NEWS
Full-scale Replica of Takeshirō Matsuura's Ichijōjiki (One-Mat Room) Is Currently Traveling to Sakura City
Update: March 16, 2023
Having received a request from the National Museum of Japanese History in Sakura city, Chiba prefecture, ICU Hachiro Yuasa Memorial Museum's full-scale replica of Ichijōjiki is on exhibit at the Museum's special exhibition, "I Love Antiques!: Cultural Magazines Showing Pictorial Records Made by Antiquarians in Early Modern Times."
Fascinated by ancient artifacts and documents, antiquarians (kōkoka) of the Edo period passionately amassed collections. They compiled catalogues (zufu) consisting of copies and rubbings of their collections. One example is the Reitōkaku shūkochō in the National Museum of Japanese History collection which documents 2,400 items. This spectacular exhibition displays the drawings of ancient artifacts depicted in the Reitōkaku shūkochō along with the actual items. The Ichijōjiki is displayed as an exhibit related to Takeshirō Matsuura who was active in the antiquarian network of the time.
The registered tangible cultural property, Taizansō, is a villa with a tea ceremony room which was located on the current ICU campus before the establishment of the university. All of the buildings in Taizansō, including Kōfūkyo which has ichijōjiki, are carefully preserved in their original state.
Kōfūkyo, located in a corner of Taizansō (left), and the interior of Ichijōjiki (right)
In particular, the Ichijōjiki is a unique historical structure, and the ICU Hachiro Yuasa Memorial Museum created and displayed a detailed full-scale model to preserve and research this approximately 140-year-old structure.
On a day in February, the replica was disassembled and packaged at the ICU Hachiro Yuasa Memorial Museum and transported by a professional company to the exhibition venue where it was installed over a period of two days.
Carrying out and loading of the Packing the replica. Disassembled parts of the full-scale model.
The lchijōjiki replica is on display in a completely different atmosphere with other valuable items, such as National Treasures and Important Cultural Properties collected from all over Japan.
The exhibition opened on Tuesday, March 7 on a beautiful spring day and has affrected many visiters since its opening. The exhibition is open until Sunday, May 7.
The full-scale model was installed in the exhibition room. (Image provided by National Museum of Japanese History).
Entrance into the exhibition venue.
【National Museum of Japan History】Exhibition Outline 【WHY ICU】Why is Taizansō, one of Japan's Resistered Tangible Cultural Properties, located on the ICU campus? 【WHY ICU】Why is the "One-Mat Room" Matsuura Takeshirō's study, so carefully preserved at ICU?