Shotaro Koyama's 'Dakuro Ryokatsu Koyo-son Ten' Designated as Important Cultural Property
Key facts
- Shotaro Koyama's 'Dakuro Ryokatsu Koyo-son Ten' Designated as Important Cultural Property
- A painting by Shotaro Koyama, held in the collection of the Pola Museum of Art, has been designated as an Important Cultural Property for the first time.
- Source: PR Times
- Date: March 28, 2026
Direct answer
A painting by Shotaro Koyama, held in the collection of the Pola Museum of Art, has been designated as an Important Cultural Property for the first time.
- Citation
- Shotaro Koyama's 'Dakuro Ryokatsu Koyo-son Ten' Designated as Important Cultural Property (March 28, 2026), PR Times
- Source
- PR Times
- Date
- March 28, 2026
A painting by Shotaro Koyama, held in the collection of the Pola Museum of Art, has been designated as an Important Cultural Property for the first time.
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- 📰 Published: March 28, 2026 at 16:15
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The masterpiece 'Dakuro Ryokatsu Koyo-son Ten' (1889) by Shotaro Koyama, held by the Pola Museum of Art (Hakone, Kanagawa), has been designated as an Important Cultural Property. This marks the first time a work by Koyama and a piece from the museum's collection have received this designation. As a significant work from the dawn of Western-style painting in Japan, it will be exhibited at the '2026 Newly Designated National Treasures and Important Cultural Properties' exhibition, held at The Museum of Kyoto starting April 25.
■ About the Work
The painting depicts a group of samurai on a hunting trip stopping at a sake shop in a village filled with beautiful autumn leaves to quench their thirst with doburoku (unrefined sake).
It is a 'road landscape' sketch that utilizes the one-point perspective invented during the Italian Renaissance, featuring trees and houses along a road with small figures added for scale, rendered in the dynamic composition style Koyama favored. The brownish color palette reflects the 'Yani-ha' (resin school) style initiated by Italian painter Antonio Fontanesi, evoking the crisp air of a sunny autumn day and the scent of damp soil in the rural village where a stream flows.
After leaving the Imperial College of Engineering in 1878, Koyama co-founded the Meiji Fine Arts Society in 1889 with classmates like Chu Asai to counter the anti-Western painting movement driven by nationalism. This work was exhibited at the second Meiji Fine Arts Society exhibition in November 1890 and stands as a representative piece showcasing Koyama's exceptional skill as he fought to revitalize the Western-style painting world alongside his peers.
■ About Shotaro Koyama
1857 (Niigata) – 1916 (Tokyo). He moved to Tokyo in 1871 with aspirations of becoming a politician, but instead entered Togai Kawakami's 'Choko Dokuga-kan' Western painting school. In 1876, he enrolled in the Imperial College of Engineering and studied under Italian art teacher Antonio Fontanesi. He contributed to the development of Japanese art education by establishing the 'Fudosha' art school to train successors and serving as a drawing teacher at the Tokyo Normal School.
■ Exhibition Schedule
'2026 Newly Designated National Treasures and Important Cultural Properties' Exhibition
Dates: April 25 – May 17, 2026
Venue: The Museum of Kyoto
Website: https://www.bunpaku.or.jp/
■ Reference Information
For the official press release from the Agency for Cultural Affairs, please visit their website: https://www.bunka.go.jp/koho_hodo_oshirase/hodohappyo/94350901.html
FAQ
When and where will Shotaro Koyama’s painting “Dakuro Ryokatsu Koyo‑son Ten” be displayed as part of the 2026 newly designated national treasures exhibition?
The painting will be shown at The Museum of Kyoto beginning on April 25, 2026, as part of the exhibition titled “2026 Newly Designated National Treasures and Important Cultural Properties.”
Which museum currently holds the 1889 artwork “Dakuro Ryokatsu Koyo‑son Ten” by Shotaro Koyama that was recently designated an Important Cultural Property?
The Pola Museum of Art in Hakone, Kanagawa prefecture holds the 1889 painting “Dakuro Ryokatsu Koyo‑son Ten” by Shotaro Koyama.
What historical significance does the designation of “Dakuro Ryokatsu Koyo‑son Ten” as an Important Cultural Property have for Shotaro Koyama and the Pola Museum of Art?
It marks the first time a work by Shotaro Koyama and the first piece from the Pola Museum of Art’s collection have received the Important Cultural Property status, highlighting Koyama’s role in early Japanese Western‑style painting.
Which artistic style and perspective technique are evident in Koyama’s “Dakuro Ryokatsu Koyo‑son Ten,” and which Italian painter’s influence is mentioned in the description?
The painting uses one‑point perspective from the Italian Renaissance and a brownish palette reflecting the “Yani‑ha” resin‑school style pioneered by Italian painter Antonio Fontanesi.
In what exhibition and year did “Dakuro Ryokatsu Koyo‑son Ten” first appear publicly after its creation, and which society organized that event?
The work was first exhibited publicly at the second Meiji Fine Arts Society exhibition in November 1890, an event organized by the Meiji Fine Arts Society that Koyama co‑founded in 1889.