See the shogun's journey and Kawasaki-juku online: the City Museum's free online exhibition "Shogun Joraku" opens Nov 20, no booking needed

An online exhibition from Nov 20

Kawasaki City Museum (川崎市市民ミュージアム) is holding an exhibition you view on the internet: "Shogun Joraku: The 14th Shogun Tokugawa Iemochi and Kawasaki" (将軍上洛 ―14代将軍徳川家茂と川崎―). It runs from 10 a.m. on Friday, Nov 20, 2026, to 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Mar 31, 2027.

It is shown in "the 3rd Area of 'C': The Third Museum" (the 3rd Area of "C"－3つめのミュージアム－) on the museum's website (https://www.kawasaki-museum.jp/thirdarea/ ). You can view it from a computer or smartphone. It is free, and no booking is needed.

Shogun Iemochi's journey to Kyoto and Kawasaki

After Commodore Perry arrived in the 6th month of 1853 (Kaei 6), Japan was deeply divided over whether to open the country or drive foreigners out (joi). The 14th shogun, Tokugawa Iemochi, set out for Kyoto in the 3rd month of 1863 (Bunkyu 3) for "kobu ichiwa," the idea of the imperial court and the shogunate working together. It was the first such journey by a shogun in about 230 years.

On the way there he traveled along the Tokaido road and stayed overnight at Kawasaki-juku, the post town in Kawasaki. The post towns and nearby areas, receiving a shogun for the first time in a long while, were kept busy with preparations. Records in Kawasaki show how people worked hard while carrying a heavy burden.

The exhibition focuses on Iemochi, the only shogun ever to stay overnight at Kawasaki-juku. It shows how Kawasaki-juku and the surrounding villages met the shogunate's demands and got through the hardship.

The flyer shows images such as the "Kawasaki-juku Okan Ezu" (川崎宿往還絵図, detail) and Utagawa Hiroshige II's "Tokaido: Daishigawara" (東海道 大師河原), both held by the museum, and Gountei Sadahide's "Tokaido Rokugo Watashi Fukei" (東海道六郷渡風景, National Diet Library Digital Collections).

Two free lectures at the Kawasaki-shuku center

There are two lectures looking at Iemochi's journey to Kyoto from the angles of art and history. Both are held in the 4th-floor meeting room of the Tokaido Kawasaki-shuku Koryukan (東海道かわさき宿交流館) at 1-8-4 Hon-cho, Kawasaki Ward.

Lecture	Date and time	Topic and speaker
1	Sat, Feb 20, 2027, 2–3:30 p.m.	"Publishing controls in the Edo period and nishiki-e prints of the shogun's journey to Kyoto," Noriko Yamamoto (山本野理子), curator at the Kawasaki Ukiyo-e Gallery
2	Sat, Mar 6, 2027, 2–3:30 p.m.	"The shogun's journey to Kyoto at the end of the Edo period: what did people see in it?" Shinya Kusumi (久住真也), professor in the Department of History and Culture, Faculty of Literature, Daito Bunka University

Anyone can attend, and the lectures are free. Each has 40 places, and you need to apply in advance. If there are too many applicants, there will be a lottery, and you will be told by Saturday, Feb 6.

Applications are accepted from 10 a.m. on Friday, Jan 8, to 4 p.m. on Monday, Feb 1, 2027, through the application form on the museum's website (https://www.kawasaki-museum.jp/event/34741/ ). To apply by return postcard, write the lecture number(s), your name (with katakana reading), phone number and number of people (up to 4), and put your own postal code, address and name on the reply side. Send it to Kawasaki City Museum, 6-15-2 Kamiasao, Asao-ku, Kawasaki, 〒215-0021. Postcards must arrive by Monday, Feb 1, and one postcard can cover both lectures. Postcard applicants are told the result either way; online applicants are emailed only if they win a place.

Hosted by Kawasaki City Museum

It is organized by Kawasaki City Museum. According to the flyer, the Tokugawa Kinen Zaidan (Tokugawa Memorial Foundation, 公益財団法人徳川記念財団) is providing special cooperation.

Contacts

Contact Kawasaki City Museum (6-15-2 Kamiasao, Asao Ward; phone 044-712-2800; fax 044-712-2804; email 25museum@city.kawasaki.jp). The flyer says phone inquiries are taken from 8:30 a.m. to 5:15 p.m., except weekends, national holidays and the New Year period.