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

The masterpiece 'Dakuro Ryokatsu Koyo-mura Ten' (1889) by Shotaro Koyama, held by the Pola Museum of Art (Hakone, Kanagawa Prefecture), 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, which begins on April 25 at The Museum of Kyoto. ■ About the Work The painting depicts a group of samurai on a falconry excursion stopping at a sake shop in a village filled with beautiful autumn leaves to quench their thirst with 'doburoku' (unrefined sake). It is a landscape sketch known as 'doro sansui' (road landscape), utilizing the one-point perspective introduced during the Italian Renaissance to place figures along a road lined with trees and houses, rendered in the dynamic composition style Koyama favored. The brown-toned palette reflects the 'Yani-ha' (resin school) style initiated by Italian painter Antonio Fontanesi, evoking the crisp air of a clear autumn day and the scent of damp soil in a rural village with a flowing stream. After leaving the Imperial College of Engineering in 1878, Koyama co-founded the Meiji Fine Arts Society in 1889 with contemporaries 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 the 'Choko Dokugakan' Western painting school run by Togai Kawakami. 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