The image of a man crossing a bridge was reflected on the surface of a pond in the Higo Hosokawa Garden

When one hears the word "Bunko," the name conjures up images of a warehouse where many books are stored. This image is like the Toyo Bunko in Komagome. It is a space filled with bookshelves that reach the ceiling.

But Eisei Bunko is a little different. Although it is named "Bunko" and there are indeed bookshelves lined with books in the corridor and by the stairs, the main feature of Eisei Bunko is not books. It is a collection of paintings, calligraphy, ceramics, and more.

The Eisei Bunko, located in Mejirodai, Tokyo, is an institution that manages, preserves, and researches art and historical materials inherited from the Hosokawa family, the feudal lords of Kumamoto, as well as items collected by the 16th head of the family, Hosokawa Moritatsu, and makes them available to the public. In layman's terms, it is an art museum that exhibits works of art that have been handed down in the Hosokawa family since the Middle Ages.

On this day, I came to see a mirror with gold and silver hunting design, which is designated as a national treasure and was made in the Warring States period in China, but the exhibition had ended the previous week due to some kind of mistake. The National Treasure on display at that time was a copper plate with gold and gold beasts and clouds design. Too bad. I thought I would have to come back another time to see the mirror made more than 2,000 years ago, and took a walk along the Kanda River, which used to be the garden of the Hosokawa family.

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