Eisei Bunko

Overview

Eisei Bunko is a museum that showcases the history and culture of the former Kumamoto clan, the Hosokawa family. Here, you can appreciate numerous Japanese and East Asian antique artworks, including 8 National Treasures and 32 Important Cultural Properties. The 16th head of the family, Mitsuharu Hosokawa, made significant contributions to the preservation of cultural assets in Japan before and after World War II, and was also a renowned art collector. While many former daimyo families donated or sold their treasured heirlooms to museums or individuals, the Hosokawa family diligently managed and preserved a substantial collection. The Eisei Bunko building is a renovated office building constructed in the early Showa era on the site of the Hosokawa family's former residence. The name "Eisei" is derived from "Ei" (永) from Eigan-an Temple (a sub-temple of Kennin-ji Temple, currently known as Shōden Eigan-in), the Hosokawa family's temple, and "Sei" (青) from Seiryuji Castle, the castle of Fujitaka Hosokawa. Eisei Bunko displays a wide-ranging collection, including family heirlooms and items collected by Mitsuharu Hosokawa. Among the swords, you'll find National Treasures such as "Tachi, inscription Bunno Kuni Yukihira-saku (Ko-kin Denju no Tachi)" and "Wakizashi, Mumei Masamune (Meibutsu Hocho Masamune)", and Important Cultural Properties such as "Tachi, inscription Moriie-zori". The tea ceremony section showcases tea utensils used by successive family heads, while the calligraphy and paintings include works like "Silk painting, colored, portrait of Sumimoto Hosokawa" by Kano Moto-nobu and "Ink painting on paper, reeds and wild geese" by Miyamoto Musashi. Furthermore, the collection of ancient documents includes valuable historical materials such as a letter written by Oda Nobunaga and Hosokawa family documents. Eisei Bunko is a truly invaluable place to deeply understand the history and culture of the Hosokawa family.