UPCOMING WORKSHOPS

Shodo Workshop for Beginners

Monday, July 6, 2026
Session I: 2-3:45pm
Session II: 5-6:45pm

Japanese calligraphy, also known as shodo, is a revered, centuries-old art form and Zen practice which evokes harmony, beauty, and balance. Shodo uses a brush and charcoal ink on paper, wood plaques, and fabric and includes Chinese characters (kanji) and Japanese hiragana. Although it originated in the techniques used for letter writing, with its unique form of expression it has developed into an art genre.

Beginners Workshop:
Spend an afternoon or evening trying the art of Japanese calligraphy. In this in-person workshop, you will learn how to use a brush and the brush strokes in basic kanji and will complete a piece to take home. Japanese language skills are not required.

These workshops are for adults ages 18 and above. Supplies will be provided. Both the 2pm and the 5pm workshop are identical, please register for one slot.

To learn more and register, click here.

UPCOMING FALL EXHIBITION

Gen’ichiro Inokuma’s NYC Salon

October 6, 2026 — January 10, 2027

Gen’ichiro Inokuma’s NYC Salon is the first US solo museum exhibition of the Japanese modern artist Gen’ichiro Inokuma (1902–1993). Organized by Japan Society Gallery in collaboration with the Marugame Gen’ichiro Inokuma Museum of Contemporary Art (MIMOCA) in Marugame, Japan, the exhibition explores Inokuma’s multimedia work created during his twenty-year residence in NYC (1955–1975). Along with important holdings from MIMOCA, the exhibition presents Inokuma’s works in the Japan Society collection and a recently discovered NYC private collection.

Inokuma’s Manhattan sojourn was shaped by meaningful connections with the American avant-garde: Jasper Johns, Mark Rothko, Robert Rauschenberg, Alexander Calder, David Smith, Isamu Noguchi, Yoko Ono, John Cage, Merce Cunningham, and many others. Inokuma and his wife, Fumiko, also served as a social and cultural bridge between American and visiting Japanese artists and architects, often hosting gatherings at their New York apartments. The exhibition features photographs, film footage, and ephemera documenting these artistic interactions.

By illuminating Inokuma’s little-known role in postwar American art history, NYC Salon brings new insights into New York City’s mid-20th-century art world—both its collaborative artistic atmosphere, and its vibrant international social scene.

We look forward to welcoming you this autumn!

To learn more, click here.

PAST ASIA WEEK NEW YORK EXHIBITION AND EVENT

Kawai Kanjirō, Dish with motif of hand and flower on white ground, 1951. Collection of Kawai Kanjirō House. Photo courtesy of Kawai Kanjirō House

Kawai Kanjirō: House to House

March 10 – May 10, 2026
Opening Reception: Wednesday, March 18 at 5pm (kindly RSVP)
Kawai Kanjirō’s Way of Tea Talk & Tea Ceremony: Thursday, March 19 at 10am, 11:30am, 1pm
JASA Annual Lecture: Sunday, March 22 at 11am
Gallery After Hours: Tuesday, March 31 at 6pm

We are pleased to present Kawai Kanjirō: House to House, a solo exhibition celebrating the remarkable life and career of folk potter, poet, and artist Kawai Kanjirō (1890–1966) for the first time in the United States. Kawai is best known for his influential role in the mingei (folk art) movement in Japan, which he founded in the mid-1920s with his friends, the philosopher Yanagi Sōetsu (1889–1961) and the potter Hamada Shōji (1894–1978). Showcasing representative works from Kawai’s personal collection that are rarely seen outside his former home (now a museum known as the Kawai Kanjirō House), the exhibition traces the evolution from the artist’s early functional ceramic ware to his late-career modernist wood sculptures. From the Kawai Kanjirō House in Kyoto to Japan House in NYC, House to House explores Kawai’s profound impact on modern art in Japan and beyond.

We look forward to welcoming you to our exhibition and related programs soon during Asia Week New York!

To learn more, click here.

PAST RELATED EVENT

Kawai Kanjirō: House to House Documentary Premiere
Screening and Panel Discussion

Thursday, May 7, 2026 at 7pm
Tickets: $25 Non-members; $20 Seniors/Students; $15 Members

We warmly invite you to the world premiere of the documentary film Kawai Kanjirō: House to House. The film chronicles the making of Japan Society’s spring exhibition, Kawai Kanjirō: House to House, the first US solo exhibition of the renowned folk potter, poet, and artist Kawai Kanjirō (1890–1966), and the first time Kawai’s personal collection has been shown outside of Japan. In celebration of the milestone exhibition, the documentary features views of the Kawai Kanjirō House (the artist’s home, studio and climbing kiln) in Kyoto, scenes of the neighborhoods surrounding both the Kawai House and Japan House (home to Japan Society), glimpses of curatorial meetings, interviews with young potters in Kyoto and New York, and footage of the opening events at Japan Society.

After the screening, join the exhibition curators, Michele Bambling, Japan Society Gallery Director, and Tamae Sagi, Curator, Kawai Kanjirō House, for a panel discussion. They will be joined by special guest Monika Bincsik, Diane and Arthur Abbey Curator for Japanese Decorative Arts, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and curator of the exhibition The Infinite Artistry of Japanese Ceramics (open through August 8, 2027). The three curators will discuss Kawai Kanjirō’s pioneering work and enduring legacy.

To learn more and purchase tickets, click here.