SAMURAI ART vol.0 app for iPhone and iPad

The valuable cultural properties, the works of art and the old books, legacy of the Samurai Lord Hosokawa family, are now kept in the archive of the Eiseibunko Museum.


Treasures of immense price will be yours

Eiseibunko Museum keeps about 6,000 works of art and 48,000 historical documents including 8 national treasures and 31 important cultural properties. The legacy of a family that dates back to Warring States Period, such as Letters from Oda Nobunaga, Gorinnosho (the swordsmanship teaching book by Miyamoto Musashi), or the belongings of Gracia Hosokawa, make one of the the most precious collection not only for Japan but for the whole world.

Enjoying the historical works of art by a quite new method

Without going out of your living room, you can enjoy the entire artistic scroll of 20 meters, which is exhibited only partially in the museum, by just scrolling it with your finger on the iPad. The painting that could only be seen through the glass, now you can see it wider than the original size on the iPad screen with an ultra-high-density. The historical tea bowl that you could never touch, now you can rotate and observe it 360 degrees, like holding it in your hand.


General supervisor, Hosokawa Morihiro

The general supervisor of this application is Hosokawa Morihiro, the 18th generation head of the Hosokawa family and chairman of Eiseibunko Museum. He was the 79th Prime Minister of Japan, and after he quitted the world of politics, he is engaged in artistic creation such as pottery, calligraphy and painting. He supervised this application and gave some interesting comments on the works of art.

Featured Works:
-National Treasure Long sword, signed “Mitsutada, Kotoku” with gold inlay
-Folding screen of the Battle of Ichinotani and Battle of Yashima
-Important Art Object Noh mask, Hannya type
-Noh mask, Heida type
-Important Art Object Noh mask, Okina type
-Important Art Object Black Raku tea bowl entitled “Otogoze”
-Illustrated scrolls of the Tale of a Long Night of Autumn
-Important Cultural Property Illustrated scrolls of the Tale of Haseo
-Dharma, by Hakuin
-Dharma, by Hosokawa Morihiro
-National Treasure Saddle, Reed script poem design with mother-of-pearl inlay
-Tea bowl, Yellow Tenmoku type
-Folding screen decorated by fans telling the Tale of Genji