Shotoen Museums and Gardens
Commemorative Museum of Korean Missions◆Exhibition Title
The Journey in Edo period as seen through Josen Tongsinsa
Period:September 9th◆Exhibition Overview
The Korean envoys, who visited Japan 12 times between 1607 and1811, left official records in diary format called "Shikoroku" (Records ofMissions) describing their long journey to Edo. The "Shikoroku" records
wrote by the Korean envoys are also valuable documents that allow us
today to learn about the lives of Japanese people 200 to 400 years ago.
This exhibition will introduce the travel of the Edo period through therecords of the Korean envoys.
◆View Point
The journey of the Korean envoys consisted of sea and land routes. They
sailed from Busan to Osaka on a huge ocean-going Korean envoy ship,
traveled from Osaka to Kyoto on a river boats decorated with lacquer andother materials, and then traveled from Kyoto to Edo on foot. You can see
various documents which introduce you to the Korean mission’s journeys in
Edo period in Japan.
◆Recommended works「Scroll Depicting the Korean Envoys Visiting Japan」

This work depicts in vivid colors the arrival of the 10th Korean envoys toJapan in 1748, traveling by river boat from Kyoto to Osaka, and thentraveling on foot from Kyoto to Tokyo.

Shotoen Museums and Gardens
Ceramics Museum◆Exhibition Title
The surface of the ceramics

Period: September 9th◆Exhibition Overview
If you stare closely at the surface of the ceramics, you will see various
aspects of the surface. Something rough, something slippery, something
bumpy... They also come in a variety of colors and patterns.
In this exhibition, we will look at the surface of each type of ceramic. It is
filled with wisdom and techniques found by artisans and potters. Pleasetake this opportunity to take a closer look at the surface of the ceramics.
◆View point
Japan has a wide variety of ceramics. In terms of pottery, Bizen ware andMino ware, which have rough or uneven surfaces, and Imari ware, which issmooth and shiny in porcelain, have different charms. Among ceramic
connoisseurs in Japan, the surface of the ceramic is called "Hada" (meaningskin), and the texture and pattern of the skin are called "Keshiki" (meaningscenery). There are various ways to enjoy it, such as enjoying the texture of
the soil that is the material, enjoying the rich colors of glaze and painting,and enjoying the forming. In this exhibition, you may find your favorite way
to enjoy the surface of the ceramics.
◆Introduction of about Japanese Ceramics① About Imari ware
Imari ware is a type of porcelain that originated around 400 years ago
in the area of present-day Arita town, Saga Prefecture, and is still being
produced today. It was also exported to Europe in the 17th and 18thcenturies, attracting much royalty and aristocracy. It was also involved inthe birth of Meissen in Germany. Even today, Imari ware continues tohave many fans.
② About Bizen wareBizen ware was born about 1,000 years ago in present-day Bizen City,
Okayama Prefecture, and is still produced today. Because it is hard anddoes not break easily, it has become popular as a daily commodity for thecommon people. During the Azuchi-Momoyama period (around the latter
half of the 16th century), it was often used for tea utensils and was loved
by many tea ceremony masters and people of culture. It is characterizedby firing at a high temperature without using glaze or painting, and thepattern and texture are created by the chemical changes caused by thesoil that is the material and the flame during firing.
◆Recommended works① White Porcelain Bowl Design of Twisted Flower
It is a bowl of Imari ware
produced around 1670s~90s. At
first glance, this work looks like apure white bowl with a decorationof rust-colored paint on the edge ofthe bowl, but if you look closely,
you can see the pattern of pine,bamboo, and plum embossed.
Imari ware is a ceramic with asmooth surface. This is finishedwith a glaze to give it a gloss. Thisbowl is formed into a mold tocreate a flower shape and bumpy
surface decoration during theforming process before glazing. This technique was created to produce highquality products uniformly. The bumpy pattern enhances the contrast, andthe rust color provides a visual effect that balances the shape of the pot. Thisbowl is a gem that stands out for the beauty of white porcelain.

② Tokkuri Bottle Shaped Turnip, Old Bizen WareThe large bottom and roundedshape of a tokkuri bottle are used
as examples of a turnip.Thisbottle is Bizen ware, which isthought to have been produced
around the late 16th ~ 17thcentury. It is characterized by
non-glaze firing, thanks to which
a rough surface texture is created.
This Tokkuri bottle is also a vesselthat can be felt by looking at its
texture.
At the time when this bottle was produced, tea ceremony was all the rage,
Bizen ware was loved for its simple texture, and various vessels were madeas tea utensils. This bottle may also have been arranged with flowers todecorate the tea room. It has been familiar to Japan for a long time, and you
can feel the simple texture of the earth.