Current Exhibition

Shotaro Kaga (1888-1954) was the owner and designer of Oyamazaki Villa. He was the first Japanese man to make a successful ascent of Mt. Jungfrau in Switzerland.
Kaga managed a company and participated in the establishment of Nikka Whisky which had a strong relationship with Asahi Breweries. He had visited the West many times and the experiences led him to build Oyamazaki Villa in the British style.
The villa was known as “The house of Orchids”, as he grew tens of thousands of orchids. As his life shows, he was not only an industrialist, but also a man of many talents.
This year is the centenary of his reaching the summit of Mt. Jungfrau, and The Jungfraubahn will also have its centenary in 2012.
To celebrate both, this exhibition will show some relics ofthe mountain and a series of woodcuts, “The Orchids”, which he produced, along with works of Swiss artists, which include Paul Klee and Alberto Giacometti.
There will also be the ceramic works made by Kanjiro Kawai, Shoji Hamada and Bernard Leach who participated in the Mingei Movement and Claude Monet’s “Water Lillies” from our collection.

produced by Shotaro Kaga
The Orchids

Shotaro Kaga, at the summit of Mt. Jungfrau
©Takayuki Kaga

Kanjiro Kawai
Plaque, mixed glaze and trailed slip

Claude Monet
Water-Lilies

Paul Klee
Oriental Cathedral