Interview with Mr. Hieda Kazuho
The Japanese-style painter Hieda Kazuho (born in 1920), holder of the Cultural Order, is Professor Emeritus of Tokyo University of the Arts and a founding member of Sougakai. He graduated from Tokyo School of Fine Arts in 1943, and from the following year he worked for the Art Research Institute, the former National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, Tokyo, as a temporary employee for one year.
The institute is currently editing Text Edition of 75-year history of National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, Tokyo, which will be published this year. As such, we interviewed many associated persons to ask them about the history of the Institute so that we can compile records.
On April 14, we visited Mr. Hieda at his home in Tokyo, and he talked his early years at the Institute. In 1944, when war damage increased because of air attacks and the Institute was forced to evacuate its materials, Mr. Hieda took part in the evacuation work. He told us that he stayed at an evacuation home – Sakata City, Yamagata – for half a year, to protect the materials, until he received call-up papers in August 1945, and went home to Nara to enter the army. In the train that was on the way home, he found out about the end of the war. Despite his advanced age, he gave us an interview that lasted over 90 minutes, and we have a record of his valuable experience.