Can You Complete a Scavenger Hunt at The Tokyo National Museum?

Follow the clues and uncover the Tokyo institution's greatest treasures

By Google Arts & Culture

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We're going on a scavenger hunt!

Today we're searching the Tokyo National Museum and its collection of Japanese arts and crafts. Take a close look at the four artworks below, we'll be looking for them soon.

Dogu (Clay Figurine), Jomon period, 1000 - 400 BC, From the collection of: Tokyo National Museum

Landscapes and Beauties: Feeling Like Reading the Next Volume, Utagawa Kuniyoshi, Edo period, 19th century, From the collection of: Tokyo National Museum

Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji: The Great Wave Off the Coast of Kanagawa, Katsushika Hokusai, Edo period, 19th century, From the collection of: Tokyo National Museum

Maple Viewers, Kano Hideyori, 16th century, From the collection of: Tokyo National Museum

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First, we're looking for the Dogū sculpture. Drag and click to explore the gallery. It's not far from here…

Dogu (Clay Figurine) (Jomon period, 1000 - 400 BC)Tokyo National Museum

Dogū, 1000 - 400 BCE

Dogu are stylised female figures made of clay. Some archaeologists believe that Dogū were made as magical objects for fertility or shamanic rituals.

This particular dogū is associated with Kamegaoka Culture in the Tohoku region, and is known as a Shakōki-dogū, or a goggle-eyed dogū, because of its large, round eyes.

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Printmaking has a long history in Japan, so it's no surprise the museum has a large collection. But where's the one we're looking for?

Landscapes and Beauties: Feeling Like Reading the Next Volume (Edo period, 19th century) by Utagawa KuniyoshiTokyo National Museum

Feeling Like Reading the Next Volume, 19th Century

The vibrant colours and patterns in this print by Utagawa Kuniyoshi add to sense of excitement of finishing one book, and starting another.

Many artists showed off their skill by hiding small details in their pictures. Here, Kuniyoshi creates a picture inside a picture, by illustrating the front cover of the woman's book.

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Now we're looking for the Maple Viewers. It must be in this gallery of painted screens.

Maple Viewers (16th century) by Kano HideyoriTokyo National Museum

Maple Viewers, 16th Century

This scroll painting by Kanō Hideyori depicts people enjoying the view of maple foliage beside the Kiyotaki river at Takao, north of the city of Kyoto, which is famous for the beauty of its maples in autumn.

Beyond the thick clouds are the roofs of Jingoji temple with its red pagoda. The Atago shrine covered in snow suggests the arrival of winter. On the right bank of the Kiyotaki river, beautifully dressed women sit in conversation.

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Finally, we're looking for Hokusai's The Great Wave off Kanagawa

Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji: The Great Wave Off the Coast of Kanagawa (Edo period, 19th century) by Katsushika HokusaiTokyo National Museum

The Great Wave off Kanagawa, c.1829–1833

Hokusai's depiction of a terrifying wave, about to wash over a pair of fishermans' boats, has become one of the most famous works of Japanese art, and embraced as a national icon.

But look closely, and you'll see that this isn't a wave, it's the distant, snow-capped peak of Mount Fuji.

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Congratulations!

Thanks for joining this scavenger hunt, while you're here, why not take a look at what else is on display at the Tokyo National Museum?

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The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.

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