What Is the Shinjuku Kabukicho Shunga Exhibition: WA?

The Shinjuku Kabukicho Shunga Exhibition: WA is a series organized by Smappa!Group, guided by the vision of sharing Japanese culture from Kabukicho with the world.
Shunga, often called warai-e (“pictures of laughter”), was enjoyed collectively in the Edo period, with people laughing together as they viewed the images. Within this laughter lies a condensed expression of human humor, desire, and affection.
Kabukicho, too, is a place that embraces all who arrive, where countless lives intersect day and night.
Overflowing with humanity and affirming the richness of human emotion, Kabukicho may be deeply connected to the world of shunga.

The title “WA” carries layered meanings:
・Wa (和): harmony, Japanese culture, peace of mind
・Wa (輪): circles of connection formed through gathering, conversation, and laughter
・Wa (笑): laughter itself
Through shunga, the Shinjuku Kabukicho Shunga Exhibition: WA aims to be an open space where people, the city, and culture gently connect—giving rise to new forms of WA.

Shunga: Playful, Alluring, and Timeless Art that Fascinated the Edo People

Sensual yet humorous, beautiful yet engaging—shunga is art that continues to captivate viewers today. During the Edo period, it enthralled everyone—men and women, commoners and aristocrats alike—transcending gender and class. Often called warai-e (laughing pictures) or marked with the playful symbol “わ” (wa), shunga was enjoyed both privately and socially, shared in groups for laughter and layered interpretation.

Shunga offered titillation and a playground for imagination, woven into the rhythms of daily life.

At the Core of Ukiyo-e Expression

For ukiyo-e artists of the time, shunga was an essential means of creative expression. It’s often said that “no ukiyo-e artist ever avoided shunga.” From Utamaro to Hokusai and Kuniyoshi, nearly all major figures contributed to the genre, which represents a significant dimension of ukiyo-e. Amid the refined yet risqué spirit of Edo culture, artists used the Tokugawa shogunate's ban on shunga to their advantage, infusing their prints with mastery, wit, and defiance. Shunga thrived at the intersection of refinement and vulgarity in Edo culture.

Echoes and Layers of Classical References

Many shunga prints are inspired by and reference classical Chinese poetry, waka, and traditional literature. Beyond their visual appeal, viewers are drawn to decode layered allusions and disguised references—yatsushi (disguise) and mitate (parody)—stimulating intellectual curiosity and offering multiple meanings. Far from being merely provocative sensual art, shunga embodies the overlapping spheres of Japanese tradition, storytelling, and artistic play—a true representation of wa.

Shunga at a New World of “Wa” in the Heart of Kabukicho

Now, this rich tradition comes alive in one of the world’s most vibrant entertainment districts: Shinjuku Kabukicho. Amid neon lights, crowds, izakaya, nightclubs, host clubs, and love hotels, this district reflects the same cocktail of desire, illusion, and human drama found in Edo-era shunga. The Shinjuku Kabukicho Noh Theater emerges as a modern-day playground, deeply connected to the world of shunga.
The entrance to the Noh theater—bathed in contemporary fantasy—becomes a modern-day sandō, a spiritual path back to the Edo period. Stepping inside, visitors will encounter a space where Edo-period art meets the energy of contemporary urban life.
We invite all guests—regardless of gender, nationality, profession, or faith—to relax their differences and explore the joyful, humorous, and sensual wit of Edo-era shunga through the eyes of its great masters: Hishikawa Moronobu, Kitagawa Utamaro, Katsushika Hokusai, and Utagawa Kuniyoshi.

Welcome to a new world of “Wa” that begins here.