A long-lost masterpiece by Kobe’s celebrated Western-style painter Ryohei Koiso has finally returned to its hometown.
The Girl with Traditional Hairstyle—a painting long believed lost—has come back to Japan and to Kobe nearly 90 years after it was last seen here. Now on special display at the Kobe City Koiso Memorial Museum of Art, the painting quietly captivates visitors with its dignified presence and emotional depth.
Born in Kobe, Lost Overseas, and Finally Found Again
The Girl with Traditional Hairstyle was painted in the 1930s at Koiso’s studio in Yamamoto-dori, Kobe.
After being exhibited at the First Nibu-kai Exhibition in 1935, where it received high praise, it was purchased by the Yi Royal Museum (today’s National Museum of Korea). After that, its whereabouts became unknown for decades, earning it the reputation of a “phantom masterpiece.”
In 2008, the painting was rediscovered in Korea during a special exhibition. And now, for the first time in nearly a century, it is being shown in Japan again—returning to the very city where it was created. Seeing it in Kobe gives this homecoming an especially powerful sense of meaning.
A Presence Filled with Quiet Strength
“Nihongami no Musume (Young Woman with Traditional Japanese Hairstyle)” on display at the exhibition.
The woman in the painting sits in silence, wearing a black kimono and her hair styled in a traditional Japanese coiffure.
Her eyes are slightly lowered, and her posture suggests restraint rather than display. Rather than speaking to the viewer, she seems absorbed in her own inner world.
The painting does not rely on dramatic color or movement. Instead, it draws you in with dignity, stillness, and emotional depth—a hallmark of Koiso’s portrait style.
A Dialogue with The Dancer
“The Dancer,” displayed alongside “Nihongami no Musume,” was painted around the same time using the same model.
Displayed beside The Girl with Traditional Hairstyle is another painting created around the same time: The Dancer.
Both works portray the same model, yet the contrast between them is striking.
While The Dancer shows the young woman in stage costume, filled with brightness and youth, The Girl with Traditional Hairstyle conveys a more introspective and restrained mood. Seen together, these two paintings reveal Koiso’s remarkable ability to capture not just physical beauty, but the emotional atmosphere and inner life of his subjects.
Original Frames That Tell Their Own Story
Another fascinating detail is that both paintings are exhibited in their original frames from the 1930s.
These classical, heavy frames are not just decorative—they are part of the artworks’ long journey through history. Viewing the paintings together with their original frames adds a deeper sense of time and authenticity to the experience.
Why Seeing It in Kobe Matters
A replica of the kimono worn by the model for “Nihongami no Musume” is also on display.
Also on display is a replica of the kimono worn by the model in The Girl with Traditional Hairstyle. The original garment was purchased by Koiso at Takashimaya in Osaka and reflects the bold, modern textile designs of the era.
This painting is more than a famous work of art. By encountering it in Kobe, where it was first painted, the piece transforms from a historical artifact into a living experience.
A young woman painted in Kobe, sent overseas, and now returned—her quiet gaze bridges nearly a century of history.
It is a moment worth witnessing in person.
Exhibition Information
Special Exhibition:
Ryohei Koiso — The Phantom Masterpiece “The Girl with Traditional Hairstyle”
Dates:
January 10 (Sat) – March 22 (Sun), 2026
Venue:
Kobe City Koiso Memorial Museum of Art
5-7 Koyo-cho Naka, Higashinada-ku, Kobe
(Directly next to Island-Kitaguchi Station, Rokko Liner)
Opening Hours:
10:00 am – 5:00 pm (Last entry 4:30 pm)
Closed:
Mondays
(Open on Jan 12 and Feb 23; closed Jan 13 and Feb 24)
Admission:
Adults: ¥1,200 (¥1,000 advance / group)
University students: ¥600 (¥500 advance / group)
High school students and younger: Free
Kobe residents aged 65+: ¥600
Visitors with disability ID (or Mirairo ID): Free
