Ekin Museum

Hirose Kinzo, better known as Ekin, was a late 19th century painter who lost his status after a forgery scandal. While this fall from grace was first detrimental to his professional career, it introduced him to a world where he did not have to constrain his creativity to fit social expectations. Ekin soon began pushing the boundaries of art, using traditional folding screens as canvases to paint dynamic scenes from Japan’s historical past with a fictional twist, such as incorporating lurking demons.
Today, 23 reproductions of Ekin’s masterpieces are exhibited at the Ekin Museum, in rooms lit by candlelight. The flickering flames seem to bring the eerie movement and dramatic colors of his works to life.
For the ultimate immersion into Ekin’s dynamic world, don’t miss the annual Tosa Akaoka Ekin Festival in July, when the original works are illuminated by paper lanterns and candlelight all along the streets of the town of Akaoka.