Commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Meiji Restoration, the exhibition highlights and celebrates artistic masterpieces—splendid and refined witnesses to the numerous upheavals experienced by Imperial Japan during the Meiji era (1868–1912), which was an unprecedented revolution for both Japan and the world.

Taking place across three galleries at the Musée National des Arts Asiatiques – Guimet, the exhibition addresses various aspects of Japan’s modernization and the internationalization of artistic production through a wide range of techniques, from goldsmithing to photography, as well as textiles and ceramics.

The scenographic work focuses on underscoring the exhibition’s objective to illustrate the transformations across society, art, and exchanges with the West through pieces sourced from public European collections (MNAAG, Victoria & Albert Museum, British Museum) and private collections.

The itinerary designed by the agency guides visitors to discover or rediscover these cultural and artistic treasures. Linear yet winding, it mirrors the cultural, political, and social evolution of the Meiji era, reflecting the power that opening to the world and modernizing represented for Japanese society at the time and the influence it exerted on the European imagination. The choice of colors accompanies the theme of each room, creating chromatic echoes that enhance the displayed pieces. The material, formal, and stylistic variety of the objects demands meticulous attention to their lighting and arrangement. The alternation of spaces, the interplay of partitions and transparency, and the movement around the objects allow visitors to engage physically with these masterpieces. By the end of the journey, the scenography enables visitors to observe the splendors of Imperial Japan “from every angle.”