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.
NQ 50/100出典：PR Times

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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

Which museum currently holds Shotaro Koyama's masterpiece painting 'Dakuro Ryokatsu Koyo-son Ten'?

This famous painting is held by the Pola Museum of Art, located in Hakone, Kanagawa Prefecture.

Where and when will the newly designated Important Cultural Property be exhibited in 2026?

The masterpiece will be exhibited at The Museum of Kyoto starting from April 25 at the special exhibition.

What specific scene is depicted in the painting 'Dakuro Ryokatsu Koyo-son Ten'?

The painting depicts a group of samurai on a hunting trip stopping at a sake shop to drink doburoku in an autumn village.

Who was the Italian art teacher under whom Shotaro Koyama studied at the Imperial College of Engineering?

Shotaro Koyama studied under the Italian art teacher Antonio Fontanesi after enrolling in the college in 1876.

In which year did Shotaro Koyama co-found the Meiji Fine Arts Society, and with whom did he establish it?

He co-founded the Meiji Fine Arts Society in 1889 alongside his classmates, including Chu Asai.

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