Waseda Museums: List of Special Exhibitions from April-September 2026

“Waseda University Museum Exhibition Lineup for April-September 2026 Details on the renovation of permanent exhibitions are also included. Waseda University holds a collection of over 5 million items, including books, artworks, calligraphy and paintings, natural history specimens , audiovisual materials, and archival documents , among which are two National Treasures, seven Important Cultural Properties, and eight important works of art. The University makes these valuable cultural assets widely available to citizens, local communities, visitors and society. The Tsubouchi Memorial Theatre Museum, the Aizu Museum, the Waseda University History Museum, the Waseda International House of Literature (Haruki Murakami Library) (all located on the Waseda Campus), the Waseda Sports Museum (Toyama Campus), and the Honjo Waseda no Mori Museum (Honjo Campus) will be holding special exhibitions that showcase the unique characteristics of each institution during the first half of AY2026, so please come and visit. List of Special Exhibitions for the First Half of AY 2026 This is a list of special exhibitions to be held from April to September 2026 (some exhibitions may extend beyond this period). Please note that the information provided is current as of April 13th. For information on future exhibitions, please check the websites of each museum. Kaleidoscopic Love in Rom Com!! ≪A must-see exhibition!≫ (Webpage in Japanese) Dates: May 15 (Fri) – August 2 (Sun), 2026 Venue: Tsubouchi Memorial Theatre Museum, 2nd Floor, Special Exhibition Rooms I & II, and the Special Gallery Since the Meiji era, when the term “ renai (恋愛、 romance) ” first appeared in Japanese, romance had remained confined to the discourse of intellectuals, but by the early Showa period, it had permeated everyday life. During the same period, the film industry, which was rapidly developing, began to project the ever-changing nature of love onto the screen. This exhibition explores the diverse forms of love depicted in Japanese romantic comedy films, showcasing how love has evolved alongside modern history. Through stories of newlyweds, modern girls’ romances, post-war free love, and unconventional heroines , the exhibition highlights shifts in views on love, family, and gender, as well as the changing social customs surrounding romance. Additionally, it examines popular East Asian films and dramas of recent years, highlighting how romantic comedies are being embraced today within a transnational context. The World Seen through Miss Saigon: The Vietnam War and the Formation of Vietnamese American Literature ≪A must-see exhibition!≫ Date: May 1, 2026 (Friday) – November 8, 2026 (Sunday) Venue: Waseda International House of Literature (Haruki Murakami Library) Exhibition Room, Waseda University History Museum Half a century after the end of the Vietnam War, conflicts continue around the world, and the refugee crises remains a major challenge for the international community. This exhibition re-examines these contemporary issues from a historical perspective, focusing on the Vietnam War and the refugee culture and literature that emerged afterward. The Vietnam War, which began against the backdrop of the independence movement against colonial rule, ended with the fall of Saigon in 1975, following the division of the country into North and South and the intervention of foreign powers. After the war, many people left their homeland and scattered across the globe as “boat people”; in the United States, they formed refugee communities, particularly in California, and gave rise to a new culture and literature. This special exhibition takes the musical “ Miss Saigon ” (1989) as its starting point to explore the history of war and Vietnamese-American literature written by refugees, examining the impact of war on people’s lives and cultural expression. The exhibition will be held at two venues: the Waseda International House of Literature and the History Museum. Gaze Towards Yungang : Chinese Buddhist Relics Through the Eyes of Seiyo Ogawa Dates: Currently Open – May 31, 2026 (Sunday) Venue: Aizu Yaichi Memorial Museum, 2nd Floor, Grand Gallery The Yungang Grottoes are a magnificent Buddhist site built during the Northern Wei dynasty, which was re-evaluated after the Meiji Restoration and visited by many Japanese intellectuals. This exhibition introduces the perspective and footsteps of Seiyo Ogawa, a Buddhist statue photographer who took photographs , made rubbings, and created sketches of the Yungang Grottoes in 1939 and 1941. Zen Calligraphy and Paintings from the Late Edo to Meiji Periods Dates: Currently Open – Friday, May 22, 2026 Venue: Tomioka Shigenori Collection Room, Aizu Museum (Bldg. 2) While Zen calligraphy and painting often feature works by Edo-period Zen monks such as Hakuin Ekaku and Tōrei Enji, the Tomioka Collection also includes works by Hakuin’s disciples. This exhibition focuses particularly on works by Zen monks from the late Edo to Meiji periods, tracing the evolution of Zen calligraphy and painting amidst the upheavals of the era. Aizu Museum Collection Part 1 Dates: May 11, 2026 (Monday)- August 2, 2026 (Sunday) Venue: Aizu Museum, 1st Floor, Aizu Yaichi Collection Exhibition Room The Aizu Museum houses a collection of approximately 50,000 artworks and academic materials, organized around three main themes: ancient Asian art, archaeological and ethnographic materials, and Japanese paintings from the early modern and modern periods. This exhibition brings together materials from these three fields to showcase the diverse appeal of our collection. We invite you to enjoy a wide range of distinctive works, beginning with ancient Asian art centered on Aizu Yaichi ’s personal collection. Drawing Time at Waseda University: YABUNO Ken and the Traveling Campus (Webpage in Japanese) Dates: Currently Open – April 21, 2026 (Tuesday) Venue: Waseda University History Museum This exhibition features watercolor works by Ken Yabuno that trace the everyday moments and memories etched into the buildings and spaces of Waseda University through the lens of a “journey”—one marked by walking, pausing, and gazing. By superimposing these works , which capture not only the forms but also the atmosphere and the passage of time in places like the Okuma Auditorium , onto the current campus, visitors can sense the time that continues to breathe within these spaces. Exhibition 19: A Selection of Items for Waseda Athletic Clubs (Webpage in Japanese) Dates: Currently Open – July 26, 2026 (Sunday) Venue: Waseda Sports Museum This exhibition introduces the achievements of 44 Waseda U niversity & affiliated school sports clubs, featuring them on a rotating basis. This term, the museum is highlighting six clubs: the Kendo Club, Table Tennis Club, Yacht Club, Junko Baseball Club , Wandervogel Club, and Aikido Club. In addition to their sports equipment and uniforms, it is displaying medals and trophies won at domestic and international competitions. Oceania Folk Art Exhibition: Pottery Production and the Society in Papua New Guinea (Webpage in Japanese) Dates: Currently Open – May 31,2026 (Sunday) Venue: Honjo Waseda no Mori Museum In Papua New Guinea, a country known for its colorful spirit statues, pottery is an essential part of daily lif e, deeply connected to spirits and rituals. This exhibition presents the findings of ethnographic research on pottery-making conducted by Waseda University, along with pottery and spirit statues from the U niversity’s collection. Small Exhibition: Translation wings words beyond borders Dates: Currently Open – November 8, 2026 (Sunday) Venue: Waseda International House of Literature (Haruki Murakami Library), 2nd Floor Lab Translation has always had an important role in Haruki Murakami’s work. In 2024, the Waseda International House of Literature launched the Translation Project, including the “translators-in-residence” program, which invites translators from overseas to conduct research and give lectures during a one-month stay. This exhibition introduces the initiatives carried out through 2025 and displays materials related to the translation process. Permanent Exhibition Ren ovation Information Waseda University History Museum The “Spirit of Innovation” area was renovated on March 16, 2026. Along with an expanded University history timeline, it now traces the history of Waseda University through the evolution of its campus. When the University was founded, the Waseda area was surrounded by farmland, but over time, it has undergone a dramatic transformation into an urban landscape. The exhibition illustrates this history through the changes in the University’s buildings, spaces, and surrounding environment. For more details, please see here. (Only available in Japanese) 歴史館、常設展示をリニューアル Waseda Campus Cultural Facilities Map

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