This database is a comprehensive collection of articles from Nihon bijutsu nenkan (Year Book of
Japanese Art), published by the Tokyo National Institute for Cultural Properties (Tobunken).
On August 28, the award ceremony of the 12th Venice Architecture Biennale was held in Venice, Italy. Architect ISHIGAMI Junya won the Golden Lion Award of the best project, the highest award in this category. His exhibition, constructed out of carbon fiber pillars and thread as materials, was praised for ‘pursuing the limits of architecture with an ultra-lightweight design’. In addition, the late architect SHINOHARA Kazuo was posthumously awarded the Gold Lion in memoriam. (Japanese)
On November 25, the Agency for Cultural Affairs announced that the plaster removal work, commenced in August 2004 to preserve the murals of the Kitora Tumulus (Asuka Village, Nara Prefecture), nationally designated as Special Historic Site, had now concluded all operations on all sections where murals were suspected to exist. Furthermore, on December 15, the Agency also announced that X-ray examinations of areas on the Dragon (east wall), the Snake (south wall), and the Monkey (east wall) sections where murals might have remained had failed to confirm their presence. On December 24, the Agency decided at the Study Group on the Preservation and Utilization of Kitora Tumulus Muras to preserve the removed plaster without immediately removing the mud covering it for the time being. (Japanese)
On September 4, the exhibition titled ‘Ceramics of Medieval Japan: The Six Old Kilns and Their Envisions’ opened at the MIHO MUSEUM (until December 12). It featured works from the six ancient kilns known to have operated continuously from the medieval period to the present day – Seto, Tokoname, Echizen, Shigaraki, Tanba, and Bizen – alongside pieces from medieval kilns across Japan which were revealed by recent excavations. Research into the pre-war history of active kilns heightened interest in ancient kilns, leading to the introduction of the Six Ancient Kilns. The exhibition displayed approximately 170 works from various medieval kilns, building on the achievements of excavations to date, which had revealed the existence of around 80 medieval kilns throughout Japan, including those at Sanage, Mino/Mino Sue, Atsumi, Kosai, Iga, Kaga, and Suzu. It showcased the diversity of clay, techniques, and forms unique to each kiln, presenting a comprehensive exhibition that demonstrated the breadth of medieval pottery production. The exhibition subsequently toured to the Ibaraki Ceramic Art Museum (January 2 – March 21, 2011), Aichi Prefectural Ceramic Museum (April 2. May 22, 2011), Fukui Prefectural Museum of Ceramics (May 28 – July 31, 2011) and Hagi Uragami Museum (August 13 – September 25, 2011). (Japanese)
On December 10, the Council for Cultural Affairs (Commissioner: NISHIHARA Suzuko) submitted a report on 209 structures across 28 prefectures to be designated as Registered Tangible Cultural Properties to TAKAKI Yoshiaki, Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. The list includes the Nankai Building, the terminal building of Nankai Eclectic Railways’s Nanba Station (Osaka City), with its ornately decorated exterior; and the Tenryū River Bridge of the Tenryū Hamanako Railway (Hamamatsu City), a railway bridge constructed in 1940. This brings the total number of Registered Tangible Cultural Properties to 8,348. (Japanese)
On September 11, the exhibition titled ‘Eisai to Chūsei Hakata ten’ opened at the Fukuoka City Museum (until October 31). It featured the life of Eisai (1141 – 1215) and medieval Hakata, which flourished as a hub for international exchange, through 152 works and materials, including National Treasures and Important Cultural Properties. Eisai who twice travelled to Song China in 1168 and 1186 and established Japan’s first Zen Buddhist temple, Shōfukuji, in Hakata. The exhibition consisted of two parts: Part One ‘Eisai no sokuseki (The Footsteps of Eisai)’, explored Eisai from perspectives of his appearance, faith, tea appreciation, and skill in establishing sub-temples; and Part Two ‘Shōfukuji no sōken to chūsei Hakata no hanei (The Founding of Shōfukuji temple and the Prosperity of Medieval Hakata)’, highlighted medieval Hakata as an international city of life through archaeological and historical materials, and imported artworks brought by ship at the time. Reflecting recent research findings on newly discovered historical materials related to Eisai, the exhibition offered a rich and comprehensive display. (Japanese)
The winners of the 18th VOCA Prize, which encourages young artists who create two-dimensional artworks, were announced. The Grant Prize of the VOCA was given to NAKAYAMA Reika (‘Aru wakusei’). GOTŌ Yasuka and MORI Chihiro received the VOCA Encouragement Prize. KUMAZAWA Mikiko and SAWADA Akiko received the VOCA Honorable Mention Prize. UEDA Akiko received the Ohara Museum Art Prize. The VOCA exhibition 2011, where the winners’ works were exhibited, was held at the Ueno Royal Museum in Tokyo from March 14 to March 30 in 2011. (Japanese)
On September 14, the laureates of the 22nd Praemium Imperiale in Honor of Prince Takamatsu (organized by the Japan Art Association), which publicly honors individual world artists, were announced. In relation to art, Enrico Castellani (Italy) in the Painting category, Rebecca Horn (Germany) in the Sculpture category, and Toyo ITO (Japan) in the Architecture category. (Japanese)
On September 18, the exhibition titled ‘Edgar Degas’ opened at the Yokohama Museum of Art (until December 31). It traced the artistic career of Impressionist artist Edgar Degas through approximately 120 works of art. Centered around 46 works from the Musée d’Orsay collection and featuring artworks from both Japan and abroad, the exhibition consisted of three sections: 1. ‘Koten shugi kara no shuppatsu (Beginnings in Classicism)’; 2. ‘Jikken to kakushin no jidai (The Era of Experimentation and Conviction)’; and 3. ‘Sōgō to saranaru tenkai (Synthesis and Further Development)’. Through oil paintings, pastels, sculptures and photographes, it demonstrated Degas’s journey towards his unique style, confronting an era of advancing modernization while grounded in French artistic tradition. (Japanese)
On September 22, the exhibition titled ‘Sumidagawa – The Beloved River of Edo’ opened at the Edo-Tokyo Museum (until November 14). It traced how the Sumida River flowing through Tokyo had been depicted from the Edo period to modern times, approaching the relationship between the Sumida River and its people from broad perspectives including history, folklore, archaeology, and art. The exhibition consisted of five chapters: Prologue ‘Koten kara gense e (From Classics to the Present Day)’; Chapter 1 ‘Funa asobi no sumidagawa (The Sumiga River for Boat Pleasure)’; Chapter 2 ‘Sumidagawa o nagameru (Viewing the Sumida River)’; Chapter 3 ‘Sumidagawa no fūbutsushi (Seasonal Scenes of the Sumida River)’; and Epilogue ‘Kindai e no renzoku to hirenzoku (Continuity and Discontinuity into the Modern Era)’. Admist heightened attention on the changing landscape along the Sumida River due to the construction of Tokyo Skytree, it proved a particlularly meaningful exhibition. (Japanese)
On October 2, the exhibition titled ‘Treasures of the Owari Tokugawa Family including works “Returning home”’ opened at the Tokugawa Art Museum (until November 7). It gathered together artworks passed down through the Owari Tokugawa Family, comprising the core collection of the Tokugawa Art Museum, donated by Yoshichika, the nineteenth head of the family, alongside artworks now in the collection of elsewhere yet whose provenance reveals them to be artworks originally handed down through the Owari Tokugawa family. The exhibition consisted of four categories: ‘Denrai no meihin (Treasures from the Legacy)’; ‘Samazamana meihō (Various Treasures)’; ‘Satogaeri no meihin (Returning Home Treasures)’; and ‘Arata ni kuwaerareta meihō – Kōnyūhin to kizōhin (Newly Added Treasures: Acquisitions and Donations)’. It displayed 290 items passed down through the family, including armor, swords, tea ceremony utensils, artworks that adorned the reception room, and Noh masks and costumes. The exhibition showcased the meticulous outcomes of research and offered a glimpse into the essence of Edo culture. (Japanese)
On October 9, the exhibition titled ‘The World of Buddhist Kasaya’ opened at the Kyoto National Museum (until November 23). It showcased kasaya robes worned by renowned monks who left their mark on Chinese and Japanese Buddhist history, such as Wuzhun Shifan and Musō Soseki. The exhibition consisited of eight chapters: Chapter 1 ‘Kesa no hajimari – ritsue to funzōe (The Origins of the Kasaya: Vinaya Robes and Robes of Rags)’; Chapter 2 ‘Tennō ke to kesa (The Imperial Family and the Kasaya)’; Chapter 3 ‘Kamakura bukkyō to kesa (Kamakura Buddhism and the Kasaya)’; Chapter 4 ‘Denpōe ni miru higashi ajia kōryū I (East Asian Exchange Seen in Robes Passed Down in the Temples I)’; Chapter 5 ‘Dōkyō Shintō to kesa (Taoism, Shinto and Kasaya)’; Chapter 6 ‘Denpōe ni miru higashi ajia kyōryū II (East Asian Exchange Seen in Robes Passed Down in the Temples II)’; Chapter 7 ‘Kesa to meibutsu gire (The Kasaya and Famed Textiles)’; and Chapter 8 ‘Denpōe ni miru higashi ajia kōryū III (East Asian Exchange Seen in Robes That Passed Down in the Temple III)’. It explored the kasaya from multiple perspectives. (Japanese)
The recipients of the 22nd Kokka Award, an award for remarkable research on Japanese and East Asian art, were announced. The Kokka Award was given to a monograph titled ‘Beifutsu “gashi” chūshaku’ (Chūō kōron bijutsu shuppan) by KOHARA Hironobu, and a monograph titled ‘Shari shōgon bijutsu no kenkyū’ (Seichi shuppan) by NAITŌ Sakae. (Japanese)
On October 15, the Council for Cultural Affairs (Commissioner: NISHIHARA Suzuko) submitted a report on the designation of the Main Shrine Building, Ishi-no-ma Room, and Worship Hall of Kunōzan Toshōgū shrine as National Treasures, and nine assets including the pagoda of Ikegami Honmonji temple to be designated as Important Cultural Properties to TAKAKI Yoshiaki, Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. This brings the total number of Important Cultural Properties in the structure category to 2,374 (including 216 National Treasures). In addition to the list, approximately 7 hectares of land in Gojō City, Nara Prefecture, where numerous substantial townhouses from the Edo period onwards remain extant, was suggested to be selected to be an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings. (Japanese)
On October 25, Tōdaiji temple and the Gangoji Institute for Research of Cultural Property announced that two missing gold-and-silver-inlaid swords found under the sumeru altar (shumidan) within the Great Buddha Hall of Tōdaiji temple in Nara City during the Meiji period has been identified as the Shōsōin treasures sacred swords that had been missing for some 1,250 years. They were part of chindangu (votive objects buried beneath the altar) and were later designated as National Treasures. Those two swords are called ‘Yōhōken’ and ‘Inhōken’. This discovery was made during X-ray examinations conducted as part of conservation work, which revealed inlaid inscriptions reading ‘yōken’ and ‘inken’ on the blades. These swords are listed in the Record of the Nation’s Rare Treasures (Kokka chinpō chō), an inventory of Emperor Shōmu’s possessions donated to the Great Buddha by Empress Kōmyō, with a note stating that they were ‘removed items’. Records from other Shōsōin documents indicate that they were taken out in 759 (Tenpyō Hōji 3), yet their whereabouts thereafter had remained unknown. (Japanese)
On October 26, the Japanese government announced seven recipients of the Order of Culture and seventeen recipients of the Person of Cultural Merit for the fiscal year 2010. In relation to art, architect ANDŌ Tadao and fashion designer Issey MIYAKE were awarded the Order of Culture, and calligrapher FURUTANI Sōin, photographer HOSOE Eikō, and manga artist MIZUKI Shigeru were awarded the Person of Cultural Merit. (Japanese)
On November 3, the exhibition titled ‘Tsutaya Jūzaburō: Pubisher who Discovered Utamaro and Sharaku’ opened at the Suntory Museum of Art (until December 19). It featured the activities of TSUTAYA Jūzaburō, known as Tsutajū, the publisher who skillfully marketed the works of ukiyo-e artists such as KITAGAWA Utamaro, TŌSHŪSAI Sharaku, playwright SANTŌ Kyōden, and kyōka poet ŌTA Nanpo in the late eighteenth-century Edo, therey directing and creating the cutting edge of Edo culture. While stabilizing his business by publishing guides to Edo Yoshiwaha pleasure quarter, such as ‘Yoshiwara saiken’, he simultaneously built his brand by successively publishing works by popular kyōka poets and playwrights. Furthermore, the exhibition showcased his talent as a renowned producer, revealing his dedication to discovering new talents such as KATSUSHIKA Hokusai, JIPPENSHA Ikku, and KYOKUTEI Bakin. (Japanese)
On November 10, the 32nd Suntory Prize for Social Sciences and Humanities (sponsored by the Suntory Foundation) announced that, in relation to art, FURUTA Ryō was awarded the prize for his monograph titled ‘Tawaraya Sōtatsu’ (Henbonsha) in the Literary and Art Criticism category. (Japanese)
The recipients of the 22nd Ringa Art Encouragement Award (organized by the Ringa Art Encouragement Fund), which publicly honors outstanding individuals for their exceptional achievements in the field of art criticism and art history research, were announced. AMANO Kazuo (Chief Curator, Toyota Municipal Museum of Art) was awarded for his curated exhibition titled ‘East Asia Image of Modern Ages’, and MAEMURA Fumihiro (Curator, Utsunomiya Museum of Art) was awarded for his curated exhibition titled ’Sugiura Hisui no me to te‘. (Japanese)
On November 29, the Japan Art Academy (Director: MIURA Shumon) announced that five new members had been elected to join their ranks for their distinguished artistic achievements. In relation to art, nihonga artist FUKUŌJI Kazuhiko, yōga artist YAMAMOTO Fumihiko, kōgei artist TAKEGOSHI Toshiaki, kōgei artist MORINO Hiroaki, and critics as well as translator AWAZU Norio were elected. It was officially announced by TAKAKI Yoshiaki, Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, on December 15. (Japanese)
On April 6, the Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum (Director: TAKAHASHI Akiya) opened in Tokyo’s Marunouchi district, which was faithfully restored to its Meiji-era red-brick architecture. Originally designed by British architect Josiah Condor, it was demolished in 1968 (Shōwa 43) due to deterioration. It now comprises twenty exhibition rooms with a total floor area of 6,000 square meters. Housing a collection of approximately 250 works, including lithographs and posters by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, the museum plans host three to four special exhibitions annually, focusing primarily on nineteenth-century modern art. The inaugural exhibition titled, ‘Manet et le Paris moderne’ (until July 25), a joint project with the Musée d’Orsay, displayed Manet’s major works, linking the full scope of his artistry with the transformation of Paris as a city during that time. The second opening commemorative exhibition, titled ‘From Dream to Reality: The Iwasaki, Mitsubishi Collection’ (August 24 – November 3), introduced the Iwasaki family’s deep engagement with culture and arts through masterpieces from the Seikado Bunko Art Museum and Toyo Bunko both of which the family founded, alongside works in the collection of Mitsubishi group companies and affiliated individuals. (Japanese)
