The Diplomatic Archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan houses materials related to Japan’s diplomacy from the late Edo period onward. Drawn from this collection, this exhibition traces Japan’s evolution into a modern state through important examples of such materials, especially from the Meiji era. The exhibition also looks at the career of Mutsu Munemitsu, a son of a Kishu-domain retainer who went on to become a statesman and diplomat playing a significant role in the foreign relations of the Meiji government. The relationship between diplomacy and art is also explored through relevant historical materials and artworks.