Amuse Museum
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2015}}
{{Infobox museum
| name = Textile Culture and Ukiyo-e Art Museum – Amuse Museum
| native_name = 「布文化と浮世絵の美術館」アミューズミュージアム
| native_name_lang = jp
| image = AM view1.jpg
| imagesize =
| caption = View of the front of the museum
| alt =
| map_type = Japan
| map_relief = y
| map_caption = Location of Amuse Museum in Japan
| map dot label = Amuse Museum
| coordinates = {{coord|35|42|52.2|N|139|47|52.4|E|region:JP-13|display=inline}}
| former_name =
| established = {{Start date|2009|11|01|df=y}}
| dissolved =
| location = Asakusa, Tokyo, Japan
| type = Art museum
| accreditation =
| key_holdings = Miracle Textile Art "Boro"
| collections =
| collection_size =
| visitors =
| founder =
| director =
| president =
| chairperson =
| curator = Kiyoshi Tatsumi
| historian =
| owner = Amuse, Inc.
| publictransit =
| car_park =
| parking =
| network =
| website = {{URL|www.amusemuseum.com|Official site}} ({{URL|https://www.amusemuseum.com/english/index.html|English site}})
| embedded =
}}
The {{nihongo|Textile Culture and Ukiyo-e Art Museum – Amuse Museum|「布文化と浮世絵の美術館」アミューズミュージアム|Nuno Bunka to Ukiyoe no Bijutsukan Amyūzu Myūjiamu}}, or simply Amuse Museum, was a private museum specializing in Japanese textile culture and ukiyo-e. It opened on 1 November 2009 in Asakusa, Tokyo, not too far from Ueno Park, where multiple other museums are located. The museum was closed on 31 March 2019.{{cite web | url=https://en.japantravel.com/tokyo/amuse-museum/24436 | title=Amuse Museum, Asakusa [Closed] - Asakusa, Tokyo }}
The museum housed a collection of everyday clothing and other textiles from the private collection of folklorist Chūzaburō Tanaka. While only about 1500 of the items were on display at any time, the museum rotated through the collection every few months.
The talent and entertainment agency Amuse was the owner of the museum.
General information
Amuse Museum was established on 1 November 2009 as a private Japanese textile culture and ukiyo-e museum in the Asakusa district of the Taitō special ward of Tokyo, Japan. It is located just east of Sensō-ji. The museum was operated and owned by the talent and entertainment agency Amuse. The concept of the museum curation, {{nihongo|Don't be wasteful|もったいない|Mottainai|lit. "Wasteful"}}, was based on the environmental and social activism of Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai.{{cite web|url=http://www.amusemuseum.com/blog/2009/10/post-19.shtml |title=アミューズ ミュージアムのコンセプト |accessdate=28 May 2015 |date=29 October 2009 |publisher=Amuse Museum |trans-title=Amuse Museum Concept |language=Japanese |archivedate=28 May 2015 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150528140111/http://www.amusemuseum.com/blog/2009/10/post-19.shtml |url-status=live |df=dmy }}
The museum's collections were started with over 30,000 everyday clothing items from the collection of the folklorist Chūzaburō Tanaka.{{cite web|url=http://www.amusemuseum.com/blog/cat03/cat03-05/ |title=プロフィール：田中忠三郎 |trans-title=Profile: Tanaka Chūzaburo |accessdate=27 May 2015 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150528140252/http://www.amusemuseum.com/blog/cat03/cat03-05/ |archivedate=28 May 2015 |publisher=Amuse Museum |language=Japanese |url-status=live |df=dmy }} Many of the pieces were in disrepair and appeared to be loosely sewn rags. About 1500 of those items were on display at any one time, and the pieces on display were rotated out every few months.{{cite web|url=http://www.dnp.co.jp/artscape/eng/focus/1408_02.html |title=More Amazing than Amusing: Asakusa's Amuse Museum |first=Michael |last=Pronko |publisher=DNP Art Communications |accessdate=28 May 2015 |archivedate=28 May 2015 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150528135938/http://www.dnp.co.jp/artscape/eng/focus/1408_02.html |url-status=live |df=dmy }}
The honorary curator of Amuse Museum was Tanaka, and the Chief Curator was Kiyoshi Tatsumi.{{cite web|url=https://www.amusemuseum.com/info/index.html |title=Amuse Museum – About us |language=Japanese |publisher=Amuse Museum |accessdate=27 May 2015 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150528140243/https://www.amusemuseum.com/info/index.html |archivedate=28 May 2015 |url-status=live |df=dmy }}
=Access and environs=
Amuse Museum was located about 5 minutes' walk north-northwest of Asakusa Station on the Ginza Line and about 8 minutes from Asakusa Station on the Tsukuba Express line.{{cite web
|url=http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/venue/DEE81E19
|title=Amuse Museum
|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150528115239/http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/venue/DEE81E19
|archivedate=28 May 2015
|accessdate=27 May 2015
|publisher=Tokyo Art Beat
|url-status=live
|df=dmy
}} There are two bus stops within a block of the museum's former location.{{cite web |url=http://www.tokyosights.com/cat2/amusemuseum.html |title=アミューズミュージアム: 浮世絵や日本の布を鑑賞！ |trans-title=Amuse Museum: Appreciation of Ukiyo-e and Japanese Textiles |language=Japanese |publisher=TokyoSights.com |accessdate=27 May 2015 |archivedate=23 February 2015 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150223190808/http://www.tokyosights.com/cat2/amusemuseum.html |url-status=dead |df=dmy }} The Asakusa Shrine and Sensō-ji are located just west of the former museum site.
Other nearby attractions within walking distance included Kaminarimon,{{cite web|url=http://www.tokyo-ryokan.com/sightseeing.htm |title=Sightseeing Spots |publisher=Tokyo Ryokan |accessdate=28 May 2015 |archivedate=28 May 2015 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150528114918/http://www.tokyo-ryokan.com/sightseeing.htm |url-status=live |df=dmy }} Kyu-Iwasaki-tei Garden, the National Museum of Nature and Science,{{cite web|url=http://www.tokyo-ryokan.com/sightseeing_museum.htm |title=Museum in Asakusa and Ueno |publisher=Tokyo Ryokan |accessdate=28 May 2015 |archivedate=28 May 2015 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150528114643/http://www.tokyo-ryokan.com/sightseeing_museum.htm |url-status=live |df=dmy }} the National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, Tokyo National Museum, Ueno Zoo, and Ueno Park (which contains the four museums above, as well as the zoo).
A bar was located on the sixth floor of the museum building offering drinks snack items.{{cite web |url=http://www.asakusabarsix.com/ |title=誰にも邪魔されないおしゃれな隠れ家 Bar six |trans-title=A fashionable refuge preventing anyone from intruding – Bar Six |language=Japanese |publisher=Amuse Museum |accessdate=27 May 2015 |archivedate=23 June 2015 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150623181626/http://www.asakusabarsix.com/ |url-status=dead |df=dmy }}{{cite web|url=http://museum.guidenet.jp/spresent.php?id=347 |title=ＢＯＲＯ 美しいぼろ布展 ～日本人は何を失い、何を守ってきたのか？～ |trans-title=Boro: Exhibition of beautiful rags: What should the Japanese people lose, and what should be protected? |language=Japanese |publisher=Ueno Asakusa GuideNet |accessdate=27 May 2015 |archivedate=28 May 2015 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150528135902/http://museum.guidenet.jp/spresent.php?id=347 |url-status=live |df=dmy }}
Exhibit history
In 2010, Amuse Museum hosted the "Tsugaru – Nanbu Sashiko Kimono" collection, consisting of 768 pieces of sashiko kimonos from Tsugara and Nanbu in Aomori Prefecture.{{cite web|url=http://www.amusemuseum.com/ex_archive/index03.html |title=藍きもの～美しいはたらき着～展 |trans-title=Indigo Kimono: Beautiful Working Clothes Exhibit |accessdate=27 May 2015 |language=Japanese |publisher=Amuse Museum |archivedate=28 May 2015 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150528140238/http://www.amusemuseum.com/ex_archive/index03.html |url-status=live |df=dmy }}{{cite web |url=http://www.museum.or.jp/modules/im_event/?controller=event_dtl&input%5Bid%5D=68601 |title=藍きもの～美しいはたらき着～展 |trans-title=Indigo Kimono: Beautiful Working Clothes Exhibit |language=Japanese |publisher=Internet Museum Office |accessdate=27 May 2015 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150528140148/http://www.museum.or.jp/modules/im_event/?controller=event_dtl&input%5Bid%5D=68601 |archivedate=28 May 2015 |url-status=dead }}
Cloth culture is at the heart of this presentation of the handicraft of nameless artisans and ordinary women, the exhibit has been featured in media such as NHK's {{nihongo|Bi no Tsubo|美の壷||lit. "The Mark of Beauty"}} and {{nihongo|Shin Nippon Fudoki|新日本風土記||lit. "New Japan Culture"}}.{{cite web|url=http://www.nhk.or.jp/tsubo/program/file159.html |title=file159 「青森のBORO（ぼろ）」 |trans-title=File 159: Aomori no Boro |language=Japanese |publisher=NHK |accessdate=27 May 2015 |archivedate=28 February 2015 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150228142524/http://www.nhk.or.jp/tsubo/program/file159.html |url-status=live |df=dmy }}{{cite web|url=http://www.nhk.or.jp/fudoki/120106broadcast1.html |title=新日本風土記スペシャル 手の国にっぽん 名品名匠の旅 |trans-title=New Japan Culture – Japan: Country of the Hand – Journey of Master Crafts and Craftsmen |language=Japanese |publisher=NHK |accessdate=27 May 2015 |archivedate=18 May 2015 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518093803/http://www.nhk.or.jp/fudoki/120106broadcast1.html |url-status=live |df=dmy }}
=Permanent collection=
The permanent exhibit was {{nihongo|Miracle Textile Art "Boro"|奇跡のテキスタイルアート「BORO」|Kiseki no Tekisutairu Āto "Boro"}}, based on the donations from Tanaka.{{cite web|url=http://www.amusemuseum.com/boro/ |title=常設コレクション 奇跡のテキスタイルアート「BORO」 |trans-title=Permanent Collection – Miracle Textile Art "Boro" |publisher=Amuse Museum |language=Japanese |accessdate=27 May 2015 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150528140246/http://www.amusemuseum.com/boro/ |archivedate=28 May 2015 |url-status=live |df=dmy }}
The motifs found in the Boro exhibit inspired fashion designers such as Louis Vuitton, Hiroyuki Horihata, Makiko Sekiguchi, Joseph Altuzarra, and Junya Watanabe.{{cite web|url=http://www.asahi.com/and_w/fashion/SDI2014060678411.html |title=作り手を触発 再評価される布仕事 |trans-title=Creator Inspiration – Reavaluating the business of textiles |first=Mayumi |last=Obigane |language=Japanese |date=9 June 2014 |publisher=Asahi Shimbun Digital |accessdate=27 May 2015 |archivedate=18 May 2015 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518102223/http://www.asahi.com/and_w/fashion/SDI2014060678411.html |url-status=live |df=dmy }} Vuitton incorporated Boro motifs into his 2013 Spring/Summer Paris men's collection, and Altuzarra incorporated them into his 2014 Spring/Summer New York men's collection. Watanabe, a designer for Comme des Garçons, used the motif for his Spring/Summer 2015 collection.{{cite web|url=http://www.fashion-press.net/news/11744 |title=コム デ ギャルソン・ジュンヤ ワタナベ マン 2015年春夏コレクション – 洋服と音楽のパッチワーク |trans-title=Comme de Garçons' Junya Watanabe 2015 Spring Summer men's collection – A patchwork of Western-style clothes and music |first=Kaijiro |last=Masuda |date=10 September 2014 |accessdate=27 May 2015 |language=Japanese |archivedate=21 May 2015 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150521140938/http://www.fashion-press.net/news/11744 |url-status=live |df=dmy }}
References
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20150528140231/http://www.whereintokyo.com/venues/25225.html Where in Tokyo] (review)
- [http://www.timeout.jp/en/tokyo/venue/2515/Amuse-Museum Time Out Tokyo] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150602211056/http://www.timeout.jp/en/tokyo/venue/2515/Amuse-Museum |date=2 June 2015 }} (review)
Category:Defunct museums in Japan
Category:Defunct art museums and galleries
Category:Art museums and galleries in Tokyo
Category:Buildings and structures in Taitō
Category:Art museums and galleries established in 2009
Category:Museums disestablished in 2019