ONLINE PROGRAM

Warlords, Spirits and Ghosts: The Tragic Story of Toyokuni Shrine

Shawn Eichman, Curator of Asian Art at the Honolulu Museum of Art

Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1537–1598) was one of the most remarkable figures in all of Japanese history. Born in a time of civil war, he rose from a humble background to become a powerful warlord and unite the many factions competing for power in the 16th century. After Hideyoshi passed away, his deified spirit was enshrined in Toyokuni Shrine so that he would continue to protect the city and its people. 

The Honolulu Museum of Art has in its collection an exceptionally rare six-panel screen with a contemporaneous depiction of the inaugural ceremony for the shrine in 1604, Festival at Toyokuni Shrine. This screen is important evidence for the shrine and the festivities surrounding its opening. It is also among the earliest examples of genre painting (fūzokuga), depictions of popular culture, which would set the precedents that ultimately resulted in the emergence of ukiyo-e woodblock prints.

In this presentation Dr. Eichman will introduce the HoMA screen and its remarkable historical background and share a new mystery concerning the screen only recently discovered when it was featured in a special exhibition at HoMA in 2025.

$15 fee for guests and subscribers (no fee for members)