| ■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 |
|
Ms. FUJIOKA Naomi presenting her lecture
The Illustrated Mirror of Emperors from the Wall Paintings of Nagoya Castle's Honmaru Palace (Photographic Glass Plate)
Every autumn, the Department of Art Research, Archives and Information Systems of the Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (TOBUNKEN) organizes a “Public Lecture” to present the results of our researchers to the general public. The 59th Public Lecture, “Look at Form, Read Form” was held in the TOBUNKEN seminar room on November 13 and 14, 2025, featuring lectures by four researchers.
On the first day, Ms. TSUKIMURA Kino (Researcher of the Department of Art Research, Archives and Information Systems) presented on the topic of “Considering ‘Inscriptions’,” focused on inscriptions as important clues in art history research, in which she proposed a new research methodology for re-examining Japanese sword inscriptions from the perspectives of character shape and frequency of occurrence by character type. Also, Ms. FUJIOKA Naomi (Curator, Shimane Art Museum) presented her work in a lecture titled “The Paintings of the Monk-Painter Fugai Honko,” in which she examined the work of Fugai Honko, who left numerous paintings in Izumo Province (present-day Shimane Prefecture). Ms. FUJIOKA’s work demonstrated that the influence of woodblock printed books and Ike no Taiga strongly shaped Fugai’s choice of subjects and painting techniques.
On the second day, Ms. FUTAGAMI Yoko (Head of the Cultural Properties Information Section of the Department of Art Research, Archives and Information Systems), in her lecture, “Maki-e Craftsmen Who Went to Thailand: Tsuruhara Zenzaburo and Miki Sakae,” introduced previously unknown aspects of the treatment received by two Japanese maki-e craftsmen who were invited to Thailand in the early 20th century, and their production of lacquerware for the Thai royal family. Additionally, Ms. YAKUSHIJI Kimiko (Visiting Researcher in the Department of Art Research, Archives and Information Systems) presented work in a lecture titled “What Is the ‘Teikan-zu’ (Illustrated Mirror of Emperors)?” in which she examined how the originally Chinese book ‘Teikan Zusetsu’ evolved to become more diverse in Japan, attempting to redefine the concept through the works themselves.
There were 126 participants from the public attending on both days, and we received a positive reaction from the audience: about 90% of the feedback questionnaire responses were “very satisfied” or “relatively satisfied.” Additional comments from the participants further indicated high levels of satisfaction with the lecture content.
Data entry work for Yearbook of Japanese Art
Bibliograhic Records from Yearbook of Japanese Art
Nihon bijutsu nenkan (“Yearbook of Japanese Art,” hereinafter called “NENKAN”) is an annually published data book that presents trends in the art world in Japan compiled over the course of each year. It was first published in 1936 by the Art Research Institute of the Imperial Academy of Fine Arts, the predecessor of Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (TOBUNKEN). Starting with the 2022 edition, published in January 2025, the “References Published in Periodicals ” section of the NENKAN was discontinued. Instead, the publication “Bibliograhic Records from Yearbook of Japanese Art,” which contains the section, has been made available on our website (https://www.tobunken.go.jp/
yearbook/articles_from_periodicals).
This database, like the printed edition, focuses on listing references according to classifications that reflect the content. Persons interested in researching literature related to a specific artist or art museum can search by keyword, just like in a general database. However, some of the literature classified in NENKAN under categories such as “preservation and restoration” and “cultural property administration” can be difficult to identify with appropriate keywords. For this reason, this database, which enables browsing literature by classification, is effective for understanding trends in each field that are difficult to grasp through keyword searches, as with the previous print version.
Currently, we are publishing bibliographies of magazines and newspapers published between January 1, 2021, and December 31, 2022, when print publication ended. Going forward, we plan to soon publish information on the latest literature published before 2020. Through these efforts, we will continue to maintain and develop the role that the print version of the NENKAN has played for many years, in providing a systematic understanding of trends in the art world in Japan. Since it currently takes about 10 seconds for the database to load, which can feel slow to some users, we are currently working to improve this speed.
Scene from the session
Presentation slide
The Department of Art Research, Archives and Information Systems of the Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (TOBUNKEN) manages approximately one hundred databases built with Claris FileMaker, a low-code development platform provided by Claris International Inc. Among them is the Database of Restoration Records for Cultural Properties (Fine Arts and Crafts), developed as part of the Agency for Cultural Affairs’ project “Investigation of Tools and Materials Used for the Preservation and Restoration of Fine Arts and Crafts.” On November 7, 2025, TOBUNKEN presented a report on this database at the Claris Conference 2025, organized by Claris International Inc.
A defining feature of this database is that each stage of the workflow—‘creating,’ ‘storing,’ ‘retrieving,’ and ‘displaying’ data—is not carried out within a single integrated system, but rather operated by utilizing multiple software tools while sharing only the data itself. In practice, data created with Microsoft Excel is imported into Claris FileMaker, while WordPress is used for public dissemination.
In a presentation titled “The High Flexibility of Claris FileMaker Supporting the Database of Restoration Records for Cultural Properties Without a Predefined Standard” (presenters: Mr. OYAMADA Tomohiro, Ms. YAMANAGA Naomi, Mr. TARASHIMA Satoshi, and Ms. EMURA Tomoko, Department of Art Research, Archives and Information Systems), the speakers explained that this approach offered a high degree of flexibility at each development stage, enabling adaptable system design and quick adjustment of specifications. Under this agile-style development process, we will continue our efforts through ongoing trial and error, with the aim of designing and developing a database that will be of practical use to those engaged in restoration work.
The results of this fiscal year’s project will be announced on February 6, 2026 (https://www.tobunken.go.jp/info/event/2026/0206/ (Japanese only)).
On November 15, 2025, a monthly public lecture was held at the Heiseikan Auditorium of the Tokyo National Museum. Mr. TASHIRO Yuichiro, Researcher in the Department of Art Research, Archives and Information Systems (also serving concurrently as Researcher in the Oriental Art Section, Curatorial Research Department, Tokyo National Museum), delivered a lecture titled “Exploring the Beauty of Korean Ceramics.” This lecture was organized as a related program to the exhibition “A Journey through Asia at the Museum: 60th Anniversary of the Normalization of Japan–Korea Relations — Walking through Korea: Pathways of Korean Culture,” held at the Toyokan Gallery from September 23 to November 16.
The lecture began with an overview of the aesthetic characteristics of Korean ceramics across different periods, focusing primarily on works displayed in the exhibition, ranging from Goryeo celadon to Buncheong ware and white porcelain of the Joseon dynasty. Drawing upon the history of appreciation, the speaker then discussed differences in the ways Japanese and Korean audiences have perceived ceramics, incorporating personal experiences from his time in Korea.
This lecture was not merely an occasion for the transmission of knowledge, but also provided participants with an opportunity to directly observe and reflect upon the works through the exhibition itself. As such, it offered a meaningful forum for considering Korean ceramics from multiple perspectives. Looking ahead, alongside academic research activities such as publications and conference presentations, we aim to continue sharing the insights and outcomes gained through such endeavors with a broader public.
Reference:
Tokyo National Museum, Lectures and Courses
https://www.tnm.jp/modules/r_event/index.php?controller=list&cid=1&lang=en
The database screen
An Akamatsu records paper
The Cultural Properties Protection Division of Kyoto Prefecture holds a vast collection of materials related to a cultural property survey conducted within the prefecture, spanning from the WWⅡ period to the present day. In recognition of the importance and public value of these materials, which warrant preservation for future generations, the Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (TOBUNKEN) and the Kyoto Prefectural Board of Education signed a joint agreement in 2018 concerning the digitization of these materials. Since then, we have been organizing the materials deposited by the Board of Education and constructing an archive.
We are now pleased to announce the public access to the catalogue and digitized database of the materials known as the “Akamatsu Records Papers,” which comprise the survey records of temple treasures in Kyoto prefecture. This is a record of the documents dated from 1941 collected in the comprehensive treasure survey conducted throughout Kyoto Prefecture. The survey was spearheaded by AKAMATSU Toshihide (1907–1979), who had served as Director of the Cultural Properties Protection Division. While some volumes are missing, the surviving collection comprises 92 ledgers and 21,871 investigation reports covering 1,581 temples. This is a unique database in which the information on cultural properties contained within all Akamatsu records papers previously held as internal documents by Kyoto Prefecture were digitized and have been catalogued as comprehensively as possible. Among the temple treasures surveyed are original items already lost to disaster or theft, making their records exceptionally valuable as they document the state of Kyoto’s temples as of over eighty years ago. Digital images of the records are available to view in the TOBUNKEN Library, and sections of the catalogue can be accessed via the website of TOBUNKEN. We are also progressively organizing other materials deposited by the Kyoto Prefecture Board of Education, which will be made available in due course.
It took approximately five years to digitize and organize the Akamatsu Records Papers, during which time five student assistants devoted considerable effort to data entry. We hope that this database will prove useful for research into cultural properties, and would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to all those who contributed to its creation.
Scene from the poster presentation
Posters on display
Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (TOBUNKEN) has been involved in a project called the “Investigation of Tools and Materials Used for the Preservation and Restoration of Fine Arts and Crafts”—part of a project headed by the Agency for Cultural Affairs, the “TAKUMI Project,”—since the 2022 fiscal year. On October 3, 2025, at the 29th annual training session organized by the Association for Conservation of National Treasures (ACNT), a key deliverable of this project was presented as a poster presentation highlighting the Database of Restoration Records for Cultural Properties (Fine Arts and Crafts).
ACNT is a group of specialists dedicated to the conservation and restoration of cultural properties, particularly fine arts and crafts such as paintings, calligraphies, books, documents, and historical materials. As of the 2025, ACNT had ten member studios with approximately 140 registered specialists. ACNT is certified as the preservation organization for mounting and restoration techniques, which are nationally designated as “Selected Conservation Techniques.” Many technicians and specialists from across the country participate in its annual training session, with 376 attending in the 2025 fiscal year.
On the presentation day, Mr. ASAKA Hiroshi (Museum of the Imperial Collections, Sannomaru Shozokan) and Mr. WATADA Minoru (First Cultural Properties Division, Agency for Cultural Affairs) delivered lectures on the appreciation and preservation of portraits and ink paintings. Alongside reports of restoration cases by member studios, TOBUNKEN participated in the poster presentation under the title “On the Database of Restoration Records for Cultural Properties (Fine Arts and Crafts): Project Report of the Investigation of Tools and Materials Used for the Preservation and Restoration of Fine Arts and Crafts” (presenters: Ms. YAMANAGA Naomi, Mr. OYAMADA Tomohiro, Mr. TARASHIMA Satoshi, and Ms. EMURA Tomoko from the Department of Art Research, Archives and Information Systems). The presentation included details on research procedures, database structure, scope of content, outlook and challenges, and methods of use.
At the venue, numerous questions and comments were received from restoration technicians, museum personnel, and graduate students studying cultural property restoration. Furthermore, valuable information was obtained on restoration records that have become increasingly difficult to inherit in recent years for various reasons. These insights will be fed back into the project, ensuring ongoing resource development of restoration records and effective operation of the database.
Exhibition honoring the Giuseppe Tucci Collection (Museo delle Civiltà, Rome)
Research room of the Historical Archives of the Italian Chamber of Deputies
Exterior view of the Alinari Foundation for Photography
The Department of Art Research, Archives and Information Systems conducts investigations on Japanese art materials and the historical documents that reveal their historical context. In October 2025, we carried out field research in Italy, visiting institutions in Rome and Florence to examine related materials.
In Rome’s EUR district, we visited the Museo delle Civiltà (Museum of Civilizations), which houses collections formerly belonging to the National Museum of Oriental Art and the Luigi Pigorini National Museum of Prehistory and Ethnography. At the museum’s Arti e Culture Asiatiche (Asian Arts and Cultures) department, we met with Dr. Pierfrancesco Fedi to conduct object-based research and consult on the museum’s holdings. Our discussion included valuable exchanges of information concerning the Giuseppe Tucci Collection—the foundation of the museum’s Asian holdings—and the Pigorini Collection, which incorporates works from the collection of Vincenzo Ragusa and KIYOHARA Tama.
We also visited the Archivio Storico della Camera dei Deputati (Historical Archives of the Italian Chamber of Deputies), located in Rome’s Rione Pigna district, and met with the Director, Paolo Massa. During the meeting, we were able to confirm the existence and location of primary sources related to cultural exchanges and artistic diplomacy between Japan and Italy during the Mussolini regime. These documents are invaluable records that illuminate the realities of cultural administration within Italo-Japanese diplomatic relations and offer crucial evidence for understanding the intersection between cultural policy and political intent in that period.
The Historical Archives of the Chamber of Deputies was established in 1848 during the Kingdom of Sardinia to support parliamentary activity. After moving to the Palazzo Montecitorio in 1865, the archives served as the intellectual foundation of the legislature for more than a century. The archives were opened to the public in 1988, and in 2007 the Polo Bibliotecario Parlamentare (Parliamentary Library Center) was established to coordinate services with the Senate Library. The documentary heritage of the Chamber of Deputies comprises original records produced and acquired by the Chamber since 1848, as well as private papers related to parliamentary politics. Digitized inventories, photographic archives, and portions of digital collections can be accessed through the archive’s website (https://archivio.camera.it/).
In Florence, we visited the Fondazione Alinari per la Fotografia and met with its Director, Dr. Claudia Baroncini. The foundation inherits the legacy of the company Fratelli Alinari—Italy’s first photographic studio established in the nineteenth century—and is dedicated to the preservation of its photographic heritage and the promotion of a culture of photography. The foundation is currently preparing to open a museum and makes its holdings accessible online. Many photographs donated to TOBUNKEN in 2023 by the family of MORIOKA Ryūzō were produced by Fratelli Alinari, and the art-historical photographs collected by YASHIRO Yukio are also known to be linked with a photographer who belonged to the studio. During our meeting, we introduced TOBUNKEN’s photographic archives and ongoing research activities, and exchanged information concerning potential collaboration.
[On Materials of MORIOKA Ryuzo https://www.tobunken.go.jp/materials/ekatudo/2059906.html] .
Through this trip, we gained a renewed appreciation for the Italian understanding of archives not merely as repositories of documents, but as “sacred spaces for the preservation of memory.” This perspective is essential for treating cultural properties as a form of shared knowledge and offered us valuable insight into the relationship between the sharing and responsibility of knowledge within cultural heritage research.
Scene from Mr. KAWASHIMA's presentation
Scene from Mr. YAMGUCHI's presentation
Scene from the Q&A session (left: Mr. KAWASHIMA Tadashi; right: Mr.YAMAGUCHI Katsura)
Among the important book collections held by the National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, Tokyo, is that of uritate mokuroku (sale catalogues). These catalogues were booklets produced and distributed for the purpose of selling artworks owned by private individuals or distinguished families through uritatekai (sealed-bid sales). The Institute currently holds a total of 2,532 such catalogues published from the late Meiji period through the Showa period. This constitutes the largest collection of its kind among public institutions in Japan and is used on a daily basis for provenance research and other art-historical investigations.
In these uritatekai, artworks were traded through a unique bidding system mediated by facilitators and fudamoto (agents responsible for handling bids). This system differed significantly from auctions in which prices are driven upward through openly competing bids, and was instead grounded in traditional Japanese commercial practices. Today, however, while the catalogues themselves are frequently consulted, the institutional background and operational realities of the sales system are not always fully understood, and cases in which uritatekai are mistakenly equated with Western-style auctions are not uncommon. The Japanese art market has developed and evolved within a distinctive framework of transactions different from those of Europe and North America. To provide researchers with an opportunity to understand these mechanisms and deepen their comprehension of related materials, the 7th Research Meeting of the Department of Art Documentation and Archives, entitled “Understanding the Mechanisms of the Art Market,” was held on October 9.
The meeting was moderated by Mr. TASHIRO Yuichiro (Department of Art Documentation and Archives), who also organized the event. First, Mr. KAWASHIMA Tadashi (Chairman, Tokyo Art Dealers Association; President and Representative Director, Mayuyama Ryusendo) delivered a lecture entitled “On Uritate and Kokankai (Exchange Sales),” in which he explained the characteristics of the Japanese-style art market. This was followed by a presentation entitled “On Auctions” by Mr. YAMAGUCHI Katsura (President and Representative Director, Christie’s Japan), who introduced the Western model of the art market. Through these presentations, the structural differences between the Japanese and Western art markets emerged clearly. A question-and-answer session was held afterward, making the meeting a valuable opportunity for researchers to learn about the mechanisms of the art market, an area with which they rarely have the chance to engage in depth.
Art-historical research is not sustained solely by the knowledge of professional researchers such as museum curators and university faculty members. It is hoped that the Research Meetings of the Department of Art Research, Archives and Information Systems will continue to provide opportunities to incorporate diverse perspectives and to acquire insights broadly beneficial to scholarly research.
(Reference)
Uritate Mokuroku Digital Archive:
https://www.tobunken.go.jp/japanese/uritate.html
Reservation for dedicated terminals:
https://www.tobunken.go.jp/joho/japanese/library/application/application_uritate.html
Scene from the seminar
The front cover of the leaflet
In 2024, the Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (TOBUNKEN) signed a memorandum of understanding for collaborative research with the Kuboso Memorial Museum of Art, Izumi, and is conducting research on artworks in the museum’s collection.
The painting “Yamazaki Bridge” depicts the extraordinary story of how the principal deity of Hōshōji Temple, the Eleven-Faced Kannon Bodhisattva, transformed into an old man and built the bridge, located between present-day Ōyamazaki Town, Otokuni District, and Yawata City, where the Katsura River, Uji River, and Kizu River converge to form the Yodo River in Kyoto Prefecture. The work blends the dramatic miraculous tale of the bridge’s construction with depictions of the common people involved in its construction against the landscapes of Mt. Tennōzan and Mt. Otokoyama, and Hōshōji Temple.
This painting has garnered attention not only in art history study, but also in history and Japanese literature. Although the subtle details and auspicious inscriptions on the painting have become difficult to read due to aging, we have conducted two optical surveys to maximize the information available on the painting. At this seminar, Ms. EMURA Tomoko gave a presentation titled “Optical Survey of the Yamazaki Bridge Painting,” and Mr. KAWADA Masayuki, director of the Kuboso Memorial Museum of Art, Izumi, spoke as a commentator about the research history and issues of the Yamazaki Bridge Painting.
A leaflet on the Yamazaki Bridge Painting, published in March 2025, will soon be made available in the Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties repository. Furthermore, we plan to create digital content and publish it online to enable more researchers to view the high-resolution images. We hope that the results of this collaborative research will be widely utilized and deepen understanding of the work.
Scene from the seminar
Scene from the seminar
On September 16, 2025, the fifth seminar of the Department of Art Research, Archives, and Information Systems was held. Two presentations were given, deepening discussion on the canon and transmission of the Kano school from multiple perspectives.
Dr. MIZUNO Yuji (Associate Professor, University of Tsukuba) gave a presentation titled “Images of Confucius in the Tan’yū Style: On the Canon of Iconography,” in which he examined the significance of the pictorial style established by Kanō Tan’yū, which became widely accepted as a canonical model in early modern Japanese painting. While the Tan’yū style exerted strong influence across many genres, its role in Daoist and Buddhist figure painting—especially depictions of Confucius—has received relatively little scholarly attention.
Tan’yū formalized and refined the established medieval image of Confucius, reconstructing it into a new canonical prototype. His imagery spread widely to Confucian temples and domain schools throughout Japan, becoming a canonical image suited to ritual and educational contexts. Drawing on entries from the Kōyō Nikki (Official Diary, 1844), Dr. MIZUNO showed that the Tan’yū-style Confucius image was regarded as an institutional canon. He also noted that local versions often incorporated individual interpretations or decorative variations, showing that the canon was not rigidly fixed but dynamically transformed through both inheritance and adaptation. Furthermore, in the late Edo period, references to Wu Daozi’s style and medieval prototypes re-emerged, indicating a diversification within the canon beyond the Tan’yū model.
Next, Ms. ONO Mayumi (Head, Japanese and East Asian Art History Section) presented “A Study of Kanō Tsunenobu’s Waka Compositions.” Kanō Tsunenobu (1636–1713), patriarch of the Kobikichō branch of the Kano family, was an accomplished painter and an active waka poet. Records of poetry gatherings and existing anthologies reveal that his waka practice expanded his network among daimyō and cultured elites, contributing to the social standing of the Kano family. By exploring the relationship between his poetry and painting, Ms. ONO re-evaluated Tsunenobu as both painter and poet, highlighting his multifaceted creativity.
Through these presentations, the dynamic transformation of the Kano-school canon across time and region was underscored. The seminar provided a valuable opportunity to advance Kano-school studies through the dual perspectives of canon and individuality.
Some of the donated books
Our library has recently received a donation of books formerly owned by the late KIRA Fumio (1941–2022), a distinguished researcher in the field of ceramic history.
KIRA began his career as an editor after joining Zayuho Kankōkai, a publishing house specializing in art publications, where he worked under Saitō Kikutaro. While participating in the editing of major series such as The Complete Works of World Ceramics (1975–, 22 vols.) and The Complete Works of World Art: Oriental Art (1997–, 18 vols.), he conducted extensive field research around the world, advancing both editorial production and ceramic-historical research in parallel.
Among his wide-ranging achievements, he left particularly notable contributions to research on Southeast Asian and Korean ceramics. In 1984, he was among the first to report to Japan on the ceramic wares excavated in Mae Sot, Tak Province, in northwestern Thailand—finds that would later be recognized as highly significant in the study of Southeast Asian ceramic history. He served for many years as an executive committee member of the Oriental Ceramics Society of Japan and received the 20th Koyama Fujio Memorial Prize in 1999.
With the cooperation of his bereaved family, and as part of the project “Bibliographical Research on Japanese Oriental Art History [シ02],” in January 2025, researcher TASHIRO Yuichiro conducted a survey of the books remaining in KIRA’s home in Kagawa. The institute has received a selected portion of these materials, consisting primarily of foreign-language publications concerning Southeast Asian and Korean ceramics. Some of these volumes are not held by any other library in Japan, making this institute the sole holding institution.
Taken together, these resources are expected not only to support research in ceramic history, but also—when viewed in a broader perspective—to serve as Japan’s only available scholarly sources for deepening the understanding of this aspect of Asian culture. As a core institution for cultural heritage research in Japan, it is our hope that, rather than pursuing short-term results alone, we may preserve and pass down the scholarly legacy accumulated by our predecessors from a long-term viewpoint, thereby contributing meaningfully to Japan’s foundation of knowledge.
We would like to take this opportunity to express our heartfelt gratitude to the KIRA family for donating these academically invaluable materials.
Scene of the seminar (photo by Mr. YAMASHITA Yoshihiko)
Newly created dance performance “Dance of Mother-of-Pearl Doors, Pleasure of Japan and Thailand”
Explanation by an expert of FAD about the tools and materials using real objects
On September 10, 2025, the Fine Arts Department (FAD) of the Ministry of Culture of Thailand held an academic seminar titled “Ratchapradit Fine Arts: Connecting the Two Countries Through Mother-of-Pearl Inlay Art” at Wat Ratchapradit. Ms. FUTAGAMI Yoko, head of the Cultural Properties Information Section in the Department of Art Research, Archives and Information Systems, participated in the seminar.
Wat Ratchapradit is a first-grade royal temple established by King Rama IV. The doors and windows of its ordination hall feature lacquered panels crafted in Japan during the period of the temple’s establishment. The Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (TOBUNKEN) provided technical support for the restoration of the panels and conducted research on them. The temple has also provided financial support for a study by the institute, with the objective of on-site preservation of the panels following their restoration.
The seminar began with opening remarks by Mr. Phnombootra Chandrajoti, the Director General of FAD. In the morning, Part One, titled “Preserving and Creating Art: A Heritage of Two Lands,” was held. During this section, monks from the temple and FAD experts presented on the restoration project for the door panels at Wat Ratchapradit. From the Japanese side, Ms. FUTAGAMI presented the concept of the panels’ restoration and study project. In the afternoon, Part Two, titled “From Integration to Creative Inspiration: Expanding for the Future,” was held. During this session, FAD experts presented outlines of an investigation conducted in June 2025 on the on-site preservation of the door panels after restoration and an investigation from November 2024 in northern Thailand on lacquering materials. TOBUNKEN experts participated in both investigations. From the Japanese side, Mr. YAMASHITA Yoshihiko, a lacquering expert and researcher, presented on the unique mother-of-pearl inlay with underpainting technique used for the door panels. Ms. FUTAGAMI presented the results of an investigation conducted in Japan in June 2024 regarding traditional materials, in collaboration with FAD.
On the same day, several events related to Japanese lacquered door panels were held at Wat Ratchapradit. The event featured an exhibition of real objects and informative panels detailing the techniques and materials used, a newly created dance performance titled “Dance of Mother-of-Pearl Doors, Pleasure of Japan and Thailand” performed by dancers from FAD, and Japanese food offered in food booths. Participants enjoyed all of these events. For the author, the seminar was also a good opportunity to share information about our activities with various Thai stakeholders.
The consultation meeting at TOBUNKEN
On August5, 2025, Dr. Simon Kaner, Head of the Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures (SISJAC), and Dr. Eugenia Bogdanova, a researcher at SISJAC, visited the Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (TOBUNKEN), and we held a consultation on our joint project, “Shaping the Fundamentals of Research on Japanese Art.” This project began in 2013. As part of the project, SISJAC staff provide information on literature produced and exhibitions held that are related to Japanese art and culture outside Japan, primarily in the UK, to TOBUNKEN for inclusion in the archives database (https://www.tobunken.go.jp/archives/). Also, researchers of the Department of Art Research, Archives and Information Systems have been visiting the UK annually to conduct lectures, workshops, and research on such works.
At this consultation, we presented a report on our database project and discussed our researchers’ planned visit to the UK to take place in December. In the latter part of the consultation, Mr. Matthew James, a SISJAC staff member responsible for database operations, participated online from the UK. We specifically examined the methods and standards employed for gathering information outside Japan, and also the data entry procedures.
During the three years of the pandemic, when travel was restricted, trips to the UK and Japan were not possible, and research discussions were conducted primarily online. We have since resumed in-person research exchanges among staff members. However, we will continue to priorities convenience when arranging exchanges, for example by conducting discussions with overseas partner institutions using a combination of online and in-person methods.
Some of the donated materials of MATSUSHIMA Ken
A handwritten notebook of MATSUSHIMA Ken
The Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (TOBUNKEN) has been engaging in collecting and publishing materials left by researchers who were once affiliated with TOBUNKEN. The materials left by Mr. MATSUSHIMA Ken, donated by his family in 2023, are among such materials.
Mr. MATSUSHIMA was a researcher of Japanese Buddhist sculpture, and served as Chief of Cultural Administration at the Agency for Cultural Affairs and as Head of the Department of Art Research, Archives and Information Systems of TOBUNKEN. He passed away in 1998 due to illness.
Since our receipt of the materials from his family, we have been gradually organizing them, and we are now pleased to announce that all the materials have been made available to the public (松島健旧蔵資料 :: 東文研アーカイブデータベース).
The contents include materials related to cultural property designations, restoration records, research materials, paper prints, survey records of Buddhist sculptures, and handwritten research notes that Mr. MATSUSHIMA handled while working at the Agency for Cultural Affairs. These demonstrate his activities as both a cultural property administrator and a Buddhist sculptural historian. The donated materials were largely classified from the outset or organized chronologically into files. Handwritten notes, such as those compiling Buddhist sculptures with known production dates into a chronological table, revealed his meticulous and earnest character as a researcher. These collections of materials, which were left behind by researchers, contain valuable and unique information. However, some of the materials lacked suitable management and public access venues, and, in the worst cases, some have been discarded.
Since its foundation, TOBUNKEN’s mission has been to create an archive of materials for art research. Although our staff and budget are limited, we will continue to work hard to collect and publish research materials.
Some of the donated materials on Enkū
Organizing the donated materials
Mr. HASEGAWA Masashige (1933~2023) devoted his life to researching Enkū, a Buddhist sculptor of the Edo period, as an independent researcher. Enkū had travelled around Japan as a Shugendô monk. He created many Buddhist statues wherever he went, and his works are estimated to number in the thousands throughout Japan. Mr. HASEGAWA served as Chairman of the Enkū Academic Society for many years.
Following the death of Mr. HASEGAWA, his family expressed to us that they would like to donate his materials, particularly those relating to research, to The Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (TOBUNKEN). Thereafter, Ms. MAIZAWA Rei from the Department of Art Research, Archives and Information Systems, regularly visited his house in Aichi with Dr. MITA Kakuyuki from Nara National Museum to organize the materials. These materials were officially donated in October 2024, and we have finally received them all.
Mr. HASEGAWA travelled all over Japan searching for works by Enkū. He took a number of photographs and made records of every work he saw, and his house was filled with these materials. These materials are extremely important, not only because they contain hard-to-obtain reference materials and photos of Enkū’s works from across Japan, but also because they include photos of works that have been lost due to theft.
Ms. EMURA Tomoko, Mr. TASHIRO Yūichirō, and Ms. KUROSAKI Kao from TOBUNKEN, and Mr. ŌSAKI Rui from Kuwansei Gakuin University, participated in the work of organizing the materials. Mr. FUNAHASHI Masayasu, Mr. KATŌ Susumu, and Mr. OCHIAI Katsuyoshi, who were engaged in research with Mr. HASEGAWA, also helped immensely. We will be organizing the donated materials over the next few years, so that they can be accessed and used by many people as the “Enkū Archive.”
Study group, presentation by Dr. Chinghsin Wu
From a sketch by SAMIZU Kōhei. The upper right corner reads “October, in Yogyakarta,” indicating that it was drawn in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, in October 1942.
From April to August of this year, Associate Teaching Professor Chinghsin Wu of Rutgers University in the United States visited our institute as a visiting researcher. Specializing in modern art, Dr. Wu had previously visited Japan as a visiting researcher at our institute in 2007, conducting research on Japanese surrealism centered on the work of KOGA Harue. During this recent stay, she focused her research on the portrayal of imagery in Taiwan in modern Japanese art.
On July 17, we held a hybrid seminar, featuring presentations by Professor Wu and Ms. MORIKAWA Monami, a curator at the Yamanashi Prefectural Museum of Art. Dr. Wu gave a presentation titled “The Activities and Development of Modern Japanese Painters in Taiwan: Focusing on the Works of KINOSHITA Seigai and Other Japanese Painters of the Same Era Before and After Their Move to Taiwan,” in which she discussed the changes in the themes and styles of paintings by Japanese painters who were active in Taiwan during the colonial era, such as KINOSHITA Seigai (1887-1988) and GOHARA Kotoh (1887-1965), after their move to Taiwan. Ms. MORIKAWA’s presentation, “SAMIZU Kōhei’s Southern Military Sketches: Records of Japan’s Occupied Territories and Colonies during Wartime,” introduced the wartime military sketches of oil painter SAMIZU Kōhei (1904–1997) and pointed out the historical value of sketches he created in Indonesia, Singapore, Taiwan, Manchuria, and other locations as visual records of Japan’s occupied territories. In the discussion following the presentation, the presenters exchanged opinions on the image of the “South” as depicted by Japanese painters before the war. Researchers from inside and outside the Institute also joined in the discussion, which focused on the painting styles seen in the flower-and-bird paintings of Seigai and Kotoh, as well as the significance of SAMIZU’s sketches of the occupied territories during the war.
A prototype database of Bibliograhic Records from Yearbook of Japanese Art (Nihon bijutsu nenkan)
Nihon bijutsu nenkan (Year Book of Japanese Art, hereinafter called “NENKAN” https://www.tobunken.go.jp/joho/japanese/publication/nenkan/nenkan.html) is a data book that compiles trends in the art world in Japan over the course of a year. It was first published in 1936, and been published annually since, by the Art Research Institute of the Imperial Academy of Fine Arts, the predecessor of Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (TOBUNKEN). Starting with the 2022 edition, published in January 2025, a major revision was made by removing a “References Published in Periodicals” section that had long been included in the NENKAN, and instead making them available only on the database.
As an associate fellow of the Department of Art Research, Archives and Information Systems, I conducted a presentation titled “Current Status and Issues of Nihon bijutsu nenkan” on June 5, 2025. I reported on the recent revision of NENKAN and also discussed future issues for NENKAN. The exhibition information published in the NENKAN, which is based on media available in Tokyo, is naturally biased toward the Kanto region. As one solution to this problem, I proposed a new means of information gathering through collaboration with other institutions. In the discussion following the presentation, opinions were exchanged on the significance of the institute continuing to publish NENKAN and compiling a chronological historical record, as well as anticipated issues in collaboration with other institutions.
In the future, we aim to further improve the “References in Exhibition Catalogues” section, a unique section of NENKAN, and to build a database that reflects the classification system we have developed to date for describing and understanding the art world, and to introduce a system for instantly publishing “References in Periodicals” information entered within the institute. Not only will we continue the publication of NENKAN, which has a long history, but we will also strive to provide information that is more accessible to many people, based on modern methods of providing information.
On Wednesday, June 11, 2025. a delegation of researchers from the National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage (NRICH), Korea, visited our Institute. The NRICH is an agency under the Cultural Heritage Administration of Korea, dedicated to the research and investigation of various aspects of Korean cultural heritage. The institution traces its origins to the Cultural Heritage Research Office of the Cultural Heritage Management Bureau, established in 1969. Currently, it operates with an organizational structure comprising two divisions, six departments, and one team—namely, the Division of Administrative Operations, the Division of Research Planning, the Department of Archaeological Research, the Department of Art and Cultural Heritage Research, the Department of Architectural Cultural Heritage Research, the Department of Conservation Science Research, the Department of Restoration Technology Research, the Department of Safety and Disaster Prevention Research, and the Digital Cultural Heritage Research Information Team, respectively. In addition, the NRICH maintains seven regional research centers (located in Gyeongju, Buyeo, Gaya, Naju, Jungwon, Seoul, and Wanju), as well as a Cultural Heritage Conservation Science Center.
Since 2023, the NRICH has been contributing information on Korean artists to the Union List of Artist Names (ULAN, https://www.getty.edu/research/tools/vocabularies/ulan/), a database managed by the Getty Research Institute (GRI) in the United States. Prior to this, our Institute had already begun collaborating with the Getty Research Institute in 2016, supplying digital data and bibliographic information on our library holdings to the Getty Research Portal (GRP, https://portal.getty.edu/)—a digital collection of art-related literature from institutions around the world. This prior collaboration served as a model case and facilitated the current exchange.
The delegation, consisting of five researchers led by Ms. Kim Eun-young, Director of the Department of Art and Cultural Heritage Research, was welcomed by Mr. KIKKAWA Hideki (Head, Modern and Contemporary Art Section, Department of Art Research, Archives and Information Systems) and Mr. TASHIRO Yuichiro (Researcher, The Archives Section, Department of Art Research, Archives and Information Systems). After a presentation on our Institute’s initiatives, both parties engaged in a productive discussion. Although based in different countries, both institutions share commonalities in the cultural context of East Asia. The discussion addressed ways to effectively disseminate information on East Asian art and culture to Western audiences, and explored avenues for future collaboration.
Our Institute is currently the only institution in Japan engaged in joint projects with the Getty Research Institute. Building on this priority status, we hope to further expand our international network and fulfill our role as a central “hub” for scholarly exchange between Japan and the world, thereby contributing more comprehensively to academic research in Japan.
(Materials from Our Institute’s Collection Registered in the GRP)
・Japanese Art Exhibition Catalogs（951 records）
・Complete series of Japanese Art of Meiji period（64 records）
・Compilation of Artist’s Seals（85 records）
・Ranking List of Japanese Artist（61 records）
・Oda Kazuma Collection （135 records）
・Maeda Seison Collection（269 records）
・Rare Books （335 records）
・Japanese Wood Print Books（210 records）
etc.
Director Kim Daljin (Kim Daljin Art Research & Consulting) introducing a digital terminal for viewing archival materials
Researcher Ms. Im Jeong-eun (Leeum Museum of Art) explaining the preservation status of the Lee Gu-yeol Collection
Researcher Ms. Lee Ji-hee (National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea) outlining the current state of art archive
As part of a research initiative of the Department of Art Research, Archives and Information Systems, “Comprehensive Research on the Sharing of Research Findings and Scholarly Information on Cultural Properties” (Project Code: SH01), we have been conducting collaborative research with domestic and international institutions to organize and disseminate the outcomes and data of investigations on cultural properties conducted by our Institute in alignment with international standards.
In fiscal year 2025, to examine the current state of art archives in the Republic of Korea—where recent developments in both IT infrastructure and cultural initiatives have attracted growing attention—Mr. KIKKAWA Hideki (Head, Modern and Contemporary Art Section) and Mr. TASHIRO Yuichiro (Researcher, The Archives Section) conducted a field study in South Korea from Monday, June 23 to Thursday, June 26.
Their visit began at Kim Daljin Art Research & Consulting, one of South Korea’s pioneering institutions in the field of art archives. There, they met with Director Kim Daljin and Chief Archivist An Hyo-re. Although a privately operated archive, Kim Daljin Art Research & Consulting shares many points in common with our Institute, particularly in the collection of archival materials related to contemporary artists, such as through the acquisition of materials donated by Mr. SASAKI Shigeo. This visit allowed for a fruitful exchange of views concerning the preservation and utilization of archival resources.
They then visited the Leeum Museum of Art, one of Korea’s foremost private art museums. Guided by researcher Ms. Im Jeong-eun, they toured the document consultation room and viewed archival materials—including those related to the renowned modern art critic Lee Gu-yeol (1932–2020)—which had been collected in conjunction with oral history projects.
Their next destination was the Seoul Museum of Art Archives, newly established in 2023 by the Seoul Museum of Art. There, they met with curator Mr. Yu Ye-dong and records researcher Mr. Cho Eun-seong, and were introduced to cutting-edge archival preservation technologies, a comprehensive management system, and an AI-assisted art thesaurus—a systematically structured vocabulary system for art-related knowledge.
They also visited the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea (MMCA), South Korea’s representative institution for modern and contemporary art. Researcher Ms. Lee Ji-hee led a tour of the museum’s archival holdings. Unlike the Museum of Contemporary Art in Japan, the MMCA encompasses both contemporary and modern art dating back to the late 19th century. After visiting each of the MMCA’s branches—Gwacheon, Deoksugung, and Seoul—they held a discussion with Mr. Kim In-hye, Director of Curatorial Affairs, on the development of art archives tailored to the characteristics of the museum’s respective collections.
Since the early 2000s, the development of art archives in South Korea has advanced rapidly. Noteworthy is the active engagement of professionally trained archivists—many of whom have studied archival science at the graduate level—in overseeing and operating archival institutions. In addition, South Korea’s emphasis on the use of advanced digital technologies such as AI in both the preservation and utilization of records is particularly remarkable.
This research trip yielded significant insights into the future of art archives in Japan. It also provided an opportunity to reflect anew on the value of our Institute’s soft-content assets. At the time of the visit, the MMCA was hosting the exhibition “Surrealism and Modern Korean Painting” (April 17–July 6, Deoksugung Branch), curated by Mr. Park Hye-seong, a researcher who had previously conducted investigations at our Institute in November of the prior year into materials related to Korean students who had studied in Japan before 1945. The visit not only allowed for a meaningful reunion, but also offered a valuable opportunity to view an exhibition that had directly benefited from research conducted at our Institute.
The materials accumulated by our Institute since the 1930s include many items of great value for considering the modern history of East Asia. The long-term compilation of modern art resources, as well as the ongoing efforts to make archival holdings publicly accessible, have begun to attract the attention of researchers across East Asia. As such, it is our hope that by continuing to collaborate with various institutions, and by actively disseminating our collections, we can enhance international recognition and promote their use in research, thereby contributing to the advancement of East Asian art historical studies.
Visual investigation of damage made by termites that intruded through cracks in the floor and observation of living termites
Observation of lacquered door panels with pest damage and confirmation of sampling points
Visual investigation of decorations made by colored lacquer maki-e technique
Wat Ratchapradit, located in Bangkok, Thailand, is a first-grade Royal temple founded by King Rama IV in 1864. Since the temple’s foundation, the double-door openings of the windows and entrances of the ordination hall have been adorned with many lacquered panels made in Japan. Mother-of-pearl inlay with underpainting and colored lacquer maki-e were used to apply motifs such as flowers and birds, as well as Chinese legends, on these panels, which are highly decorative. Over time, deterioration has been detected on the panels, and therefore the Fine Arts Department of the Ministry of Culture of Thailand has been restoring them. TOBUNKEN has provided technical assistance for the restoration and conducted studies on the panels.
To maintain the solemn atmosphere of the ordination hall as a place of worship, the lacquered door panels will be returned to their original positions. However, some panels were damaged, presumably by insects. The same problems may recur if the panels are returned to their original positions without protective measures. For that reason, a research project for on-site conservation of the lacquered door panels was launched as a funded study by Wat Ratchapradit, and we conducted an on-site investigation on June 9-11, 2025.
We observed the general condition of the ordination hall, as well as the presence of wood-boring pests such as termites. We also visually inspected the lacquered door panels that were damaged by insects. Initially, we thought the panels had not been damaged recently and that insect activity had ceased. However, through our investigation, we discovered that termites currently enter the ordination hall through small cracks in the floor and that the panels may still be further damaged by termites. We will propose protective measures to the Thai side to maintain the condition of the lacquered door panels in their original positions.
In addition, we examined the lacquered door panels. Some uncertainties remain regarding the materials and techniques used for the panels, and therefore we are conducting visual investigations and scientific analyses of the fragmented materials. Based on the results of the study, we will make suggestions for the restoration and replication of the lacquered door panels.
