Ukiyo-e originated at the beginning of the Tokugawa era as a form of popular art unique to Japan. However, from the end of the Tokugawa era to the beginning of the Meiji Period, many masterpieces leaked out to the West, and it was said that one had to go abroad in order to enjoy hanga prints and original artwork.

The late Seizo Ota V lamented such conditions, and from the beginning of the Showa Period, he spent more than half a century collecting ukiyo-e, compiling a collection of over 12,000 pieces.

After Ota Seizo's death, his family fulfilled his vision -contributing to the promotion of Japan's traditional art- by holding exhibitions of artwork that had never been available to the public before.

What makes the Ota collection especially remarkable is its depth, with representative masterpieces from the birth of the ukiyo-e tradition to its height. The colors and materials of the originals have been perfectly preserved.
Mr. Ota hoped that displaying this collection could contribute to the cultivation of a deeper sense of beauty, and it is our earnest desire that this Museum will be visited by as many people as possible.