Special Exhibition "Japanese Cherry Blossoms Illustrated by Ohta Yoai, a Pioneer of the Botanical Art in Japan"
In addition to exhibiting about 100 valuable watercolor paintings of cherry blossoms painted by pioneer of Japanese botanical art Ohta Yoai, pressed cherry blossom specimens that served as resources for his paintings, as well as related materials, will be displayed to the public. Many of the botanical paintings on display are originals from the publication Nihon Sakurashu ("Flowering Cherries of Japan", written by Ohwi Jisaburo, illustrated by Ohta Yoai, 1973), which may be considered to be the culmination of Japanese cherry blossom research.
Through this special exhibition, we introduce the achievements of Ohta and Ohwi in the study of the natural history of cherry blossoms.
Exhibition
| Title | Special Exhibition "Japanese Cherry Blossoms Illustrated by Ohta Yoai, a Pioneer of the Botanical Art in Japan" |
|---|---|
| Period | March 14, 2023 (Tue) – April 9 (Sun) |
| Venue | Japan Gallery 1F Exhibition Hall for temporally exhibition |
| Hours | 9:00-17:00 *Opening days, hours etc. are subject to alteration. Please check the website before your visit. |
| Closed | Monday (Except March 27, and April 3) |
| Organizers | National Museum of Nature and Science |
| Cooperation | Ueno Sakuramori Association, Makino Herbarium (MAK), Tokyo Metropolitan University, Makino Memorial Garden |
Access
| National Museum of Nature and Science | |
|---|---|
| Address | 7-20 Ueno Park, Taito-ku, Tokyo 110-8718 |
VR Gallery
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What to see
Chapter 1:
The Natural History of Cherry Blossoms
Through specimens and literature, we'll introduce the types of cherry blossoms that grow naturally in Japan, the cherry blossoms of the Himalayas from which they originate, the culture of hanami (cherry blossom viewing) that bloomed in Japan, as well as the garden varieties that have been produced.
Chapter 2:
Botanical Art of Cherry Blossoms
2－1 Cherry Blossom Illustrations for Science: The Road to Nihon Sakurashu
In the history of research for clarifying the diversity of cherry blossoms in Japan, botanical art printed in research papers, etc. has played a major role in accurately and widely communicating the characteristics of different species. We'll exhibit representative illustrations that have been made for cherry blossom research so far.
2－2 Ohta Yoai and Ohwi Jisaburo
Research of the natural history of Japanese cherry blossoms, which began in the Edo period, was compiled in Nihon Sakurashu ("Flowering Cherries of Japan"), which was co-authored by Ohwi Jisaburo, an honorary member of the National Museum of Nature and Science, and Ohta Yoai. We'll introduce their achievements as well as their relationship with cherry blossoms.
Ohta Yoai’s Works
Ohta Yoai
[private collection]Ohta Yoai (1910–1988) was one of Japan’s foremost scientific illustrators. He published a number of works using botanical art techniques, and was highly regarded as a pioneer in this field in Japan.
Ohwi Jisaburo’s Works
Ohwi Jisaburo
[Makino Herbarium (MAK), Tokyo Metropolitan University]Ohwi Jisaburo (1905–1977) was a distinguished botanist in Japan. He published a large number of papers on plant systematics. In 1953, he published Nihon Shokubutsushi (“Flora of Japan”), which organized all species of vascular plants in Japan using a unified standard.
Chapter 3:
Ohta Yoai's Cherry Blossom Art
In addition to exhibiting many of the original paintings of cherry blossoms that were published in Nihon Sakurashu, valuable pressed specimens made from cherry blossom branches that were used for illustrating will be on display for the first time, as evidence of Ohta's research.
Topics
We'll introduce the uses of cherry blossom leaves, flowers, bark, etc., as well as species related to cherry blossoms from around the world.
※Materials for which a collection is not listed belong to the collection of the National Museum of Nature and Science.