Special Exhibition 'JAPAN COLORS CHRONICLE: Japanese Color Culture from Ancient to Modern Times' to be Held, Unraveling How Japanese People Have Lived with 'Color'

Hoyu Hair Color Museum (903 Tokugawa-cho, Higashi-ku, Nagoya, Aichi) will hold the exhibition "JAPAN COLORS CHRONICLE: Japanese Color Culture from Ancient to Modern Times" in its 1st-floor special exhibition room from Saturday, April 11 to Sunday, August 30.

1. Exhibition Overview

From ancient times to the present day, Japanese people have lived with color.

Colors born from the light and shadow of the sun.

Colors that reflected nature, signified social status, were refined under restrictions, encountered the world, and changed their form.

None of them were merely beautiful; they reflected ways of life and values.

With each changing era, color poses questions.

What do we find beautiful? How do we want to be? What self do we want to show the world?

There is no single answer.

That is why color has not been lost and continues to be updated even now.

This exhibition is an attempt to unravel why the various colors that have decorated Japan in each era, from ancient to modern times, were accepted and how they influenced society, from diverse aspects such as cultural customs and dyeing techniques.

2. Background of the Exhibition

Hoyu Co., Ltd.'s predecessor, Mizno Kankodo, was founded in 1905 and celebrated its 120th anniversary last year in 2025. During this time, we have focused on hair dyes, helping to color people's hearts by beautifully coloring their hair.

In this 121st year, we decided to plan and implement this exhibition with the thought of carving a new history for our company by looking back on "color," something we have been and will continue to be involved with.

3. Exhibition Composition

① Panel Display: Explanations of color trends, their adoption, and the historical background from ancient to modern times.

② Physical Exhibit: Display of materials for natural dyeing, raw materials for chemical dyes, etc.

③ Physical Exhibit: Display of symbolic costumes and hairstyles of women from the Heian, Edo, Meiji, and post-war Showa (late 1940s) periods.

4. Exhibition Highlights

① A panel display that summarizes the history of Japanese color in a compact and easy-to-understand manner.

② Display of photogenic Rokumeikan-style dresses and dresses from the late 1940s.

Both costumes are being shown in Nagoya for the first time.

*Owned by the Fashion Resource Center of Bunka Gakuen (Tokyo), a pioneer in Japanese Western clothing culture.

A bustle dress owned by the Bunka Gakuen Fashion Resource Center. It was created with the cooperation of haute couture instructors and designers at the request of the then-chairman, Atsushi Onuma, to be displayed in a show window for the unveiling of the new Bunka Gakuen school building (1998). The design was based on ukiyo-e prints by Yoshu Chikanobu depicting the era of civilization and enlightenment, such as "Ladies' Singing Circle in the Plum Garden" and "A Sketch of a Noble Ball," and the fabric used is silk with a Seigaiha (blue ocean waves) pattern.

A one-piece dress owned by the Bunka Gakuen Fashion Resource Center. This embroidered lace one-piece dress, made in 1955, features the then-popular "parachute skirt" silhouette. The waist is cinched, and the skirt is puffed out like a dome with a panier or petticoat.

③ Display of hairstyles and attire of women from the Heian, Edo, Meiji, and Showa periods.

④ Physical exhibit of dyes, from natural to chemical.

5. Exhibition Details

Dates: Saturday, April 11, 2026 - Sunday, August 30, 2026

Hours: 10:00 - 17:00 (Last admission 16:30)

Venue: Hoyu Hair Color Museum, 1st Floor Special Exhibition Room

903 Tokugawa-cho, Higashi-ku, Nagoya, Aichi

052-559-4931

*Closed on Mondays, public holidays, and from August 10 to 14.

Admission: Free, including the special exhibition.

About Hoyu Hair Color Museum

Operator: Hoyu Co., Ltd.

Opened: May 9, 2023

Address: 903 Tokugawa-cho, Higashi-ku, Nagoya, Aichi 461-0023 (South of Tokugawa Art Museum)

Phone: 052-559-4931

Hours: 10:00 - 17:00, Free admission, No reservation required

Closed: Mondays, public holidays *Please check the website for information on temporary closures.

Website: https://www.museum.hoyu.co.jp

Hoyu Co., Ltd. Company Profile

Head Office: 1-501 Tokugawa, Higashi-ku, Nagoya, Aichi

Representative: Yoshihiro Sasaki, President and CEO

Founded: 1905

Established: March 1923

Capital: 110 million yen

Number of Employees: 1,080 (as of October 31, 2025)

Consolidated Net Sales: 52.7 billion yen (fiscal year ended October 31, 2025)

Business Activities: Manufacturing and sales of hair color and hair care products.

Keywords: hair color, museum, corporate museum, color, dress, Nagoya City