In 1907, the annual art exhibition sponsored by the Ministry of Education - for short, "Bunten" in Japanese - was held for the first time by the government as the first exhibition inviting applicants from the public, and major artists both young and old from every field of Japanese-style painting, Western-style painting, and sculpture, exhibited their works at the same time in the same place.
1907年、政府によるはじめての公募展、文部省第一回美術展覧会（文展）がおこなわれ、日本画・洋画・彫刻の各部門、新旧の作家らが一堂に展覧された。