Lineup for Waseda University Museum Exhibitions in the First Half of FY2026

Waseda University (Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo; President: Aiji Tanaka) houses over 5 million items, including 2 National Treasures, 7 Important Cultural Properties, and 8 Important Art Objects, spanning books, artworks, calligraphy, natural history materials, audiovisual materials, and historical documents. These precious cultural assets are broadly open to the public, local communities, and society. At the campus museums—Tsubouchi Memorial Theatre Museum, Aizu Museum, Waseda University History for Tomorrow Museum, Waseda International House of Literature (The Haruki Murakami Library) (all on the Waseda Campus), Waseda Sports Museum (Toyama Campus), and Honjo Waseda Research Park Museum (Honjo Campus)—we will be holding special exhibitions leveraging the unique characteristics of each museum in the first half of FY2026. We look forward to your visit. List of Special Exhibitions in the First Half of FY2026 This is a list of special exhibitions to be held from April to September 2026 (some exhibitions extend beyond this period). Please note that the information provided is as of April 13. For information on future exhibitions, please check the websites of the respective museums. Website: https://enpaku.w.waseda.jp/ex/21407/ Ever-Changing Love: The Brilliance of Japanese Romantic Comedy Films Dates: Friday, May 15 – Sunday, August 2, 2026 Venue: Tsubouchi Memorial Theatre Museum, 2nd Floor Special Exhibition Rooms I & II, Special Gallery -- Since the Meiji period, when the translated word for "love" (ren'ai) was born, love had been confined to the discourse of intellectuals, but it permeated daily life by the early Showa period. Around the same time, the rapidly developing film industry projected "ever-changing love" onto the screen. This exhibition introduces the forms of love that have evolved alongside modern and contemporary history through the diverse portrayals of love in Japanese romantic comedy films. By highlighting the conflicts of newlyweds, the loves of Modern Girls, post-war free love, and stories of unconventional heroines, the exhibition brings to light the shifts in views on love, family, and gender, as well as the changes in social customs surrounding romance. Additionally, it looks at recently popular East Asian films and dramas, focusing on how romantic comedies are received within a transnational expansion today. Website: https://www.waseda.jp/culture/wihl/other/12629 The World Seen Through "Miss Saigon": War, Refugees, and Literature Dates: Friday, May 1 – Sunday, November 8, 2026 Venue: Waseda International House of Literature (Haruki Murakami Library) Exhibition Room, Waseda University History for Tomorrow Museum -- Half a century after the end of the Vietnam War, conflicts continue around the world, and the refugee issue remains a major challenge for the international community. To re-examine these modern issues from a historical perspective, this exhibition focuses on the Vietnam War and the refugee culture and literature born in its aftermath. Beginning against the backdrop of independence movements from colonial rule, the Vietnam War ended with the fall of Saigon in 1975, following North-South division and foreign intervention. Post-war, many people left their homeland, dispersing globally as "boat people," forming refugee communities and new cultures/literature primarily in California, USA. This special exhibition uses the musical "Miss Saigon" (1989) as a starting point to introduce the history of the war alongside Vietnamese literature by refugees, examining the impact war has on people's lives and cultural expressions. This exhibition will be displayed across two venues: the International House of Literature and the History Museum. Website: https://www.waseda.jp/culture/aizu-museum/news/2026/01/30/8726/ Gaze upon Yungang: Chinese Buddhist Ruins Seen by Seiyo Ogawa Dates: (Ongoing) – Sunday, May 31, 2026 Venue: Aizu Museum, 2nd Floor Grand Gallery -- The Yungang Grottoes are magnificent Buddhist ruins built during the Northern Wei dynasty. Re-evaluated from the Meiji era onwards, they were visited by many Japanese intellectuals. Through materials from Buddhist statue photographer Seiyo Ogawa, who photographed, took ink rubbings, and sketched Yungang in 1939 and 1941, this exhibition introduces his perspective and footsteps. Website: https://www.waseda.jp/culture/aizu-museum/news/2026/03/06/8805/ [Tomioka Collection Exhibition] Zen Calligraphy and Painting from the Bakumatsu and Meiji Periods Dates: (Ongoing) – Friday, May 22, 2026 Venue: Aizu Museum, 1st Floor Shigenori Tomioka Collection Exhibition Room -- Zen calligraphy and paintings were created by Edo-period Zen monks such as Ekaku Hakuin and Enji Torei...