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- Art Research Center, Ritsumeikan University
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56-1 Toji-in Kita-machi, Kita-ku, Kyoto 603-8577 JAPAN
PHONE: +81-(0)75-466-3411
The 1st Shunga Project to celebrate
Shunga Books and Prints in Context
About this Web Exhibition
As part of the Shunga Project, the exhibition 'Shunga Books and Prints in Context' was held at the Art Research Center of Ritsumeikan University from 24 November to 18 December 2009.
This website presents the full contents of that exhibition, including all pages from the books shown.
This Shunga Project is a three-year research project funded by The Leverhulme Trust in Britain, with contributions from the International Research Center for Japanese Studies (Kyoto) and Art Research Center, Ritsumeikan University /Global COE Program "Digital Humanities Center For Japanese Arts And Cultures," Ritsumeikan University. It is a joint project of the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) University of London, the British Museum, the International Research Center for Japanese Studies, Kyoto and Ritsumeikan University.
The project is also supported by grants from the PMI2 Initiative (British Council) and the Japan Foundation.
The exhibition contains works primarily from the collection of the Art Research Center but also includes works from the International Research Center for Japanese Studies, Kyoto. These works can be viewed on the websites of both institutions. (However, it is necessary to apply to the International Research Center for Japanese Studies for a password to view their site.)
This project aims to examine critically shunga not only as art objects but also as important sources for cultural and social history. It is important of course to see the items in person but we hope through this web exhibition to enable many more individuals to view these works.
Research on shunga will only progress once the works are made available to the public.
Viewers should be warned that most of the works in this web exhibition contain explicit depictions of sexual activity. Our aim, as stated above, is to make the works available publicly so that a better understanding of shunga will become possible.