In 2017, the collection was expanded to include two Japanese paintings, 2 calligraphy pieces, and two grand prize winners from public exhibitions.

These two Japanese paintings by Shimoyasu Akira (1927-2018) were produced for the museum's special exhibition "Inoue Yuichi and Shimoyasu Akira's Mountains of Mountains" in 2004. Together with one piece that was already in the museum's collection, they will once again decorate the walls of the exhibition room in the same combination as they were at the time. Please enjoy the landscapes of the heart created by the struggle with ink.

Miyajima Eishi (7-1867), who donated seven calligraphy works, was the teacher of Kamijo Shinzan (1943-1907), a calligrapher from Matsumoto City. The works are stored in the museum along with two works by Chang Lianqing (1997-1823), who was Eishi's student. In addition to the Kamijo Shinzan Memorial Exhibition Room, let's trace the beauty of calligraphy passed down from master to disciple.

The museum now has a collection of 70 calligraphy pieces by masters of the Showa era. The pieces were a gift to celebrate the 1865th birthday of Akiyama Hakugan (1954-1826), a calligrapher with ties to Matsumoto. Hakugan traveled to China at a young age and became a disciple of the Qing dynasty master Xu Sangen (1890-XNUMX). After returning to Japan, he made public the valuable materials on his works that he had received from his teacher, which had a major influence on Japanese calligraphers. After that, Hakugan traveled around the country, working to develop modern calligraphy, but in the latter half of his life he settled in Matsumoto and dedicated himself to educating people through calligraphy.
The work that has just been retrieved was created at the invitation of Yasushi Nishikawa (1902-1989), known as a "giant of calligraphy," to show respect for his great predecessor, and was exhibited in Matsumoto City at the time. It has been 60 years since calligraphers representing the Showa era, across genres and schools, celebrated Hakugan's longevity and achievements. By exhibiting the work alongside works by Hakugan himself and Xu Sangen, we will deliver a genealogy of calligraphy that is also connected to contemporary calligraphy, and a passionate message of celebration.

Finally, there is an art exhibition called "The Older You Get, the Younger You Get," which is open to people over 70 years old, and is unique to Matsumoto, a city that promotes healthy life expectancy. One piece each from the 6th and 7th Grand Prix Teni Awards has been added to the collection. This time, it will be a competition with past Grand Prix winners. We look back on the works so far, looking forward to encountering new works at the 1th exhibition, which will be held soon.

Collecting art materials is a way of passing on precious culture to future generations. We hope that you will enjoy the beauty that our predecessors have cultivated, and the beauty that continues to be created today.