Shotaro Koyama's 'Dakuro Ryokatsu Koyo-son Ten' Designated as Important Cultural Property

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