A small world that fits in the palm of your hand, opening out into a great big story. The netsuke corner at the Tokyo National Museum is a spot that had me glued to the case last time too. And yes, today was wonderful again.
What is netsuke?
Netsuke are small toggles attached to cords for hanging items such as inrō cases and tobacco pouches from a sash. These small carvings developed in the Edo period, equal parts stylish and practical.
They are a humble fastener, yet they pack in craft, story, and a sense of play all at once. That double appeal is, I think, the charm of netsuke.
The netsuke are shown in the Takamado Collection room in the Honkan (Main Building) of the Tokyo National Museum. Assembled by Prince and Princess Takamado, it is a collection of “contemporary netsuke,” mostly by present-day artists.
The little ones that caught my eye
The onigiri (rice ball) netsuke I simply liked for looking so easy to use. Even the texture of the nori is rice-ball-perfect, and it makes you want to carry it around every day.
The Noh-mask netsuke stopped me in my tracks, especially with Tōhaku Noh waiting later that day. Even at palm size, it carried the quiet air of an omote, a Noh mask.
The keukegen, a shaggy little yōkai, was adorable and instantly made me grin. I enjoyed imagining what sort of outfit it would go with.
And then the netsuke of a go board with a full set of pieces. The level of detail, honestly, is something.
Every netsuke was “contemporary netsuke” in its own day
At the entrance there was a message from Princess Takamado. What stayed with me was one line: every netsuke, whatever its era, was “contemporary netsuke” in its own time.
This is not just about netsuke, I think. Casting your mind back to that moment in time, and facing the object on its own terms. Take the YBA (Young British Artists): once the cutting edge of contemporary art, and already part of history now. The “contemporary” right in front of us will, one day, become someone’s “classic.” Thinking that way, getting to see a collection of contemporary netsuke “now” starts to feel rather special. And imagining how the people of the Edo period saw Edo-period pieces as their “contemporary,” what must have been going through their minds, is its own kind of fun.
Wrapping up
Small, detailed, and full of play. The netsuke corner has become a place I want to drop by every time I visit Tōhaku.
That same day, in the same building, I also heard a talk about Noh masks and the idea that age alone does not make something superior. That story is here → Tōhaku Noh: Funa-Benkei (June 2026)
