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Go Spotting: The Tokyo National Museum

by Erwin Gerstorfer

A few weeks ago while in Tokyo I visited the Tokyo National Museum in Ueno. There I discovered three depictions of go, which was perhaps not surprising in this country with a long history of the game but nevertheless seemed quite a remarkable number for such a renowned art museum. The first I spotted was a go scene from the Ranka story on a fan mounted on folding screens in the main building of the museum. 

Then, in the next room I was amazed to find a go board in the embroidery of a kimono representing one of the Four Elegant Pastimes. More than satisfied that I had found two go scenes, my go art day was complete when I came across one more -- again on folding screens -- when I went to the side building of the Horyuji Treasures.

Due to the huge number of exhibits most visitors would probably not notice these go references, but after years of training myself to spot go in Japanese woodblock prints (Ukiyo-e) they just leapt out to me. If you too happen to visit Tokyo in the next months, try to discover them yourself, they are well worth a visit. Erwin Gerstorfer is an avid collector of go literature and prints.