Special Exhibition “Ichthyology”
Details
| Type | Exhibition |
|---|---|
| Intended for | General public / Enrolled students / Applying students / International students / Alumni / Companies / Elementary school students / Junior high school students / High school students / University students / Academic and Administrative Staff |
| Date(s) | September 26, 2023 — February 18, 2024 |
| Location | Other campuses/off-campus |
| Venue | Intermediatheque 2F [GREY CUBE] Address：KITTE 2-3F, 2-7-2 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, JAPAN Access：JR lines and Tokyo Metro Marunouchi line Tokyo Station. Direct access from the Marunouchi Underground Pathway. Nijubashimae Station (Exit 4) on the Chiyoda Line (about 2 minutes on foot). Opening Hours：11:00 - 18:00 (Open until 20:00 on Fridays and Saturdays). *Opening hours may change. Closed on：Mondays (or the following Tuesday if Monday is a National Holiday; however the museum is open on December 18 and 25) and Year-end holidays. May close irregularly. |
| Entrance Fee | No charge |
| Registration Method | No advance registration required |
| Contact | +81-47-316-2772 / From Japan: 050-5541-8600 (NTT Hello Dial Service) |
This special exhibition, “Ichthyology,” displays drawings produced for educational purposes at the University of Tokyo in the late 19th to early 20th centuries. Intermediatheque has held special exhibits of comparable materials on plants, birds, and the human body, so visitors may be aware that such drawings once constituted an important part of teaching materials. Originally, it was introduced by specially hired foreign professors in the Meiji era and quickly became popular as Japanese professors began conducting research.
Kishinouye Kamakichi (1867–1929) was an important figure in establishing Japanese Ichthyology. He built an extensive specimen collection and conducted taxonomic research, focusing on the mackerel family, to define the fish fauna of the Japanese archipelago, much of it unknown at the time. Kishinouye’s collection includes skeletal and taxidermal specimens, and those immersed in liquid; however, this exhibition specifically focuses on drawings.
The exhibit shows what early researchers thought should be recorded as drawings when photographs and videos could not be as easily used as today. The description analysis lets us rediscover the essence of taxonomy. A good example is the drawing of Euthynnus lineatus; the original specimen is missing, but this is considered accurate enough to serve as a substitute.
The aesthetic nature of the scientific drawings is also a highlight. Visitors may find drawings of other animals throughout the Intermediatheque’s permanent exhibition. This exhibition of the early drawings of fish, for the first time, provides an opportunity to compare the academic drawings of different taxons from a century ago.
Organizer: The University Museum, the University of Tokyo (UMUT)
Kishinouye Kamakichi (1867–1929) was an important figure in establishing Japanese Ichthyology. He built an extensive specimen collection and conducted taxonomic research, focusing on the mackerel family, to define the fish fauna of the Japanese archipelago, much of it unknown at the time. Kishinouye’s collection includes skeletal and taxidermal specimens, and those immersed in liquid; however, this exhibition specifically focuses on drawings.
The exhibit shows what early researchers thought should be recorded as drawings when photographs and videos could not be as easily used as today. The description analysis lets us rediscover the essence of taxonomy. A good example is the drawing of Euthynnus lineatus; the original specimen is missing, but this is considered accurate enough to serve as a substitute.
The aesthetic nature of the scientific drawings is also a highlight. Visitors may find drawings of other animals throughout the Intermediatheque’s permanent exhibition. This exhibition of the early drawings of fish, for the first time, provides an opportunity to compare the academic drawings of different taxons from a century ago.
Organizer: The University Museum, the University of Tokyo (UMUT)
