In February 2025, our team member Yih-chuen Liao visited Tokyo to explore Japan’s rich tradition of East Asian decorated papers. The first stop of her visit brought her to a special exhibition “Kohitsu (古筆切)” at the Nezu Museum, and the second stop was the Tokyo National Museum.
Despite Nezu Museum’s central location in Tokyo, the landscaping around the building complex incorporates natural elements and remains very lush even in cold winter months.
Unfortunately, no photography was allowed in the exhibition, but the show was a feast for the eyes.
The word Kohitsu originally means “old calligraphy”. However, in the contemporary context, especially for the Japanese tea ceremony Chadō, Kohitsu specifically refers to Japanese style calligraphy that was used for the writing in Japanese anthologies during the Heian period (794 – 1185 A.D.) and Kamakura period (1185 – 1333 A.D.). These early calligraphic masterpieces were often written on decorated papers which were later detached and trimmed into smaller pieces. Sometimes, these trimmed segments of paper comprise only one single line or, other times, a few lines of writing. They were then mounted as scrolls or in albums, and used as furnishing to decorate the space for court or literati gatherings.
Nearly 60% of objects on view in the Nezu Museum’s special exhibition were written on decorated papers, which indicates the use of decorated papers in medieval Japan a common practice among educated elites. One section of the exhibition was titled “Calligraphy and Ryōshi – Beautiful Harmony”, featuring five calligraphic works from the 11th-12th centuries during the Heian period that were later mounted as hanging scrolls. Some early Kohitsu pieces in the exhibition were written on imported decorated Chinese papers made with woodblock print during the Northern Song Dynasty (960 – 1127 A.D.).
The Tokyo National Museum holds an exquisite collection of decorated papers, some of which are classified by the Japanese government as national treasures. One area in the museum was thematically dedicated to decorated papers, where more kohitsu are on view.
It was exciting to discover a famous 11-century kohitsu written on Chinese paper decorated with lion and scroll motifs.
Further objects in the gallery show different techniques of medieval decorated paper from Japan.
There was also a Hello Kitty exhibition at the Tokyo National Museum, and the giant Hello Kitty at the entrance of the museum became a popular attraction for the visitors.
Museum visitors in Tokyo are generally very quiet, considerate, polite, and organized. It was a refreshing and very pleasant experience to visit museums in Tokyo.
We would like to thank Ms. Tokoro Junko from the Nezu Museum’s Curatorial Department who kindly spent time with us and provided important information for our research. The trip to Tokyo was short but truly productive and rewarding.