Kyoto to host Kan'ei culture exhibitions for 400th anniversary

The Kyoto Cultural Museum will host a special exhibition titled ‘Kan'ei: Beauty Nurtured by Peace’ from September 19 to November 15, 2026. The event commemorates the 400th anniversary of the Kan'ei Gyoko, a major political ritual held in 1626 where Tokugawa Hidetada and Iemitsu hosted Emperor Go-Mizunoo at Nijo Castle to foster reconciliation between the Shogunate and the Imperial Court.

The exhibition will showcase the flourishing Kan'ei culture of the early Edo period through various art forms, including masterworks by Hon'ami Koetsu and Tawaraya Sotatsu. Highlights include important cultural properties such as famous swords, including ‘Honebami Choshiro’ and ‘Musashi Tadazune’, as well as decorative screen paintings and tea ceremony utensils. The museum is also organizing a collaboration with the ‘Touken Ranbu ONLINE’ franchise to feature specific sword motifs.

In a related cultural event, the Kyu-Ueda Family Residence in Muko City, Kyoto, will host a reenactment of Heian-period Tanabata festivities to showcase traditional courtly atmosphere.