During the Edo Period (1603-1867), sightseeing in Japan boomed, popularized by travelogues such as Jippensha Ikku’s (1765-1831) comic novel “Tokaidochu Hizakurige.”
The modernization of the Meiji Era (1868-1912), with its introduction of railways and better roads, also made long-distance excursions more accessible to the public.
For those who could afford it, the trend extended to overseas travel, and some artists set out on soul-searching and research trips in foreign lands. This exhibition spotlights Japanese works that depict such journeys, including paintings of Paris by Yuzo Saeki and Chinese landscapes by Taikan Yokoyama; till Sept. 23.
Yamatane Museum of Art; (03) 5777-8600; 3-12-36, Hiroo, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; Ebisu Station, JR Yamanote Line. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. ¥1,000. Closed Mon. (except Sept. 17) and Sept. 18. www.yamatane-museum.jp.