Edo in the palm
The essence of Japanese cypress craftsman Hiroshi Miura

Chido Museum Art Exhibition Hall

Saturday, September 21, 2024 - Monday, November 11, 2024

9:00-17:00 (Reception until 16:30)

Admission fee: Adults:1,000 yen, University/High School Students 400 yen, Elementary and Junior High School Students 300 yen (Group discounts available for groups of 20 or more)

Sponsored by: Chido Museum (10-18 Yanakashinmachi, Tsuruoka City, Yamagata Prefecture Tel: 0235-22-1199)

Co-sponsored by: Yamagata Prefecture, Yamagata Prefecture Lifelong Learning Culture Foundation, Tsuruoka City Board of Education

Pamphlet

Miniature Edo's downtown area
Lives of ordinary people

Hiroshi Miura (1926-2019) was born into a family of bathtub craftsmen in Asakusa and used his excellent skills to create cypress bathtubs and handtubs.

As the demand for wooden bathtubs decreases with the passage of time, He was working on making models of Japanese boats that he have loved since he was a child.

The miniatures reproduced with reliable craftsmanship gradually became popular, and he received requests from all over the world, including Yoshitoku, the oldest doll manufacturer in the Edo period, and over 38 years until his death, he produced over 100 pieces.

This exhibition is one of the largest ever, displaying approximately 70 pieces, mainly representative works (1/10 scale) from tenement houses, bathhouses, and kimono shops.

His works, which are infused with thorough research, delicate technique, experiences from childhood, and the "scents of memory", convey the lyricism of Edo's downtown and the way of life of the common people.

[Event information]

■ Saturday, September 21, 2024 14:00-15:00

Peek at the works: Gallery tour

Guide: Ms. Keiko Miura (the daughter of Hiroshi Miura)

Venue: Chido Museum Art Exhibition Hall *No application required

■ October 20, 2024 (Sunday) 14:00-16:00

Understand the life of Edokko: Commemorative lecture "Life and residence of Edo townspeople"

Lecturer: Mr. Hiroaki Ichikawa (Director of Edo-Tokyo Architectural Museum)

Venue: Shonai Shrine Sanshuden *Application required: first 150 people

■ November 3, 2024 (Sunday) 14:00-15:00

Hiroshi Miura's personality and skills

Speaker: Mr. Naoki Hayashi (Director of the Japanese Doll Culture Research Institute)

Venue: Chido Museum Art Exhibition Hall *No application required

Hiroshi Miura was born in 1926 to a family of bath tub craftsmen in Asakusa, inheriting the techniques of his father and grandfather who was a shipwright, and created cypress baths and buckets under the name of "Miura Bath Factory". With the passage of time, the demand for wooden bath tubs decreased, and during trial and error to make products other than bath tubs, he started making models of Japanese-style boats in his spare time. It was a pity that the type of ship that he had been familiar with since he was a child would disappear, and he wanted to somehow preserve it.

In 1980, he was commissioned to create a geisha house for the "Yoshiwara" exhibition in which Mr. Jusaburo Tsujimura worked on geisha dolls. At the exhibition held at a gallery in Kyobashi the following year, along with Mr. Tsujimura's dolls and Mr. Ichiro Hattori's gadget, the intricacy of the house became a big topic.

After that, he restored houses and ships in the Edo period to a scale of 1/10, and produced more than 100 works in the 38 years until his death.

Passed away in June 2019. 92 years old.