Fukutomi Taro (real name Nakamura Yushichi (1931 – 2018)) was not only an active and successful businessman during the period of economic growth in post-war Japan but also a leading collector of modern nihonga (‘Japanese-style paintings’). At the age of 15, he became known as ‘Cabaret boy’ but when, after years of hardships, at the age of 32, he opened his cabaret called Ginza Hollywood, which later expanded to having 44 clubs around the country, his nickname changed to ‘Cabaret King’.

Although, on the one hand, Fukutomi was working hard to set his business on the path for success, he drew a lot of attention and became a popular public figure due to his appearances on television and radio, on the other hand, his life as a collector was actively developing as well. While Fukutomi through galleries and actions was purchasing works of famous artists such as his favorite Kiyokata Kaburaki, he also used to require works of not so famous artists if he believed that they were good, thus, expanding the content of his collection. Moreover, he was enthusiastically collecting materials and information about fine arts to deepen his understanding of the subject and was also actively writing about it.

The present exhibition, supervised by Mr. Yuji Yamashita (art historian/professor at Meiji Gakuin University) Fukutomi’s life-long friend, overviews the content of his exceptional collection focusing on Fukutomi’s personality and his vision with which he pursued artworks. The exhibition introduces about 80 fascinating pieces including oil paintings from the early days of Japanese modern art, female imagery-centered nihonga (‘Japanese-style paintings’), sensoga (‘war paintings’) collected as a persistent memory of Fukutomi’s wartime childhood, as well as many others.