The Exhibition of Japanese Suiseki Masterpieces—The Meihinten
An illustrated account of the 61st exhibition of Japanese Suiseki masterpieces
By Thomas S. Elias, April, 2024
A major international display of viewing stones, The 61st Exhibition of Japanese Suiseki Masterpieces or Meihinten, was held February 14-17, 2024, at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum in Ueno Park. This was the first time in over six decades that the Meihinten was held in this location. It coincides with the largest and finest annual national exhibition of bonsai, the Kokufuten, which is also held in this museum. The two concurrent events attract numerous foreign bonsai and viewing stone enthusiasts to Japan.
The first Meihinten was held in the Mitsukoshi Department Store in Tokyo in 1961. It was common for major department stores in Japan to set aside space for changing exhibits promoting Japanese culture. This attracts potential shoppers to these retail outlets. This display of outstanding Japanese suiseki was held in the Mitsukoshi for the following three decades. It wasn’t until the 32nd exhibition that the Nippon Suiseki Association (NSA), decided to hold this annual display both at the department store and at the Meiji Shrine in Tokyo. The following 33rd exhibition was staged at the Mitsukoshi Department Store and the Nippon Bonsai Association’s “Green Club” not far from the art museum in the Ueno District of Tokyo. The “Green Club” is a property containing a three-story building, a large U-shaped yard, and two low narrow single-story buildings on its perimeter. This facility serves as the sales area for their yearly Kokufuten and many smaller exhibits and events.
Exhibition at the Meiji Shrine
The Meihinten was staged solely at the “Green Club” from the 34th through the 40th (1995-2000). Matsuura Arishige, recently elected chairman of the NSA, was instrumental in changing the venue to the Meiji Shrine, a Shinto shrine dedicated to Emperor Meiji and his wife. The 41st exhibition in 2001 and subsequent exhibits expanded the number of specimens on display. Smaller stones were displayed in an indoor facility; while the larger suiseki and some bonsai were displayed in an outdoor, partially covered facility. At this time, the NSA began accepting viewing stones from other countries and Japanese suiseki owned by foreigners to display at the Meihinten. This action promoted the practice of suiseki in other countries while opening the sales of Japanese stones to a worldwide audience.
Mr. Matsuura stepped down as the Chairman of the NSA during the 50th anniversary exhibit in 2010. Mr. Kasahara Manabu, a respected Tokyo-based stone dealer, was elected as the new Chairman. He served in this position for two years and was succeeded by Kobayashi Kunio. The NSA board was able to establish a major new exhibition that would be held at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum. The new Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum has large galleries designed for the display of various types of art. This provides the opportunity to the NSA to have museum-quality displays including tokonoma-like spaces for the display of suiseki together with suitable accessories.
This major venue change helps to raise the status of suiseki in Japan and more closely align it with the arts. The move also is an effort to reinvigorate suiseki practices in Japan and try to reverse a slow, steady decline in the number of Japanese suiseki collectors and NSA members. This new event, the Japan Suiseki Exhibition, was held annually for ten years, along with the summer Meihinten until 2024. The name of the February 2024 exhibition at the Tokyo Metropolian Art Museum was changed from the Japan Suiseki Exhibition to the 61st "Exhibition of Japanese Suiseki Masterpieces" or Meihinten. Future exhibits at the Meiji Shrine in Tokyo will be Hounouten (奉納展) or dedication exhibition, which is a very typical exhibition name for shrines and temples, and it will likely have fewer suiseki on display. Exhibition catalogs, published for each of the exhibitions, documented these important events in the development of Japanese suiseki and make the exhibits available to a wider audience.
Here are some scenes from the 61st Meihinten:
