The Sakai Collection: Five Generations of Passion
The heart of the museum’s collection is the Sakai Collection, assembled by the wealthy Sakai family of Matsumoto over approximately five generations and 200 years.
The collection contains around 100,000 works, including approximately 1,000 hand-painted ukiyo-e works. Its scope extends from early ukiyo-e to modern creative woodblock prints, providing a broad view of the development of Japanese printmaking.
Among the artists represented are celebrated masters such as Utagawa Kuniyoshi and Ando Hiroshige. The collection also includes numerous works depicting kabuki theater, the Yoshiwara entertainment district, landscapes, popular culture, and scenes from the daily lives of ordinary people in Edo-period Japan.
For this reason, the museum can be viewed not simply as a gallery of beautiful prints, but as a visual archive of Japanese society. Ukiyo-e captured the fashions, performers, landscapes, customs, and pleasures of its time, offering modern visitors an unusually vivid window into life centuries ago.
The Sakai Family and the Beginnings of the Collection
A Prosperous Merchant Family in Matsumoto
The Sakai family prospered as a wholesale merchant family dealing in paper and various commodities in Shinano Province, the region that is now Nagano Prefecture.
The sixth-generation head of the family, Sakai Heisuke Yoshiaki, possessed considerable wealth during the Kansei era. He is said to have owned as many as 12 storehouses and was known for his interest in literature, art, and cultured pursuits.
During this period, the family developed connections with ukiyo-e artists and cultural figures in Edo, including famous artists such as Katsushika Hokusai and Utagawa Hiroshige. These relationships helped encourage the Sakai family’s growing interest in collecting ukiyo-e.
From Collecting to Scholarly Research
The seventh-generation Sakai Rihei was also known within the circles of Edo’s kyoka poets. His portrait appears in Hiroshige’s “Hyakunin Isshu Shokeisho”, providing a fascinating connection between the Sakai family and the artistic world of the Edo period.
Rihei received the artistic name “Kokodo” from the scholar and intellectual Sakuma Shozan. Under his influence, the family’s interest in ukiyo-e developed beyond private collecting into a more systematic approach to research and appreciation.
The eighth-generation head, Sakai Tohei, later established Sakai Kokodo in Tokyo. He devoted himself to the study and promotion of ukiyo-e, helping introduce Japanese prints to a wider audience both in Japan and overseas.
Through the efforts of successive generations, the collection gradually developed into a body of material with major artistic and academic significance.
Sakai Tohei and the Promotion of Ukiyo-e
Sakai Tohei (1844–1911) was an important figure in the development of the family’s collection during the Meiji era. He worked as both a ukiyo-e dealer and collector and was also involved in publishing ukiyo-e prints.
His activities helped promote ukiyo-e as an art form worthy of serious appreciation rather than merely popular entertainment. His efforts contributed to the preservation, study, and wider recognition of Japanese woodblock prints.
The museum’s existence today is closely connected with this long tradition of collecting and promoting ukiyo-e. The Sakai family’s passion, passed from generation to generation, eventually led to the establishment of a museum where these works could be preserved and shared with the public.
A Museum Designed by Kazuo Shinohara
The Japan Ukiyo-e Museum was established in 1982 as the culmination of the Sakai family’s long history of collecting ukiyo-e.
The building was designed by renowned architect Kazuo Shinohara. Its architecture combines a distinctly modern character with an awareness of traditional Japanese aesthetics, creating a setting that complements the museum’s historic collection.
Specialized facilities are used to protect the artworks from environmental conditions, while exhibition spaces allow visitors to encounter ukiyo-e through both permanent and special exhibitions.
The contrast between the museum’s contemporary architecture and the delicate beauty of traditional Japanese prints creates an interesting dialogue between past and present.
Discover the World of Ukiyo-e
Masterpieces by Famous Artists
The Sakai Collection contains numerous works by major ukiyo-e artists. Among the examples highlighted by the museum are “The Heart of the Fish” by Utagawa Kuniyoshi and “Thirty-Six Views of Kiso” by Ando Hiroshige.
The rich colors and intricate details of these works demonstrate the extraordinary technical skill achieved by Japanese printmakers. Looking closely at the prints reveals not only the artists’ compositions but also the sophisticated techniques used to reproduce delicate lines, patterns, expressions, and landscapes.
A Window into Edo Life
One of the greatest attractions of ukiyo-e is its ability to reveal the world of ordinary people. Prints depicting kabuki performances, entertainers, the Yoshiwara district, popular fashions, landscapes, and everyday scenes allow modern viewers to imagine the atmosphere of Edo-period Japan.
Rather than focusing exclusively on historical rulers and major political events, ukiyo-e often celebrated the experiences and interests of townspeople. This makes the prints particularly valuable as visual records of popular culture.
For travelers unfamiliar with Japanese history, ukiyo-e can therefore serve as an engaging introduction to the society of the Edo period. Clothing, hairstyles, architecture, transportation, entertainment, and seasonal customs appear naturally within the compositions.
Ukiyo-e as an International Cultural Heritage
The museum has actively presented ukiyo-e not only in Japan but also through exhibitions in other parts of the world. These activities have helped introduce the artistic achievements of Japanese woodblock printing to international audiences.
The museum has also worked to reacquire outstanding ukiyo-e works that had previously left Japan. Such efforts reflect its commitment to preserving ukiyo-e as part of a shared international cultural heritage.
Ukiyo-e has long had an influence beyond Japan, and its distinctive compositions, bold use of color, and unconventional perspectives attracted attention overseas. Visiting the museum offers an opportunity to understand the art in its original cultural context while appreciating its enduring international appeal.
More Than Beautiful Prints
Ukiyo-e is sometimes introduced simply as a form of Japanese woodblock art, but the collection at the Japan Ukiyo-e Museum reveals a much broader story.
Behind every print are networks of artists, publishers, craftsmen, merchants, performers, and consumers. A single image can reveal details about the society, fashion, entertainment, technology, and aesthetic preferences of its period.
The museum’s enormous collection allows visitors to trace these changes over time. From early ukiyo-e to later developments in printmaking, the works demonstrate how Japanese visual culture evolved while retaining distinctive artistic traditions.
Why Visit the Japan Ukiyo-e Museum in Matsumoto?
Matsumoto is widely known for its historic castle, traditional streets, museums, and mountain scenery. The Japan Ukiyo-e Museum adds another dimension to the city’s cultural landscape by connecting Matsumoto with one of Japan’s most influential art forms.
The museum is particularly rewarding for visitors interested in Japanese art, history, design, popular culture, and traditional craftsmanship. Even travelers who have little prior knowledge of ukiyo-e can discover the stories behind the images by observing the people, places, and activities represented in the prints.
For those already familiar with artists such as Hokusai or Hiroshige, the scale of the Sakai Collection offers an opportunity to explore ukiyo-e from a much broader perspective.
Convenient Access from Central Matsumoto
The museum is conveniently located for visitors exploring Matsumoto and the surrounding area.
By train, it is approximately a 15-minute walk from Oniwa Station on the Alpico Transportation Kamikochi Line.
By car, the museum is approximately 5 minutes from the Matsumoto Interchange on the Nagano Expressway. Parking is available, making the museum an easy stop during a sightseeing drive through Matsumoto and the Northern Alps area.
Visitors can also use the Matsumoto City Community Bus, Matsumoto Shimauchi Line Komiya Route, operated by Alpico Transportation. Get off at the Ukiyo-e Museum and Historic Village stop, directly in front of the museum. The journey from the Alps Exit of Matsumoto Station takes approximately 20 minutes.
Experience Japan Through Its Images
The Japan Ukiyo-e Museum brings together the passion of the Sakai family, the history of Japanese printmaking, and an extraordinary collection of approximately 100,000 works.
From elegant landscapes and famous actors to bustling entertainment districts and scenes of everyday life, the collection provides an intimate view of Japan through the eyes of its artists and craftsmen.
For overseas travelers, the museum offers a particularly fascinating way to encounter Japanese culture. Rather than simply looking at beautiful prints, visitors can use ukiyo-e as a visual guide to the people, places, fashions, and ideas that shaped Japan from the Edo period into the modern age.
A visit to the Japan Ukiyo-e Museum makes a rewarding addition to a Matsumoto itinerary, especially when combined with the city’s historic architecture, museums, and Matsumoto Castle.