Love, desire, the deep longing felt for another person—throughout history, people have wanted to see emotions expressed. 
In Japan, at least since the Heian period (794–1185 CE), shunga-genre paintings have shown intimate scenes between men and women or between people of the same sex.

The highlight of this current exhibition is the original Chigo Sōshi, an illustrated scroll held to be the oldest surviving shunga in Japan. Created in the early 14th century, it combines text and pictures to depict the intimate relationship between a monk and a chigo (a young boy serving at a temple). Its existence was long known through copies and books, however, very few people had ever seen this phantom masterpiece. 

Another exhibition highlight is a copy by Tani Bunchō (1763-1840) of the Koshibagaki Zōshi scroll. Depicting intimate acts between men and women, the original is one of Japan’s oldest known shungaworks. As well as Katsushika Hokusai’s masterpiece Nami Chidori, original paintings by artists such as Tsukioka Settei, and other erotic art, you can see works inspired by enduring love by such artists as Uemura Shōen and Kaburaki Kiyokata.

*Admission is restricted to guests aged 18 and over.

 

Exhibition Overview

Title	Forms of Love -Legendary Shunga Scroll Chigo Soshi on Display
List of Works	To be uploaded
Dates	September 19 (Sat.) 2026 – January 17 (Sun.) 2027  1st period: September 19 (Sat.) – November 16 (Mon.)  2nd period: November 18 (Wed.) – Janiary 17 (Sun.) 2027 *Every Tuesday and Sunday will be “Feel Free to Talk” days
Opening Hours	10:00 – 17:00 (last entry 16:30)
Closed	Maintenance: October 20 (Tue.), December 15 (Tue.) Year-end: December 30 (Wed.) – January 1 (Fri.)
Venue	Fukuda Art Museum: 3-16 Susukinobabachō Saga-Tenryuji, Ukyō-ku, Kyoto
Entry Fee	General / University student: ¥1,500 (¥1,400) High school student: ¥900 (¥800)    Disabled person and up to one helper: ¥900 (¥800) *Admission is restricted to guests aged 18 and over. You may be requested to present a government-issued photo ID upon entry. * Prices in parentheses are for groups of 20 or more.   <Combo Tickets with Saga Arashiyama Museum of Arts & Culture> Special Exhibition “Discover and Enjoy Kyoto Through Pictures” General / University student: ¥2,300 High school student: ¥1,300 Disabled person and up to one helper: ¥1,300 *If you purchase an online ticket of the Fukuda Art Museum, you will get a discount for the entry fee of the Saga Arashiyama Museum of Arts & Culture. Therefore, you can enter both museums as the same price of the combo ticket.
Supported by	Kyoto Prefecture, Kyoto City, Kyoto City Board of Education