The Hayashibara Museum of Art, with support from Nagase Viita, will host the Okayama Culture Zone 40th Anniversary Exhibition “The World of Ultra Superb Techniques – Un-rui group × Aoe School ＋ Shoami Katsuyoshi” from Saturday, September 20 to Sunday, November 16, 2025.
This exhibition highlights the "Un-rui (“Un” group)" of swordsmiths from the Ukan school, active in Mitsu, Okayama City during the late Kamakura to Nanbokuchō periods (13th–14th centuries). Their swords feature steel with remarkable clarity, graceful blade patterns, and brilliant reflections—hallmarks of superb craftsmanship.
Also on display is the full collection of Shoami Katsuyoshi, a master goldsmith who served the Okayama clan. After the sword-wearing ban, he created exquisite metalwork using sword-making techniques, which were exhibited at World Expositions and other events, and which astonished the world.
■Click here to visit the Hayashibara Museum of Art website.
Nagase Viita supports the Hayashibara Museum of Art, which houses a collection of antique East Asian art.
