Waseda University Museum Exhibition Lineup for First Half of Academic Year 2026
Waseda University announces its museum exhibition schedule for April to September 2026 across its six university museums. Key exhibitions include "Ever-Changing Love: The Brilliance of Japanese Romantic Comedy Films" (May 15 – August 2, Tsubouchi Memorial Theatre Museum), "The World Through 'Miss Saigon': War, Refugees, and Literature" (May 1 – November 8, Waseda International House of Literature and Waseda University History Museum), "Gaze Towards Yungang: Haruo Ogawa's View of Chinese Buddhist Relics" (ongoing – May 31, Aizu Yaichi Memorial Museum), and "Tomioka Collection Exhibition: Zen Calligraphy and Painting from Bakumatsu and Meiji Periods" (ongoing – May 22, Aizu Yaichi Memorial Museum). The university holds over 5 million cultural assets, including 2 National Treasures and 7 Important Cultural Properties.
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Waseda University, located in Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, led by President Aiji Tanaka, houses over 5 million cultural assets, including 2 National Treasures, 7 Important Cultural Properties, and 8 Important Art Objects. These collections are made accessible to the public through its museums: Tsubouchi Memorial Theatre Museum, Aizu Yaichi Memorial Museum, Waseda University History Museum, Waseda International House of Literature (Haruki Murakami Library), Waseda Sports Museum, and Honjo Waseda no Mori Museum. The first half of the 2026 academic year (April-September) will feature several special exhibitions.
Featured Exhibition 1: "Ever-Changing Love: The Brilliance of Japanese Romantic Comedy Films"
Period: May 15 (Fri) – August 2 (Sun), 2026
Venue: Tsubouchi Memorial Theatre Museum, 2nd floor, Special Exhibition Rooms I, II, and Special Gallery
Content: Explores the evolution of love, family values, gender perspectives, and social customs in modern and contemporary Japan through Japanese romantic comedy films. Also examines the transnational reception of romantic comedies in East Asian cinema and dramas.
Featured Exhibition 2: "The World Through 'Miss Saigon': War, Refugees, and Literature"
Period: May 1 (Fri) – November 8 (Sun), 2026
Venue: Waseda International House of Literature (Haruki Murakami Library) Exhibition Room, Waseda University History Museum
Content: Re-examines contemporary issues of conflict and refugees from a historical perspective, focusing on the Vietnam War and the refugee culture and literature that emerged afterward. Uses the musical "Miss Saigon" (1989) as a starting point to discuss the war's impact on lives and cultural expression.
Exhibition 3: "Gaze Towards Yungang: Haruo Ogawa's View of Chinese Buddhist Relics"
Period: (Ongoing) – May 31 (Sun), 2026
Venue: Aizu Yaichi Memorial Museum, 2nd floor, Grand Gallery
Content: Introduces the work of Buddhist photographer Haruo Ogawa, who photographed, took rubbings, and sketched the Yungang Grottoes (Northern Wei Dynasty) in 1939 and 1941.
Exhibition 4: "Tomioka Collection Exhibition: Zen Calligraphy and Painting from Bakumatsu and Meiji Periods"
Period: (Ongoing) – May 22 (Fri), 2026
Venue: Aizu Yaichi Memorial Museum, 1st floor, Tomioka Shigenori Collection Exhibition Room
Content: Features Zen calligraphy and painting by Edo period Zen monks such as Hakuin Ekaku and Torei Enji.
Featured Exhibition 1: "Ever-Changing Love: The Brilliance of Japanese Romantic Comedy Films"
Period: May 15 (Fri) – August 2 (Sun), 2026
Venue: Tsubouchi Memorial Theatre Museum, 2nd floor, Special Exhibition Rooms I, II, and Special Gallery
Content: Explores the evolution of love, family values, gender perspectives, and social customs in modern and contemporary Japan through Japanese romantic comedy films. Also examines the transnational reception of romantic comedies in East Asian cinema and dramas.
Featured Exhibition 2: "The World Through 'Miss Saigon': War, Refugees, and Literature"
Period: May 1 (Fri) – November 8 (Sun), 2026
Venue: Waseda International House of Literature (Haruki Murakami Library) Exhibition Room, Waseda University History Museum
Content: Re-examines contemporary issues of conflict and refugees from a historical perspective, focusing on the Vietnam War and the refugee culture and literature that emerged afterward. Uses the musical "Miss Saigon" (1989) as a starting point to discuss the war's impact on lives and cultural expression.
Exhibition 3: "Gaze Towards Yungang: Haruo Ogawa's View of Chinese Buddhist Relics"
Period: (Ongoing) – May 31 (Sun), 2026
Venue: Aizu Yaichi Memorial Museum, 2nd floor, Grand Gallery
Content: Introduces the work of Buddhist photographer Haruo Ogawa, who photographed, took rubbings, and sketched the Yungang Grottoes (Northern Wei Dynasty) in 1939 and 1941.
Exhibition 4: "Tomioka Collection Exhibition: Zen Calligraphy and Painting from Bakumatsu and Meiji Periods"
Period: (Ongoing) – May 22 (Fri), 2026
Venue: Aizu Yaichi Memorial Museum, 1st floor, Tomioka Shigenori Collection Exhibition Room
Content: Features Zen calligraphy and painting by Edo period Zen monks such as Hakuin Ekaku and Torei Enji.