“A Moment in Bloom: experiencing Japan’s Season in Art and Nature “

If you’re drawn to Japanese art and nature, the Nezu Museum in Tokyo offers a special seasonal experience you don’t want to miss. Once a year, you can see the painted irises on the screen side by side with the ones blooming in the garden. This happens when the iconic Rinpa folding screen Irises is displayed for only a few days between late April and early May. Be sure to experience this special moment. This column will introduce you to the Nezu Museum and its unique seasonal highlight.

This masterpiece from the Rinpa school is known for its bold compositions, shimmering gold-leaf background, and irises painted as repeated simple shapes, guiding your eyes smoothly from one panel to the next. Standing before it, you see the gold leaf scatter light in countless directions, something impossible to capture in a single picture. You can truly appreciate the full effect only in person.

　　　　　　　　　　image photo『A Rinpa-style folding screen with gold leaf』

The first time I visited the Nezu Museum, I wandered through the expansive garden and suddenly, through the green of the trees, a breathtaking field of blooming irises opened up in front of me. I was captivated by the deep violet petals swaying gently in the breeze and catching glimmers of sunlight. Instinctively, I exclaimed, “Wow!” I stood still for a while, unable to move.

I later realized that the scene on the screen came from The Tales of Ise, and the irises in front of me were the same ones celebrated in this timeless tale. It struck me that I had felt the same awe as the story’s protagonist, who traveled from the capital to Yatsuhashi and was moved by the irises in bloom. When I finally stood before the screen, the gold leaf shimmered like sunlight on water. For a moment, I felt as if I were standing by the riverside itself, surrounded by blooming irises.　

Such a once-a-year harmony of art and nature leaves an impression that no season can replace. At the Nezu Museum in Tokyo, the Irises Screen displayed with the blooming flowers and this ancient tale unite in a fleeting harmony that lingers in your memory long after your visit.

Mika Taguchi
Based in Aichi, Japan
Mika Taguchi is an English Column Writer who explores the harmony between tradition and modern life through Japanese art and kimono culture. A licensed kimono instructor and certified curator (Kyoto University of the Arts, 2019), she writes about the beauty found in Japan’s seasons, where art and nature intertwine. At home, she warmly welcomes international guests with kimono dressing and matcha, sharing the spirit of Japanese hospitality. Through her writing, Mika aims to connect people worldwide with the quiet elegance of Japan’s aesthetic of harmony.