It has been approximately one hundred twenty years since Japanese works of art were first introduced to the West. During the first half of this period, such items as ukiyoe, medicine cases (inro), netsuke, and sword guards, which appeared foreign and exotic to the eyes of people in other countries, were extremely popular. It was in the latter half of this period that these people became genuinely interested in Japanese fine arts; and it is only recently that Japan's cultural history and traditional aesthetics have been included as subjects for study. This exhibition is designed to indicate the nature of the works of art owned by the Tokugawa shoguns, who ruled the nation and maintained peace for three hundred years in the pre-modern age, and illustrate how they were used and appreciated as faithfully as possible using works in the possession of The Tokugawa Art Museum. It is difficult to understand the traditional aesthetics and philosophy of another country. However, it would give me