“Musha-e” depict the heroes that appear in Japanese legends and war epics such as The Heike monogatari. From Hishikawa Moronobu, considered the father of ukiyo-e, to Utagawa Kuniyoshi of the late Edo period and Tsukioka Yoshitoshi of the Meiji era, many ukiyo-e artists have illustrated warriors in their works. In addition to well-known warriors such as Minamoto no Yorimitsu, Minamoto no Yoshitsune, Uesugi Kenshin, and Takeda Shingen, legendary fighters like Susanoo no mikoto and women warriors such as Tomoe gozen are also portrayed.

Musha-e has remained widely popular in Japan as this traditional genre of art has been practiced and passed down through generations.

Through a carefully curated selection from the world-renowned, first-class Japanese art collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, the finest swords, action-packed ukiyo-e prints, and tsuba sword mountings with related imagery will be featured in this dynamic exhibition of brave heroes and their feats!