| ■Tokyo National Research
Institute for Cultural Properties |
■Center for Conservation
Science |
| ■Department of Art Research,
Archives and Information Systems |
■Japan Center for
International Cooperation in Conservation |
| ■Department of Intangible
Cultural Heritage |
|
Venue for the lecture ‘The Work of an Art Librarian’ (Photo courtesy of Sen-oku Hakukokan Museum Tokyo)
A slide from the lecture ‘The Work of an Art Librarian’
On December 6, 2024, KIKKAWA Hideki, Head of the Modern / Contemporary Art Section at the Department of Art Research, Archives and Information Systems, was invited to give a lecture titled “The Work of an Art Librarian at the ART with” series held at Sen-oku Hakukokan Museum Tokyo. The ART with series features experts from various fields related to art, offering insights into their professions for a broad audience of art enthusiasts.
In this lecture, Mr. KIKKAWA presented a wide range of specialized librarian skills based on his career not only at the Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (TOBUNKEN) Library, but also at the Art Library of the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo and the Art Library of the National Art Center, Tokyo. In particular, he discussed the enjoyment of supporting researchers and curators in their studies and creating frameworks that enhance the value of library collections through cataloging and compiling bibliographies on artists.
TOBUNKEN engages in collaborative efforts among experts from various fields to preserve cultural properties for future generations. Librarians well versed in art materials also play a crucial role in supporting these efforts, considering the future of cultural properties and continuing to safeguard them. This lecture provided an opportunity not only to introduce their work, but also for Mr. KIKKAWA to reflect once again on its significance. He has expressed that nothing would be more gratifying to him than for art enthusiasts, professionals from other fields, or students who attended the lecture to have found the role of an art librarian appealing and had deepened their interest in the preservation of cultural properties.
Orientation for ARLIS/NA Japan Study Tour (October 21)
Visit of related facilities (TOBUNKEN, October 21)
Discussion at the symposium “International Collaboration in Art Archives and Libraries” (October 22)
The Art Libraries of North America (ARLIS/NA), founded in 1972, is an organization of more than 1,000 librarians, visual archivists, curators, faculty, students, artists, and others specializing in art and architecture. ARLIS/NA conducted a study tour in Japan for the first time, with 16 members visiting Japan. As part of the tour, an international symposium entitled “International Collaboration in Art Archives and Libraries” was held on October 22, 2024, jointly hosted by ARLIS/NA and the Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (TOBUNKEN).
In the first part of the symposium, Mr. KOBAYASHI Yoshiyuki, Senior Librarian, Digital Information Department, National Diet Library, introduced “Japan Search: National Platform of Digital Archives,” and Mr. KIKKAWA Hideki, Head of Modern/Contemporary Art Section, Department of Art Research, Archives and Information Systems, introduced the modern and contemporary art archives held at TOBUNKEN. In Part II, “ARLIS/NA: Case Studies of Japan-related Collections,” Mr. Dan Lipcan of Peabody Essex Museum (read by Ms. YASUDA Seira of Boston Architectural College), Ms. Emily Matthews of the University of Illinois, Ms. Alexandra Austin of Pratt Institute, and Ms. Elizabeth Smart of Brigham Young University Library, and visual artist Ms. Angela Lorenz introduced Japan-related materials from their institutions and other content and activities closely related to Japan. The discussion was led by Ms. YAMANASHI Emiko, Director of the Chiba City Museum of Art and Visiting Researcher at TOBUNKEN, and was followed by a lively exchange of information among the 70 participants, including ARLIS/NA members and experts from Japan.
The study tour also included visits to related institutions, namely the University Library of the Tokyo University of the Arts, the Research and Information Center of the Tokyo National Museum, the Research Library of the National Museum of Western Art, the National Diet Library, the Art Library of the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, the Aizu Museum, the Central Library and The Waseda International House of Literature (The Haruki Murakami Library) at Waseda University, tand he Art Library of National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo. We are especially pleased to have visited the Art Library of the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo. We would like to take this opportunity to thank the persons in charge at each of these institutions for their hospitality. We hope that this symposium and the visits to related institutions will provide an opportunity for mutual exchange between ARLIS/NA members and professionals working with cultural properties in Japan.
Examples of Gallery Yamaguchi Papers: Gallery Guide (山304), Print works by NOMIYAMA Gyoji (山185), OKAMOTO Atsuo / Jan van Munster (山043) Note) The figures in parentheses are call numbers.
Examples of Gallery Yamaguchi Papers: Architectural Sculpture Monument by TATEHATA Kakuzo (山147), Photographs of works by Hotel New Otani, Tama Art University, Riccar Building, and National Institute of Technology, Oita
As part of the research project “Research and Compilation of Materials on Modern and Contemporary Art,” we are pleased to announce that a catalog of “Gallery Yamaguchi Papers” is now available on our website.
The Gallery Yamaguchi, a gallery specializing in contemporary art, was established in March 1980 on the third floor of the Yamato Building in Ginza 3-chome, between Matsuya Department Store and Showa Street, and was managed by YAMAGUCHI Mitsuyko (1943-2010). In an era known as the “rush to open art museums,” the gallery mainly presented solo exhibitions of young Japanese artists in their 30s and 40s who would lead the next generation of artists, mainly featuring large-scale abstract paintings and sculptures. It is also known as a gallery that has produced outdoor sculptures and environmental sculptures for plazas and parks on commission. In response to the growing scale of contemporary art works, in April 1991, the gallery moved into the SOKO Gallery premises, which opened in Shinkiba, Tokyo, as the “Gallery Yamaguchi SOKO.” In August 1995, these two galleries were consolidated and moved to the Kyobashi 3-chome Keiei Building. This became one of the most important galleries in this period, contributing greatly to the spread of contemporary art in Japan by holding exchange exhibitions with overseas galleries as part of its international exchange activities.
The Gallery Yamaguchi Papers cataloged here were donated to the Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties through the intermediary SASAKI Shigeo (1931-2024) when the gallery closed in 2010 following the passing of the gallery’s manager, and consists of some 570 files, with a total length of approximately 9 meters. Among them are files on artists containing documentation such as photographs and press releases, as well as gallery management documents, which may provide important facts that were not previously available to the media such as newspapers and magazines of the time.
The research project “Research and Compilation of Materials on Modern and Contemporary Art” is intended to facilitate the conduction of research on modern and contemporary Japanese art works and materials, to promote research exchange based on this research, and to establish an efficient collection and publication framework for materials related to contemporary art. We hope that you will make use of these documents, which are now available in the library, as evidence for solving problems encountered in research on cultural properties, including contemporary art, and as an opportunity to conduct new research in various fields.
• Library Visitor’s Guide
https://www.tobunken.go.jp/joho/english/library/library_e.html
Archives (documents) information can be found at the bottom of this page. the Gallery Yamaguchi Papers are accessible in our library.
• Gallery Yamaguchi Papers
https://www.tobunken.go.jp/joho/japanese/library/pdf/archives_GalleryYamaguchi.pdf
SASAKI Shigeo (December 21, 2018, TOBUNKEN)
Part of the artist's files: UEMAE Chiyu
Part of the artist's files: ‘A（ア）’ line artist
As part of the research project “Research and Compilation of Materials on Modern and Contemporary Art,” we are pleased to announce that the database “Materials Donated by SASAKI Shigeo’s Contemporary Art Document Center (Artists’ Files)” became available on our website on September 25, 2024.
SASAKI Shigeo (1931-2024) began collecting art works in the 1960s while working at a city bank, and also collected materials on contemporary art from the mid-war period onward. After his retirement, he opened the Contemporary Art Document Center in 1994 in a room of his house, where he provided museum curators and researchers with access to his collection of various materials to support their research and other activities. As an art collector, he visited galleries in Tokyo and had a network of gallery owners and other collectors. One of the characteristics of this collection is that it was actively collected with the archival function of the Contemporary Art Document Center.
In 1997, the Institute received approximately 450 cardboard boxes of materials from this group to supplement the collection of materials in the field of contemporary art, which it had not been able to fully collect until then. Since then, we had received regular deliveries of materials until 2018. We had published a “CD of the Catalogue of SASAKI Shigeo’s Contemporary Art Document Center” (2002) and a “CD of Gallery-related Data of the Catalogue of Materials Donated by SASAKI Shigeo’s Contemporary Art Document Center” (2006), and have provided other information to researchers as well. The release of this database reflects the latest state of organization and allows us to provide this information via our website for more convenient access.
The research project “Research and Compilation of Materials on Modern and Contemporary Art” is intended to enable the conduction of research on modern and contemporary Japanese art works and materials, to promote research exchange based on this research, and to establish an efficient collection and publication framework for materials related to contemporary art. We hope that you will make use of these documents, which are now available in the library, as evidence for solving problems encountered in research on cultural properties, including contemporary art, and as an opportunity to conduct new research in various fields.
◆Database “Materials donated by the Contemporary Art Resource Center led by SASAKI Shigeo (artist files)
https://www.tobunken.go.jp/materials/sasaki_artistfile
◆ Library Visitor’s Guide
https://www.tobunken.go.jp/joho/english/library/library_e.html
Examples of the Striped House Museum of Art / Striped House Gallery Papers: Documents about the Apartheid Non! International Art Festival (1990), University of the End of the Century, Tokyo (1993-2000) (Call Number [In Japanese] : ス162, ス261 )
The Striped House Building
As part of the research project “Research and Compilation of Materials on Modern and Contemporary Art,” we are pleased to announce that a catalog of “Striped House Museum of Art / Striped House Gallery Papers” is now available on our website.
The Striped House Museum of Art was established by the photographer Mr. TSUKAHARA Takuya (born 1937) in May 1981 in Roppongi 5-chome, Minato-ku, Tokyo, as a private art museum that held many retrospectives of deceased artists, mainly of contemporary art, as well as solo exhibitions of young artists. The museum also had a reputation for discovering artists, and was known not only for its art exhibitions, but also for regularly organizing mini live performances, one-man shows, Rakugo events, and recitation readings. Although the museum closed in 2000, a gallery has been operating on the third floor of the Striped House Building since December 2001. The Striped House Gallery Papers were donated by the gallery through an arrangement by SASAKI Shigeo (1931-2024) around 2010, and were organized in about 300 envelopes containing materials related to individual events and artists. These envelopes also included documentary photographs, press releases, and other materials, which may provide important facts that were not available in the media such as newspapers and magazines of the time.
The research project “Research and Compilation of Materials on Modern and Contemporary Art” is intended to enable the conduction of research on modern and contemporary Japanese art works and materials, to promote research exchange based on this research, and to establish an efficient collection and publication framework for materials related to contemporary art. We hope that you will make use of these documents, which are now available in the library, as evidence for solving problems encountered in research on cultural properties, including contemporary art, and as an opportunity to conduct new research in various fields.
• Library Visitor’s Guide
https://www.tobunken.go.jp/joho/english/library/library_e.html
Archives (documents) information can be found at the bottom of this page. The Striped House Gallery Papers are accessible in our library.
• Striped House Museum of Art / Striped House Gallery Papers
https://www.tobunken.go.jp/joho/japanese/library/pdf/archives_StripedHouseMuseumofArt.pdf
Removed fixed shelves.
Newly installed electrically operated bookcases
The Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (TOBUNKEN) maintains materials, including books and photographs collected by TOBUNKEN’s departments and centers, mainly in the TOBUNKEN Library. The library itself consists of a reading room and stack rooms; however, the aforementioned materials can be accessed by external researchers at the Library, which is open three days a week.
Almost 24 years have passed since TOBUNKEN moved to its current building in 2000. During these years, TOBUNKEN has continuously been collecting materials through its research activities, including books and photographs,. Furthermore, it has recently had more opportunities to receive donations of archives from the collections of ex-employees and related researchers. Through these activities, the Library has been able to accumulate many more materials and enhance the quality of those materials. At the same time, we foresaw that the bookshelves would be overflowing in the near future. Therefore, we reconstructed the bookshelves as part of a framework entitled “Projects to expand archive stacks and optimize the storage environment.”
In 2022, the fixed bookcases in over a quarter of the floor space of the second-floor stack room were replaced with the electrically operated bookcases. During this recent reconstruction, which was started on January 11, 2024, the fixed bookshelves in the remaining three-fourths were so replaced. After removing the materials from the fixed bookshelves, removing the bookshelves, laying rails for new bookshelves, setting-up the new electrically operated bookshelves, and placing the materials onto the new shelves, the renovation was completed on March 27. The space that was previously home to 16 fixed bookshelves (1,900 shelves; 1,615 m in total) now accommodates 29 new electrically operated bookshelves (3,500 shelves; 2,975 m in total), with almost double capacity.
We apologize for any inconvenience that resulted from the Library’s temporary closure during the reform. We continue our work to collect, pass down, and utilize materials valuable for research and conservation of cultural properties. We hope that the TOBUNKEN archives can serve your research activities well.
Lecture presentation in the conference room.
Lecture tour: Introduction of materials in the stacks.
On October 16 2023, about 40 students from Gakushuin University (under the supervision of Prof. KYOTANI Yoshinori and Prof. SARAI Mai) visited the Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (TOBUNKEN), and as part of the course “Museology: Media and Information,” TOBUNKEN introduced its activities related to cultural property archives. The students attending this lecture were not only from the Department of Art History, but also from other faculties, and the lecture provided a good opportunity for them to learn about some of TOBUNKEN’s activities.
First, Mr. KIKKAWA Hideki, Head of the Archive Section of the Department of Art Research, Archives and Information Systems, gave an overview and history of the Institute in a meeting room of TOBUNKEN, and introduced the collection and publication of materials useful for future activities of museum curators, and materials created in the course of museum activities. The presentation also explained how research activities are supported in specialized libraries, using the TOBUNKEN library as an example. The participants then moved to the library and the stacks and were divided into two groups, where Mr. KIKKAWA and Mr. TASHIRO Yuichiro, Researcher of the Department, introduced the significance of the digital archives and cultural property research photographs, showing them in person and explaining how they could be used.
The Cultural Property Archives Laboratory will continue to actively provide guidance for students and professionals under the research project called ‘Enrichment of Professional Archives and Comprehensive Reference.’ If you would like to participate in a session, please submit a request to “TOBUNKEN Library Guidance for undergraduate/graduate students and museum staff” (https://www.tobunken.go.jp/joho/japanese/library/application/application_guidance.html, Japanese only).
An explanation of the activities of the TOBUNKEN's Library provided during the tour.
Photo by Ms. TERASHI Taro (Art Documentation Society).
An explanation about investigational photographs of cultural properties in the Library provided during the tour.
Photo by Ms. TERASHI Taro (Art Documentation Society).
On October 28 2023, the 16th Fall Seminar of the Japan Art Documentation Society was held at the Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (TOBUNKEN), including a tour of the library.
The Japan Art Documentation Society is an organization engaged in research on methodologies for recording, managing, and digitizing materials related to art, and in the pursuit of practical application of these methodologies. There are approximately 350 members, including librarians, curators, archivists, information science researchers, and art historians, and the tour was attended by 13 members.
During the tour, Mr. KIKKAWA Hideki, Head of the Archive Section of the Department of Art Research, Archives and Information Systems, first gave an overview of TOBUNKEN and introduced the activities and the composition of the library collection in the conference room on the second floor, and then moved with the participants to the library and stacks to explain the significance and actual use of digital archives and investigational photographs of cultural properties. Specialists in cultural property materials were included among the participants, and the event also provided an opportunity for a productive exchange of views, with questions from the perspective of practitioners regarding the collection, organization, publication, and preservation of materials, as well as questionss from the perspective of users.
Among the tasks of the Archive Section are to provide experts and students with information on materials related to cultural property and to develop an environment for the effective use of these materials. In the future, we would like to provide more opportunities for such specialists to become aware of the TOBUNKEN collections via tours and guidance.
If you would like to participate in a session, please submit a request to “TOBUNKEN Library Guidance for undergraduate/graduate students and museum staff” (https://www.tobunken.go.jp/joho/japanese/library/application/application_guidance.html, Japanese only).
Visit to the National Art Library at the Victoria & Albert Museum
A scene from the gallery talk at the Sainsbury Centre
Since 2013, the Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures (SISJAC) in Norwich, UK, and Tokyo National Institute for Cultural Properties (TOBUNKEN) have been working on the joint project, “Shaping the Fundamentals of Research on Japanese Art.” SISJAC staff regularly provide information on literature and exhibitions related to Japanese arts held outside of Japan, and in previous years researchers from the Department of Art Research, Archives and Information Systems have travelled to the UK for a site visit, consultation, and lecture. From 2020 until last year, online discussions were held, as it was not possible to visit the site, but this year two TOBUNKEN members, Mr. KIKKAWA Hideki and Ms. MAIZAWA Rei, have visited the UK for the first time in three years to tour the site, hold a consultation, and give a lecture.
On the 14th, 15th, and 17th of November, we visited institutions related to art books and documentation in London. This included the art libraries and photographic archives attached to the National Gallery, National Portrait Gallery, the Courtauld Institute of Art, the University of London, and the Victoria & Albert Museum, as well as other libraries with substantial collections of Japanese materials, such as the British Library and the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London. We were given a tour of the facilities and presented with materials by the staff of each institution and discussed the possibility of holding joint projects with some of the institutions. These visits were coordinated by Mr. HIRANO Akira and accompanied by Mr. HIRANO Ms. HAYASHI Miwako of SISJAC.
The consultation was held at SISJAC on the November 16, and Ms. MAIZAWA gave a gallery talk and lecture at the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts that afternoon. The Sainsbury Centre, attached to the University of East Anglia, houses the collection of Sir Robert Sainsbury and Lady Lisa Sainsbury, the founders of SISJAC, which includes Japanese arts. A gallery talk on Buddhist and Shinto statues was held in the exhibition room, followed by the lecture in the basement conference room on ‘The activities of Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties and its research on rakanzu (Arhat painting).’ In addition to the local general audience, Japanese officials visiting SISJAC also attended and listened attentively. Ms. MAIZAWA has been at SISJAC as a visiting researcher since October, and will continue to work on research and studies in the UK until the end of February next year.
Booth for video watching in the TOBUNKEN Library
Video recordings donated by the POLA Foundation of Japanese Culture
Video recordings of intangible traditional culture produced by the POLA Foundation of Japanese Culture were donated and became available at the TOBUNKEN Library from December, 2023. The POLA Foundation produced three series of video recordings: “Masters of Traditional Craftsmanship,” “The Sophistication of Traditional Performing Arts,” and “The Heart of Folk Entertainment.” (https://www.polaculture.or.jp/movie/index.html (Japanese only))
Below is a list of the 26 titles donated in FY 2023.
1. Utilizing Lacquer in the Current Life – AKAJI, Yusai, Magewa Zukuri (hoop-built technique)
2. Women Weaving Bashōfu – Cooperative Handwork
3. Niino Yuki Matsuri (Snow Festival) – Festivals with Gods and Villagers
4. Shujo Onie Festival in Kunisaki – a Night When Oni (Devils) Visit
5. Osauchi (weaving) – OGAWA Zenzaburo, Kenjo Hakata Ori
6. Hammer Forming, SEKIYA Shiro – Making Tomorrow
7. Full of GOSU – the world of KONDO Yuzo
8. The World of Beauty – SERIZAWA Keisuke , textile designer
9. MIYAKE Tokuro, Kyōgen performer
10. Nagahama Hikiyama Festival, Lake Biwa
11. Topography of a Local Windup Doll – Toro Doll of Yame Fukushima
12. The Moon and Big Tug of War
13. Chichibu no Yomatsuri (Chichibu Night Festival) – Voice of Mountains
14. Wajima Nuri, Important Intangible Cultural Properties
15. Zeami’s Noh
16. Furukawa Festival in Hida – Night with Drums
17. Like dancing, Like Flying – Flower Festival in Oku Mikawa
18. Protean Lacquer – TAGUCHI Yoshikuni, the beauty of Maki-e
19. Nebuta Festival – the Summer of Tsugaru People
20. Oni in Michinoku – the Village of Oni Kenbai (Devil’s Sword Dance)
21. Wood Life Revived – Wood Craft by KAWAKITA Ryozo
22. Shino Ware – SUZUKI Osamu
23. Living with Gods – Toya System Supporting Festivals in Japan
24. Kiraigo – the Village Where Both Oni (Devils) and Budha Live Together
25. Maki-e, MUROSE, Kazumi, the Beauty Over the Time
26. From NOMURA Mansaku to Mansai, and Yuki
To view a video, please contact the counter of TOBUNKEN Library during opening hours. (https://www.tobunken.go.jp/joho/english/library/library_e.html). We plan to expand the available titles. Please refer to this page (Japanese only) for the latest information.
We hope you will visit the TOBUNKEN Library.
KATORI Hotsuma (reprinted from Nihon Bijutsu Kōgei No.185, March 1954)
Examples of the KATORI Hotsuma Papers
The Archive Section of the Department of Art Research, Archives and Information Systems has published information on the “KATORI Hotsuma Papers” on its website as an outcome of the “Expansion of Specialized Archives and Comprehensive Reference” project.
KATORI Hotsuma (1874-1954) was a metalworker, historian of metalworking, and poet during the Meiji and Showa eras. He played a significant role in promoting and advancing the field of craftsmanship, not only within the realm of metalwork, but also in the broader world of crafts. Known for his works that skillfully combined classical motifs such as incense burners, flower vases, kettles, and Buddhist temple bells with deep technical expertise, he also made significant contributions to the study of Eastern metalworking history.
The KATORI Hotsuma Papers were donated to The Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (TOBUNKEN) in 1964 by his family following his passing. This collection includes diaries, design sketches for his artworks, and research records of metalwork from various regions in Japan. Consequently, it serves as a valuable resource not only for research on KATORI Hotsuma himself, but also for the broader study of Japan’s metalworking history. We have undertaken efforts such as preserving these materials and cataloging them, and we are pleased to announce the public release of the papers. The preparation for the release of the papers was led by TAMURA Ayako (Research Assistant of the Department of Art Research, Archives and Information Systems), and various information about the papers was provided by former staff member Ms. NAKAMURA Setsuko.
We hope you will use the materials that TOBUNKEN has accumulated over the years as evidence to solve research problems related to cultural properties and as an opportunity to create new research in various fields.
• Library Visitor’s Guide
（https://www.tobunken.go.jp/joho/english/library/library_e.html）
Archives (documents) information can be found at the bottom of this page. The Papers are accessible in our library.
• KATORI Hotsuma Papers
（https://www.tobunken.go.jp/joho/japanese/library/pdf/archives_KATORI_Hotsuma.pdf）
Introduction, in the conference room
Explanation about the investigational photographs of cultural properties
The Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (TOBUNKEN) introduced guidance for the TOBUNKEN Library to 4 graduate students of Aoyama Gakuin University (led by Prof. TSUDA Tetsuei) on April 12th. At the beginning of this guidance session, KIKKAWA Hideki explained how to use the library and how the collection was developed in the conference room on the second floor of TOBUNKEN. We then moved to the library and its stack rooms, where our staff introduced various materials, including the Auction Catalogue Digital Archive, investigational photographs of cultural properties, and auction catalogues. The participants handled the digital archives, books, and photos, listened to the explanations, and actively asked questions from the viewpoint of how they could use them for their own research.
The Archive Section of the Department of Art Research, Archives and Information Systems has a mission to collect, organize, and conserve materials concerning cultural property studies and prepare an easily accessible and effectively usable environment for experts and students working in areas related to cultural properties. As a part of this mission, we continue to actively hold guidance sessions. If you would like to participate in a session, please submit a request with reference to “TOBUNKEN Library Guidance for undergraduate/graduate students and museum staff” (Japanese only).
Installing the electrically-operated bookshelf bases on the rails
Electrically-operated bookshelves being set
The Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (TOBUNKEN) maintains materials, including books and photographs, collected by TOBUNKEN’s departments and centers (the Department of Art Research, Archives and Information Systems, the Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage, the Center for Conservation Science, and the Japan Center for International Cooperation in Conservation) mainly in the TOBUNKEN Library. The library itself consists of the reading room and stack rooms; however, the aforementioned materials can be accessed by external researchers at the Library, which is open three days a week.
Almost 23 years have passed since TOBUNKEN moved to its current building in 2000. During these years, TOBUNKEN has continuously been collecting materials, including books and photographs, through its research activities. Furthermore, it has recently had more opportunities to receive donations of archives from the collections of ex-employees and related researchers. Through these activities, the Library has been able to accumulate many more materials, and enhance the quality of those materials. At the same time, we foresaw that the bookshelves would be overflowing in the near future. Therefore, we reconstructed the bookshelves as part of the framework entitled “planned management of investigational research equipment.”
During this reconstruction, the fixed bookshelves were replaced with electrically-operated bookshelves in almost one-fourth of the total floor space of the second-floor stack room. The reconstruction started on January 10th, 2023. After taking out the materials from the bookshelves, removing the fixed bookshelves, laying the rails for new bookshelves, setting the new electrically-operated bookshelves, and setting the materials back to the new shelves, the renovation was completed on the 30th. The space which was previously home to five fixed bookshelves (612 shelves, 526m in total) now accommodates nine new electrically-operated bookshelves (1,248 shelves, 1,073 in total), with capacity almost doubling.
We apologize for any inconvenience resulting from the Library’s temporary closure during the reform. We continue to work to collect, pass down, and utilize materials valuable for research and conservation of cultural properties. We hope that the TOBUNKEN archives can well serve your research activities.
A part of the Collection
MAEDA Seison watching Joshishin (reprinted from BUNKA vol.246-247, October 1974)
The Maeda Seison’s Collection (referred to as the Collection) was donated to the Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (TOBUNKEN) on October 11th, 2022. It comprises materials that were collected and owned by MAEDA Seison (1885-1997), a Japanese-style painter. It was donated by Ms. AKIYAMA Hideko, the third daughter of Seison, via her eldest son, Prof. AKIYAMA Terufumi (professor emeritus of Ochanomizu University, Director of Meguro Museum of Arts, Tokyo). TOBUNKEN gave a letter of gratitude to Ms. AKIYAMA on November 8th, 2022.
The Collection consists of the materials of 113 titles of 275 items: 109 titles of books (total of 270 books), three cassette tapes, and a set of two records. It includes texts on the ancient practices of arms including armors, printed books of the Edo era such as history books, art books of KŌNO Bairei, orihon* associated with the title piece of KAJITA Hanko’s Original Painting Draft, and collections of sketches of KOBAYASHI Kahaku and SAKAI Sanryō, who are his junior fellows from the Nihon Bijutsuin (Japan Art Institute). They are indispensable materials for future studies on MAEDA Seison.
Further, the Collection includes cassette tapes of “Seison’s Reunion with Joshishin: the Admonitions of the Court Ladies (Copy)**.” This is a recording of the investigation on Joshishin painted by KOBAYASHI Kokei and Seisen held at Seison’s house in Kita-Kamakura, including an interview of Seison in 1974. This was arranged by Dr. AKIYAMA Terukazu, professor at the University of Tokyo, Faculty of Letters; researcher emeritus of TOBUNKEN; husband of Seison’s daughter; and father of Prof. AKIYAMA Terufumi. Dr. KAMEDA Tsutomu and Prof. HARADA Ryukichi of Tohoku University as well as Dr. TSUJI Nobuo, Ms. SEKI Chiyo, and Mr. KONO Motoaki of TOBUNKEN at that time participated in this investigation. Therefore, they are also precious as TOBUNKEN’s activity records. Considering its nature, the Collection is essential for the research of Seison and his artworks. Furthermore, it is useful for the current wider research of cultural properties as the materials show how the cultural property investigation was conducted at that time.
The MAEDA Seison’s Collection, donated in 2022, will be available at the TOBUNKEN Library. We plan to make the book materials of the Collection open to access through a joint operation with the Getty Research Institute, and digitize cassette tapes and records to enable long-term utilization for research. We hope that the Collection will contribute to research on MAEDA Seison, modern Japan-style paintings, and further, on cultural properties.
*orihon: a long strip of paper with writing on one side that is then compacted by folding in zig-zag fashion
**Joshishin: Admonitions of the Court Ladies (Copy): Reproduction painted by KOBAYASHI Kokei and MAEDA Seisen of the Admonitions of the Instructress to the Court Ladies housed in the British Museum. This is housed in the Tohoku University Museum.
Introduction in the conference room
Explanation about the auction catalogue digital archive
The Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (TOBUNKEN) introduced the guidance for TOBUNKEN Library with 14 graduate students of Gakushuin University (led by Prof. SARAI Mai and Prof. SHIMAO Arata) on July 1st. At the beginning of this guidance session, KIKKAWA Hideki explained how to use the library and how the collection was developed in the conference room on the second floor of TOBUNKEN. We then moved to the library and its stack rooms, where our staff introduced various materials including the Auction Catalogue Digital Archive, investigational photographs of cultural properties, and auction catalogues. The participants handled the digital archives, held the books and photos, listened to the explanations, and actively asked questions from the viewpoint of how they could utilize them for their own research.
The Archive Section of the Department of Art Research, Archives and Information Systems has a mission to collect, organize, and conserve materials concerning cultural properties and prepare an easily accessible and effectively usable environment for experts and students working on cultural properties. As a part of this mission, we continue to actively hold guidance sessions. If you want to participate in the sessions, please submit your request with reference to “TOBUNKEN Library Guidance for undergraduate/graduate students and museum staffs” (Japanese only).
Letter from KUBOTA Shigeko, a pioneer in video art, to MIKI Tamon, enclosing photos of exhibited artworks at her first personal exhibition (December 1963 at Naiqua Gallery, Tokyo)
The Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (TOBUNKEN) made three archives of documents, the Muramatsu Gallery Papers, TAKAMI Akihiko Papers, and MIKI Tamon Papers, available as a research outcome of the Department of Art Research, Archives and Information Systems in FY 2021.
The Muramatsu Gallery Papers consist of their exhibition materials (including scrapbooks of exhibition invitation postcards and photo albums to record exhibitions) from 1966 to 2009. The TAKAMI Akihiko Papers are the exhibition materials of art galleries from 1990s to 2000s. The MIKI Tamon Papers are a group of materials including exhibition invitation postcards from the first half of the 1960s.
Surveys of personal exhibitions at art galleries constitute an important basic process for studying post-war contemporary artists. However, investigating what artworks and how they were exhibited is extremely difficult. This is because art magazines and newspapers rarely published personal exhibitions of budding, but still unknown artists. Therefore, it is only possible to specify the venues and schedules of exhibitions through publication media.
The three archives being released include many photos of exhibitions and exhibited artworks. These act as support tools for researchers to overcome “difficulties” in investigating contemporary arts, as indicated above. These archives can be browsed at the TOBUNKEN Library (advanced reservation required). We hope that many researchers utilize these archives to advance their research.
*TOBUNKEN Library Visitor’s Guide (https://www.tobunken.go.jp/joho/english/library/library_e.html)
Information on the archives is available at the bottom of the Japanese page (https://www.tobunken.go.jp/joho/japanese/library/library.html (Japanese only).)
Seminar on MATSUZAWA Yutaka Archive at TOBUNKEN
The Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (TOBUNKEN) held the Seminar on MATSUZAWA Yutaka Archives – the 9th Seminar held by the Department of Art Research, Archives and Information Systems both in-person and online. TOBUNKEN invited experts in charge of recording and organizing the activities of MATSUZAWA Yutaka (1922-2006), a pioneer of conceptual arts, and experts and researchers who work on finding new value in these materials.
This seminar is also a part of a research project, “Research and Compilation of Materials on Modern and Contemporary Art”, and a Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research from Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, “Study on Art Collective in Post-1968: Based on Matsuzawa Yutaka’s Archive” (principle investigator: KIKKAWA Hideki).
The following presentations were provided: in order of presentation:
The 100 anniversary of birth, MATSUZAWA YUTAKA: From the Investigation by the Art Museum to the Exhibition by Ms. KINOUCHI Mayumi and Ms. FURUIE Mitsuha (Nagano Prefectural Art Museum),
MATSUZAWA Yutaka’s Exchange with Latin American Arts – Based on the Materials of CAyC (Centro de Arte y Comunicación) by Dr. INOUE Emiko (Hunter College, the City University of New York), and
About the Data Center for Contemporary Art (DCCA): Archive Project by MATSUZAWA Yutaka by KIKKAWA Hideki.
After the above presentations, the four presenters and seminar participants (11 in-person and 33 online) exchanged opinions. The discussion involved people from General Incorporated Foundation – Matsuzawa Yutaka Psi Room Foundation (Executive director: Mr. MATSUZAWA Haruo), artists with direct relationships with MATSUZAWA Yutaka, and related parties from museums and archives. Topics varied from the significances and possibilities of the MATSUZAWA Yutaka Archives as research materials to challenges for archive preservation.
We at TOBUNKEN explore and fulfill our mission to pass down cultural property archives, not only the MATSUZAWA Yutaka Archives, recognized as valuable research materials that lack a guaranteed of long-term conservation for the next generations.
Presentation through the online conference system
Screenshot of a slide used for the presentation “Potential of further development: GRP Digital Content of Japanese Art”
At the 13th JADS fall seminar held on November 28th, 2020, we made a presentation titled “The Open Access Project of the Oda Kazuma Collection with a Focus on Illustrated Books by Katsushika Hokusai: Disseminate Bibliographic Information Globally in Collaboration with Getty Research Institute: Standardization of Bibliographic Information and Preservation of Material”. This presentation was created by KIKKAWA Hideki; TAMURA Ayako; ABE Tomoe; EMURA Tomoko from Department of Art Research, Archives, and Information Systems; as well as YAMANASHI Emiko, Deputy Director General. On the day of the seminar, five members from Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties participated in the event through the online conference system. KIKKAWA Hideki and TAMURA Ayako, two of the five members, explained the preservation of material for the standardization and digitalization of bibliographic information, which were conducted during the project. They also suggested that the open access project has a lot of potential of further development. As part of the project, we developed an information channel to provide digitalized Japanese art material content to the Getty Research Portal (GRP: https://portal.getty.edu/). At the presentation, they mentioned that by making the channel available for all organizations concerned and by accumulating digitalized content related to Japanese art in the GRP, the global presence of Japanese art could be enhanced. Many specialists who handle museum library collections are members of the JADS. They provided us valuable feedback on our presentation, saying that it demonstrated a good example for handling archival material by focusing on the method of preserving the material and standardizing bibliographic information in a concrete manner.
As travel is restricted to prevent the spread of COVID-19, we are fully aware that the development and improvement of the online research environment is an urgent issue to address. We will disseminate information about Japanese art globally and improve the research environment to provide archival materials which would be beneficial for a wide range of research on cultural properties, while strengthening our partnership with other organizations.
Overview of the presentation is available on the URL below:（Proceedings of the 13th JADS fall seminar: http://www.jads.org/news/2020/jads_autumn2020.pdf#page=9）
Meeting of International Terminology Working Group
At the International Terminology Working Group (ITWG) Meeting held in the Getty Center located in Los Angeles, the United States, on February 6th and 7th, 2020, we delivered a presentation titled “Japanese artists, TNRICP”. This presentation reported on the development process of our providing Japanese artists’ name data for the Getty Vocabularies, as part of the joint project between Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (TNRICP) and the Getty Research Institute. The ITWG, led by the Getty Research Institute, aims to discuss the common topics on Getty Vocabularies (getty.edu/research/tools/vocabularies/), the controlled vocabularies comprising Art & Architecture Thesaurus (AAT), Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names (TGN), Union List of Artist Names (ULAN), Cultural Objects Name Authority (CONA), Getty Iconography Authority (IA), and other programs. The meeting generally takes place every two years. This meeting attracted about 35 people from the United States, Taiwan, Belgium, Germany, Brazil, Israel, Croatia, the UAE, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and other countries. Persons in charge of Getty Vocabularies programs reported their current situations and progress in function enhancement, while the institutions involved delivered presentations on pioneering practices in providing data for Getty Vocabularies. During the discussions about issues common to the Getty Research Institute and the institutions concerned, in response to these reports and presentations, useful advice was provided by participants from other countries.
International technical terms and biographical dictionaries are essential in introducing Japanese cultural properties to overseas in local languages. Getty Vocabularies find another way by focusing on today’s technologies and the alliance among the institutions concerned. By providing Japanese artists’ name data accumulated by TNRICP for many years, we aim to disseminate Japanese cultural properties, and support international studies on Japanese cultural heritage.
Scene of the seminar
The 4th seminar was held by the Department of Art Research, Archives and Information Systems on July 23rd, 2019. The seminar was held in a mini symposium format with the theme, “Applying Post-War Japanese Art Archives in Research: The Case of Yutaka MATSUZAWA Archives.”
In the first half of the seminar, there were four presentations and reports on the following: “Letters to Yutaka MATSUZAWA from the 50s and 60s” by Hideki KIKKAWA (Department of Art Research, Archives and Information Systems), “Investigation and Records on MATSUZAWA Yutaka Atelier Psi Room” by Mayumi KINOUCHI (Nagano Prefectural Shinano Art Museum), “Yutaka MATSUZAWA Archive: Potential Uses Considered from Naiqua Gallery-Related Materials” by Yūka MIYATA (The National Museum of Art, Osaka), and “Digitization and Storage of Video Media: In the Case of MATSUZAWA Materials” by Shuhei HOSOYA (art and media researcher, filmmaker). In the second half of the seminar, Jun SHIOYA (Department of Art Research, Archives and Information Systems) presided over a discussion on Yutaka MATSUZAWA’s artwork and activities, the significance of these archives from the perspective of art history, the applications of these archives, and the archive organization method (data organization and material preservation). During the break, some of Yutaka MATSUZAWA’s archives were viewed by the concerned parties and some information was exchanged.
More than 40 people attended this seminar, including Yutaka MATSUZAWA’s family members, researchers from art museums and universities, and art writers. Presently, the Yutaka MATSUZAWA archives are being considered as the theme for grant-in-aid for scientific research, and there are plans to hold a symposium in 2020, the final year of this grant-in-aid research. Toward this end, the significance of Yutaka MATSUZAWA archives from the perspective of art history and cultural history will be studied in association with researchers from diverse fields.
