Overview
- The exhibition runs 3 February–4 May 2026 at the Sainsbury Exhibitions Gallery in London, with a 16 February research talk at the University of York and an accompanying book.
- More than 280 objects and digital media from the museum and 29 lenders are on display, including a newly acquired suit of samurai armour shown for the first time.
- The narrative spans medieval conflict, a 250-year “long peace” of bureaucrats and patrons, and the later construction of the bushidō-infused samurai myth.
- Galleries foreground women’s roles within the samurai estate through garments, grooming sets and etiquette texts, underscoring that half the class were women in peacetime.
- Contemporary resonance is explored through film, TV, manga, video games and art, including a Darth Vader loan from George Lucas and works by Noguchi Tetsuya.