Handbook (292 Leaves)

What Is a Tekagami?

The word tekagami (手鑑) literally means "mirror of hands" — a reference to handwriting, since "hand" in Japanese can also denote one's calligraphic style. A tekagami is a thick, accordion-folded album into which fragments of historical calligraphy, known as kohitsugire (古筆切), are carefully mounted. These fragments were originally cut from sutra scrolls, poetry anthologies, letters, and other manuscripts from antiquity, then preserved and arranged according to a traditional hierarchy.

From the late Momoyama period onward, as the appreciation of ancient calligraphy flourished alongside the tea ceremony, tekagami became prized possessions among aristocrats, samurai families, and even wealthy townspeople. Some were given as wedding gifts, while others functioned as reference albums for connoisseurs to authenticate calligraphy. The Tekagami (292 Leaves) at the Tokyo National Museum belongs to this distinguished tradition.

The Compiler: Sumiyoshi Hirotsura

This album was assembled by Sumiyoshi Hirotsura (住吉弘貫, 1793–1863), the seventh-generation head of the Sumiyoshi school of yamato-e painting. Hirotsura served as an official painter (goyō-eshi) to the Tokugawa Shogunate, an honored position requiring exceptional skill and connoisseurship. His responsibilities included restoring the famous Kenjō no Shōji sliding door panels at the Imperial Palace, work so distinguished that he was elevated to the rank of hatamoto — direct retainers of the shogun.

The Sumiyoshi school had been founded in the early Edo period by Sumiyoshi Jokei (住吉如慶, 1599–1670), who broke from the Tosa school in Kyoto to establish a new yamato-e tradition serving the Tokugawa government. For generations, the family produced refined narrative paintings and undertook art historical investigations, building deep expertise in classical Japanese culture. Hirotsura inherited not only this artistic legacy but also a passion for collecting and studying ancient calligraphy.

In the first year of Bunkyū (1861), just two years before his death, Hirotsura completed this album by mounting his lifetime collection of 292 calligraphy fragments into a single bound volume. It stands as a culminating achievement of his career and a personal statement of his connoisseurship.

Why This Album Was Registered as a Cultural Property

The Tekagami (292 Leaves) was officially registered by the Agency for Cultural Affairs as a Registered Work of Art (登録美術品) on June 17, 2013, under registration number 042. Earlier, on December 13, 1935, it had already been recognized as an Important Art Object (重要美術品). The album earned these designations for several compelling reasons.

First, its provenance and history of compilation are clearly documented — a rarity for albums of this kind. Second, the collection is encyclopedic in scope, mounting more than three hundred specimens of calligraphy on the front and reverse surfaces of its pages, including many meibutsu-gire (名物切) — celebrated fragments with established lineages and names. Third, the album opens with a leaf of Daishōmu, the most prestigious type of ancient sutra fragment, following the formal convention for top-ranking tekagami. Finally, the inside cover features a fan-shaped painting on the theme of The Tale of Genji, executed in a style consistent with the early period of Sumiyoshi Jokei (founder of the school), giving the album additional value within the history of early modern Japanese painting.

Together, these qualities make the album significant for the study of calligraphy history, classical Japanese literature, and early modern painting alike.

Highlights and Notable Fragments

The album's greatest treasures lie in the famous fragments it preserves, each with its own story and lineage. While only specialists can fully appreciate every detail, even a casual viewer can sense the layered grandeur of these works.

Visiting the Tokyo National Museum

The Tokyo National Museum, where the Tekagami (292 Leaves) is held under a public exhibition contract, is Japan's oldest and largest national museum. Founded in 1872, it stands at the northern end of Ueno Park amid an extraordinary concentration of cultural institutions.

Even if the album itself is not currently displayed — and as a paper-based registered work it is shown only on rare occasions — the museum's Honkan (Japanese Gallery) regularly rotates remarkable calligraphy and painting works including National Treasures and Important Cultural Properties. Items like other Daishōmu fragments and Kōya-gire pieces are sometimes shown in Rooms 3 (Buddhist Art) and 8 (Calligraphy) of the Honkan. Special exhibitions on calligraphy history occasionally feature this very album, so checking the museum's exhibition schedule before your visit is recommended.

The museum is a 10-minute walk from the Park Exit of JR Ueno Station. Most visitors spend two to three hours exploring the Honkan alone, while a full visit including the Tōyōkan (Asian Gallery), Heiseikan, and Hōryūji Treasure Gallery can easily fill an entire day. English audio guides are available, making the experience accessible to international visitors.

Surrounding Attractions

Ueno Park is one of Tokyo's richest cultural districts. Within a short walk of the Tokyo National Museum, visitors can explore the National Museum of Western Art (a UNESCO World Heritage building designed by Le Corbusier), the National Museum of Nature and Science, Ueno Zoo (Japan's oldest zoological garden), and the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum. The park is also famous for its cherry blossoms, which transform the grounds into a magical pink canopy in early April.

For those who want to dive deeper into traditional Japanese culture after seeing the museum, the historic Yanaka district lies just to the north and offers narrow lanes lined with temples, traditional shops, and small galleries. To the south, the lively Ameyoko market street near Ueno Station is a wonderful place to enjoy local food and a glimpse of postwar Tokyo's spirited atmosphere.