Image: Suntory Museum of Art, Tokyo
The Suntory Museum of Art in Tokyo has announced 'KIRIKO', an exhibition opening on March 10, 2027 and running through May 16, 2027. Timed to coincide with the museum’s 20th anniversary since relocating to Roppongi, the show will present around 160 works drawn from the museum’s own collection, alongside rare newly acquired pieces and other significant examples of Japanese cut glass.
Announced on July 23, 2026, 'KIRIKO' will focus on '切子', a traditional Japanese hand-cut glass that emerged in the late Edo period. According to the museum, the form developed through an appetite for European cut glass and through the adaptation and refinement of techniques already practiced in Japan. The exhibition will examine the technical achievements of Kiriko, as well as the historical conditions in which it was made.
The museum says the presentation will trace Kiriko from the late Edo period into the early Meiji era, with attention to the regions where it was produced, including Kyoto, Osaka, Edo, and the domains of Satsuma, Choshu and Saga. The curatorial approach is described as informed by the latest research, suggesting a strong emphasis on the production history and regional diversity of the craft rather than a simple chronological display.
The exhibition also places the Suntory Museum of Art’s own holdings at the center of the project. The institution says the show will include masterpieces from its collection, works transmitted across Japan, and little-known pieces being shown publicly for the first time. That mix of familiar highlights and newly introduced objects will make 'KIRIKO' one of the museum’s major upcoming collection-based presentations.
Located in Tokyo’s Roppongi district, the Suntory Museum of Art has framed the exhibition as the first in a series of commemorative projects marking its anniversary year. The museum’s notice identifies the exhibition as 'Roppongi 20th Anniversary Commemorative Exhibition I', placing 'KIRIKO' at the start of a broader programme connected to the institution’s move to the site in 2007.
The exhibition will be open daily except Tuesdays, with extended hours on Fridays and selected dates during the spring holiday period. Admission will be 1,800 yen for general visitors, with discounted advance prices and reduced rates for students, while children of junior high school age and younger will be admitted free. A full list of the objects on view is expected to be updated later, and the museum has said that some works will be rotated during the run.
