Ephemera - Contemporary Japanese Sculptors
13.02.2024 - 30.06.2024
Contemporary Japanese Sculptors at the Samurai Museum Berlin is a celebration of artistic innovation, cultural continuity, and the enduring bond between Berlin and Tokyo. The Damascus steel, deer antler, and porcelain sculptures of Kato, Hashimoto, and Mizumuto await, inviting you to discover the unspoken stories etched in their forms.
The Samurai Museum invites you to join this artistic exploration, where the blades of history meet the cutting edge of contemporary vision, and where the shared journey of Berlin and Tokyo is celebrated through the eyes of these extraordinary sculptors.
Opening: 13. 03., 7pm
A cooperation with Bermel von Luxburg Gallery
Hadeyaka, splendid, brilliant!
15.03.2024 | 19:00
Shibui – simplicity, modesty and naturalness.
The Yamato-Den concludes our series on the 5 great swordsmithing traditions of ancient Japan. This tradition belongs to the three original Gokaden, which are directly interwoven with the three most important social elites. The Yamashiro tradition, for example, symbolizes the cultivated court nobility. Bizen is the mirror image of the self-confident warrior caste.
The Yamato-Den arises in a field of tension between the deep spirituality of Buddhism and the unavoidable claim to power and self-assertion of the Buddhist currents in the Japanese Middle Ages. Blades of Yamato-Den share the restraint of the swords of the court nobility, but replace their nobility with naturalness and are nevertheless just as complex. They are in no way inferior to the strength and robustness of the swords of the warrior nobility, but replace their splendor with functional austerity.
In addition to all these characteristics, Yamato blades still have some rather archaic features that date back to the origins of the evolution of the Japanese sword and are important markers in defining this tradition. Join us this evening as we return to the history of swordsmithing to learn more about the Yamato-Den. You will have the opportunity to study important representatives of this ancient tradition directly.
Start of the event: 19:00
Lecture language: German
Mitsune - Live concert
21.03.2024 | 07:30
Mitsune Shamisen Trio
Mitsune is an all-female shamisen trio based in Berlin, with members from Japan, Australia, and Germany. They specialise in the Tsugaru shamisen, a traditional Japanese 3-stringed instrument once favoured by blind folk and travelling musicians of olden Japan. Mitsune performs a vibrant mix of traditional Japanese folksongs, virtuosic modern repertoire, and original compositions with blues, rock, cinematic and global music influences. Their performances are engaging and joyful, spiced with vocals, bamboo flute and percussion atop the sounds of the shamisen.
Since their formation in 2018, Mitsune have performed extensively at festivals, cultural events and concerts across Europe. They released their debut album in 2018, which Songlines Magazines praised as “consistently excellent. If you need a contemporary introduction to the world of Tsugaru shamisen, this is it.” Their second album Hazama was released in 2022, praised in Songlines and Rolling Stone, and entering the Transglobal World Music Chart at #10.
The name Mitsune translates from Japanese as “a sweet sound”, but is also a play on the word “mitsu”, which indicates three of something – the three strings of a shamisen, three women, three cultures coming together in harmony.
Double moon talk concert
27.03.2024 | 19:30
Welcome to an unforgettable concert experience at the Samurai Museum Berlin! The concert in the middle of the samurai collection presentation, on the original historical Nō stage – Nō is an old mask theater – feels as if you are traveling back in time to Japan. Experience the fascinating atmosphere while surrounded by the magnificent exhibits.
The bamboo flute shakuhachi has a special connection with samurai – even samurai developed the instrument and its repertoire. What is behind it? Our presenter will explain the history of the music and the instruments. In addition to the musical aspects, interesting anecdotes and legends about the origin and development of the music and the instruments will be shared to give you a comprehensive understanding.
Immerse yourself in this unique concert experience, in the fascinating history and tradition, where you will experience the timeless beauty of Japanese music and the delightful surprises of modern works by the living composers.
Ensemble Doppelmond
Shamisen / Koto – Mieko Miyazaki, Koto – Naoko Kikuchi, Shakuhachi – Reison Kuroda
Supported by: JaDe Foundation, GEMA Foundation and Japan Foundation