Collection Exhibition
Setagaya Literary Museum Collection Exhibition – Part II
Chiyo Uno: 30 Years After Her Passing
— Me and the Me That Will Go On Living—
Saturday, September 26, 2026 to Sunday, March 28, 2027
Venue
1st Floor Exhibition Room, Setagaya Literary Museum
Opening hours
10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
*Exhibition admission and the museum shop are open until 5:30 p.m.
*However, on Friday, November 6 only, the museum will remain open until 8:00 p.m.
Closed
Mondays (Or the next non-holiday weekday if Monday is a holiday.)
Year-End and New Year holidays (December 28, 2026 to January 4, 2027)
Facility maintenance period (February 15 to 23, 2027)
Admission fees
|
Same-day |
Discount |
| Adults |
Same-day¥220 |
Discount¥180 |
| High school students / University students |
Same-day¥170 |
Discount¥130 |
| Ages 65 and over / Elementary and junior high school students |
Same-day¥110 |
Discount¥90 |
Disability certificate holders
(However, free for university students and younger) |
Same-day¥110 |
Discount¥90 |
* Discounts are available for groups of 20 or more people, as well as for holders of the Setagaya Arts Card and other eligible discount cards.
* Payment at the reception desk is accepted in cash, credit card, and Setagaya Pay.
* Most credit cards are accepted. However, smartphone-based contactless IC cards, transportation IC cards, and some forms of e-money are not accepted.
* Please bring the appropriate documentation to receive each discount.
* Free admission for Disability Certificate holders of university age or younger.
* Free admission for up to one person accompanying a Disability Certificate holder.
* Free admission for visitors who present a Certificate of Public Assistance Eligibility.
* Free admission for elementary and junior high school students residing or studying in Setagaya City on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays.
* During the special exhibition, admission to this exhibition is included with your special exhibition ticket stub. Entry may be restricted depending on visitor numbers.
* Free admission for visitors aged 60 and over on Saturday, September 26, in celebration of Respect for the Aged Day.
* Free admission for visitors aged 65 and over on Friday, October 9, and Friday, March 12, 2027.
* Free admission on Saturday, November 28, and Sunday, November 29, due to a special event.
* The museum will remain open until 8:00 p.m. on Friday, November 6, for a special evening opening.
Special Cooperation
Uno Chiyo Co., Ltd.
Organizer
Setagaya City / Setagaya Arts Foundation, Setagaya Literary Museum
Supporter
Setagaya City Board of Education
Concurrent Exhibition
Muttoni Collection
*Admission may be limited during busy periods.
Exhibition Overview
Chiyo Uno (1897–1996) was the author of numerous masterpieces—including Iro Zange, Ohan, and Ikite Iku Watashi—that continue to serve as guideposts for life today.
This year’s collection exhibition presents new materials from Chiyo Uno’s personal collection, donated to the Setagaya Literary Museum in FY2023, in two parts over the course of the year. Part II of the exhibition, Chiyo Uno: Me and the Me That Will Go On Living, focuses on the latter half of her life, from 1947 until her death in 1996, through materials including handwritten manuscripts and drafts of her works, letters exchanged with friends, kimonos she designed, and treasured personal belongings.
Chiyo Uno continued to lead an eventful life, marked by upheavals such as the bankruptcy of the once-thriving Style company and her separation from Takeo Kitahara. At the same time, however, she entered a period of maturity as a writer, completing her masterpiece Ohan and writing works such as Usuzumi no Sakura and Yaeyama no Yuki. Her newspaper serial Ikite Iku Watashi (I Will Go On Living), published in 1982 when she was 84, was an autobiographical work reflecting on her life up to that point. It was published as a book the following year and became a bestseller.
The exhibition features a rich variety of materials, including the handwritten manuscript of Iro Zange, letters she received from painter Seiji Togo, a diary kept during a trip to China with Takeo Kitahara, Japan's first fashion magazine Style, which achieved record-breaking sales, as well as kimonos she designed herself. Together, these works provide a comprehensive overview of the materials that form the centerpiece of the Setagaya Literary Museum’s newest collection.
Chiyo Uno was a seeker of happiness who always forged ahead with a positive outlook, as can be seen in comment she once wrote on a message board, “Somehow, I feel as though I will never die.” This exhibition also explores her personality and way of life, tracing her life and career as she remained energetically active in a wide range of fields until late in life, not only as a writer but also as a kimono designer.
