Eisei Bunko Museum, Art museum in Mejirodai, Japan
The Eisei Bunko Museum occupies a two-story building on the former Hosokawa estate in Mejirodai: an off-white upper facade over rough gray stone blocks, with a dark projecting eaves line and a flat canopy above the recessed entrance. The building was put up in the early Showa era as the family's office. Inside, the collection of some 112,000 objects is shown in exhibitions rearranged three times a year.
The Hosokawa were daimyō of Higo, present-day Kumamoto, holding 540,000 goku, and their collection dates from the Nanboku-chō era of the 14th century. The building on the former family estate in Mejirodai was erected in the early Showa period as the family office. Hosokawa Moritatsu, 16th head, founded the foundation in 1950; it opened to the public in 1972 under the 17th head, Morisada.
The name Eisei takes "ei" from Eigen-an, the Hosokawa family temple (now Shōden Eigen-in, a subtemple of Kennin-ji), and "sei" from Seiryūji Castle, held by Hosokawa Fujitaka. The archive's documents, including 9,612 Hosokawa family papers, are deposited at Kumamoto University Library.
The museum opens daily from 10:00 AM to 4:30 PM and can be reached from Edogawabashi or Zoshigaya stations. Exhibitions change regularly, so it helps to check which themes are on display before visiting.
The collection began in the 14th century, in the Nanboku-chō era, and now numbers close to 112,000 objects. Among the National Treasures are a tachi blade signed by Yukihira of Bungo and a short sword by Masamune known as the Hocho Masamune.
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