It can be said that the summer in Kyoto starts with the Gion Festival. During the Yoiyama period, the highlights of the Gion Festival, traditional families and merchant houses in Kyoto would open their treasures to public to enliven the Gion festival even more, and this little participations from the local families have created another little event in the frame of Gion festival, and called as “Byobu (folding screen) Matsuri”. Chiso Gallery also would display their folding screens together with other items from the private collection during this period, which would add another little excitement to the Gion Festival.

“Byoubu”, literally translated as Folding screen, would entertains us as screens that would project another sceneries in front of us. When we consider the role of a folding screen as a part of furnishing in Japanese house, it even can give the effect of making us feel that the painted scenery is interconnected to the actual scenery in the house, or we are in the midst of the painted scenery.

At this year's Byobu festival, at Chiso gallery, we are aiming to create a large water stream through such imaginative experience with the displayed folding screens. The main piece among the exhibits is the important cultural property, “The Hozu River by Okyo Maruyama”,  which dynamically portrays a rapid river streams. You may feel as though you are standing in the middle of a big water stream by surrounded with those folding screens in the gallery.

To add a touch of spice to this experience, there also would be a little story that only visitors can discover. - For which, we hope would enrich your experience at Chiso gallery.

Crossing the unseen water
1st Jun 2023 ～ 25th September 2023
10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Admission free
※Closed Tuesday - Wednesday
2nd floor of the CHISO Flagship store
80 Mikuracho Sanjyo Karasuma
Nakagyo-ku Kyoto