|
Disabled visitors (plus one accompanying assistant) |
Free entry Advance booking not required
Please present disabled person’s handbook upon entry. | |
|
Children through junior high school | Free entry Advance booking not required | |
*Booking is not accepted when a time slot is full.
*In-Person ticket may be purchased at the museum, if the time slot is not full.
*This admission fee gives the visitor access to the concurrent exhibitions.
Art works

Views in and around the City of Kyoto (detail), Edo period, 17th century, Artizon Museum, Ishibashi Foundation On view: 2/7–4/2

Illustrated by Yin tuoluo Inscription by Chushi Fanqi, Detached Segment from the Deeds of the Zen Masters, Priest Zhichang, Yüan dynasty, 14th century, National Treasure, Seikado Bunko Art Museum On view: 4/24–5/7

Detached Segment of Caricatures of Animals,
Heian period, 12th century, Important Cultural Property, MIHO MUSEUM On view: 3/27–4/23

Detached Segment of Caricatures of Animals,
Heian period, 12th century, Artizon Museum, Ishibashi Foundation On view: 3/27–4/23

Ben SHAHN,
XVII Memories of Many Nights of Love (For the Sake of a Single Verse … from The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge by Rainer Maria Rilke),
Published in 1968, Artizon Museum, Ishibashi Foundation
©︎ Estate of Ben Shahn / VAGA at ARS, NY / JASPAR, Tokyo 2025 C5186

IMAMURA Shiko,
Umi-no-Sachi and Yama-no-Sachi (Right Screen),
1908, Artizon Museum, Ishibashi Foundation

Edo Tenka Matsuri (Sanno Festival) (detail),
Edo period, 17th century, Artizon Museum, Ishibashi Foundation
On view: 4/3–5/24

AOKI Shigeru,
Paradise under the Sea,
1907, Important Cultural Property, Artizon Museum, Ishibashi Foundation

Illustrated Scrolls of The Tale of the Heiji Rebellion, Tokiwa Scroll,
Kamakura period, 13th century, Important cultural Property, Artizon Museum, Ishibashi Foundation
Partial display (scene rotation)

Detached Segment of Poem Anthology Iseshu, known as "Ishiyama-gire",
Heian period, 12th century Important Art Object, Artizon Museum, Ishibashi Foundation On view: 2/27–3/12