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).
The recipients of the 4th Yomiuri Aoniyoshi Award (sponsored by the Yomiuri Shimbun with special support from the Japan Society for the Conservation of Cultural Property), which publicly honors individuals and organizations for their outstanding achievements in the fields of conservation science and restoration, were announced. The Aoniyoshi Award was given to YAMARYŌ Mari, who has long been involved in restoration of modern paintings such as oil and watercolors. The Encouragement Award went to KITANO Kazunari, who manufactures susa (plant fibers for plaster reinforcement). The Special Award was given to the Gangoji Institute for Research of Cultural Property, which has long been engaged in developing excellent conservation and treatment methods for excavated wooden artefacts. (Japanese)
On February 23, the exhibition ‘HASEGAWA TOHAKU: 400th Memorial Retrospective’ opened at the Tokyo National Museum to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the passing of HASEGAWA Tōhaku (1539 – 1610), a master painter of the Momoyama period (until March 22). Featuring approximately 80 works including National Treasures such as ‘Maple Tree’ (Chishakuin temple) and ‘Pine Trees’ (Tokyo National Museum), the exhibition traced the artistic career of HASEGAWA Tōhaku from his early years painting Buddhist art in Noto through his rise in Kyoto where, backed by TOYOTOMI Hideyoshi and SEN no Rikyū, he produced numerous large-scale golden paintings, called konpekiga, while simultaneously deepening his mastery of ink painting, suibokuga. It consisted of seven chapters: Chapter 1 ‘Hasegawa Nobuharu: Buddhist Painter of Noto Peninsula’; Chapter 2 ‘The Turning Point: The Move to Kyoto and the Emergence of Tohaku’; Chapter 3 ‘Portraiture: Tohaku’s Contemporaries’; Chapter 4 ‘Momoyama Masterpieces: The World of Colorful Screens on Gold Ground’; Chapter 5 ‘A Testament to Faith: Tohaku and Honpoji Temple’; Chapter 6 ‘Master of Ink: The Devotion to Ink Paintings’; and Chapter 7 ‘The Realm of Pine Trees’. The exhibition subsequently toured to the Kyoto National Museum (April 10 – May 9). (Japanese)
On May 21, the Council for Cultural Affairs (Commissioner: NISHIHARA Suzuko) submitted a report on one place to be designated as a Special Place of Scenic Beauty, eight places to be designated as Historic Sites, and two places to be designated as Places of Scenic Beauty to KAWABATA Tatsuo, Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. The list includes the Garden at the Eastern Palace of Heijō Palace (Nara City), which was discovered and restored in the southeastern part of the Heijō Palace site to be designated as a Special Place of Scenic Beauty; the ruins of the Chōshū Domain Shimonoseki Maeda Battery Sites (Shimonoseki City, Yamaguchi Prefecture), the scene of the Shimonoseki bombardment in 1864 during the Bakumatsu period, to be designated as a Historic Site; Wakanoura Bay, celebrated in the Manyōshū, to be designated as a Place of Scenic Beauty; two places such as Ogawa’s Garden Kansuien (Kurayoshi City, Tottori Prefecture) to be registered as Registered Monuments; and two places such as the waterfront of Harie and Shimofuri (Takashima City, Shiga Prefecture) to be registered as Important Cultural Landscapes. (Japanese)
On March 8, the winner of the 35th Kimura Ihei Award (sponsored by the Asahi Shimbun and Asahi Shimbun Publications), the award given to exceptional new photographers in honor to photographer KIMURA Ihei’s achievements, was announced. The award was given to TAKAGI Cozue for her photobooks titled ‘MID’ and ‘GROUND’. (Japanese)
On May 26, the exhibition ‘Post-Impressionism: 115 Masterpieces from the Musée d’Orsay’ opened at the National Art Center, Tokyo (until August 16). It featured French art from the late nineteenth to early twentieth centuries, following the Impressionists, through 115 works of art from the collection of Musée d’Orsay, renowned for its collection of modern French art. This large-scale exhibition chronologically traced works from the final Impressionist exhibition in 1886 to those by the Nabis in the 1920s. It consisted of ten chapters: Chapter 1 ‘Les impressionnistes autour de 1886’; Chapter 2 ‘Seurat et le Néo-Impressionnisme’; Chapter 3 ‘Cézanne et “cézannité”’; Chapter 4 ‘Toulouse-Lautrec’; Chapter 5 ‘Van Gogh et Gauguin’; Chapter 6 ‘L’Ecole de Pont-Aven’; Chapter 7 ‘Les Nabis’; Chapter 8 ‘Sonorités intérieures’; Chapter 9 ‘Le “douanier Rousseau”’; and Chapter 10 ‘Triomphe du décor’. The exhibition was made possible by the loan of 115 artworks from the Musée d’Orsay’s collection as a single package, in conjunction with the museum’s major refurbishment in 2010. (Japanese)
On March 9, the Agency for Cultural Affairs decided not to permit the display of the statue of Miroku Bosatsu (National Treasure) from Chūgūji temple and fourteen Important Cultural Properties at the exhibition titled ‘Nara no koji to butsuzō (Old Temples and Buddhist Statues of Nara)’, which had been scheduled to open in April at the Niigata City Art Museum. The reason cited was that, following the occurrence of mold on exhibited works at the museum in July 2009, spiders and insects were detected in February 2010. Consequently, the museum’s director KITAGAWA Fram was replaced, and the exhibition ‘Nara no koji to butsuzō’ was relocated to the Niigata Prefectural Museum of Modern Art. (Japanese)
On July 10, the exhibition titled ‘ROBOTS and the ARTS: Visual Images in the 20th Century Japan’ opened at the Aomori Museum of Art (until August 29). It traced the relationship between humanoid robots and art. The exhibition consisted of four chapters: Prologue ‘Robotto izen: ugoku “hitogata” no yume (Before Robots: Dreams of Moving “Human Forms”)’; Chapter 1 ‘Senzen: Robotto no tanjō to dōjidai bunka (Pre-War: The Birth of the Robots and Contemporary Culture)’; Chapter 2 ‘Sengo I: Taishū bunka no kōryū to sengo āto no dōkō (Post-War 1: The Rise of Popular Culture and Post-War Art Trends)’; and Chapter 3 ‘Sengo II: Robotto imēji no genzai – robothikkusu kara āto made (Post-War II: The Robot Image Today – From Robotics to Art)’. The prologue introduced documentary predating the birth of the word ‘robot’ and its concept, followed by three chapters that ambitiously presented actual robots alongside a display of robot imagery spanning paintings, manga, animation, and even toys. The exhibition subsequently toured to the Shizuoka Prefectural Museum of Art (September 18 – November 17) and the Iwami Art Museum, Shimane Prefecture (November 20 – January 10, 2011). (Japanese)
On March 12, the Agency for Cultural Affairs announced the recipients of the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology’s Art Encouragement Prize for the fiscal year 2009. The recipients of the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology’s Art Encouragement Prize were sculptor NAGASAWA Hidetoshi (for his expiation titled ‘NAGASAWA – Dove tende aurora’) and nihonga artist YAMAMOTO Naoaki (for his exhibition titled ‘Yamamoto Naoaki ten: Kikan suru fūkei’) in the Fine Arts category; and FUJIHATA Masaki, Professor, Department of Inter Media Art, Tokyo University of the Arts, (for his work titled ‘Simultaneous Echoes 2009: “Field-work” in Londonderry’) in the Media Art category. The recipients of the Art Encouragement Prize for New Artists were photographer TSUDA Nao (for his exhibition titled ‘Rera Faraway’) in the Fine Art Category; and IWAKIRI Shinichirō, Professor, Bunka Junior College, (for his monograph titled ‘Meiji hangashi’) in the Criticism category. (Japanese)
In July, the recipients of the 5th Western Art Foundation for Promotion Award, which publicly honor individuals and institutions involved in curating exhibitions that have contributed to the understanding of Western art and academic research in the field of Western art, were announced. The Academic Award for Individuals was awarded to KOHMOTO Shinji (for his curation of the exhibition titled ‘Wiliam Kentridge – What We See & What We Know: Thinking about History while Walking’, held at the National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto) and ARAYASHIKI Tōru (for his supervision of the exhibition titled ‘Renoir: Tradition and Innovation’, held at the National Art Center, Tokyo). The Cultural Promotion Award for Institutions was given to Bunkamura (for the exhibition titled ‘Tamara de Lempicka et son époque’, held at the Bunkamura The Museum) (Japanese)
On March 18, the Japan Art Academy (Director: MIURA Shumon) announced the recipients of the 66th Japan Art Academy Prize. The Imperial Prize and the Japan Art Academy Prize were given to YAMAMOTO Fumihiko (for his yōga painting titled ‘Jusō’, exhibited at a Nikiten exhibition) in the Fine Arts category; and AWAZU Norio (for his longstanding contributions to various artistic fields, particularly in literately criticism, translation and literature) in the Literature category. In the Fine Arts category, the Japan Art Prize was given to TAKEGOSHI Toshiaki (for his kōgei work titled ‘Kohan, Saiyū kaki’, exhibited at a Nitten exhibition); TARUMOTO Juson (for his calligraphy titled ‘富陽妙庭観董雙成故宅發地得丹鼎’, exhibited at a Nitten exhibition); and KITAGAWARA Atsushi (for his architectural design of the Nakamura Keith Haring Collection). (Japanese)
On July 16, the Council for Cultural Affairs (Chair: NISHIHARA Suzuko) submitted a report on five people to be designated as Important Intangible Cultural Properties (Living National Treasures) to KAWABATA Tatsuo, Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. The List includes KATŌ Kōzō for his setoguro; TSUCHIYA Yoshinori for his monsha; FUTATSUKA Osamu for his yūzen; NAKANO Kōichi for his makie; and TAMAGAWA Norio for his tankin. This marked the first designation for artists who create monsha. It thus brings the total number of Living National Treasures to 116 individuals, with 58 in each of the performing arts and traditional crafts (kōgei). (Japanese)
On March 19, the Council for Cultural Affairs (Commissioner: NISHIHARA Suzuko) submitted a report on two assets to be designated as National Treasures and 38 assets to be designated as Important Cultural Properties to KAWABATA Tatsuo, Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. The two assets to be designated as National Treasures were 2,345 materials pertaining to INŌ Tadataka such as maps, documents and surveying instruments (Katori City, Chiba Prefecture); and ‘Map of Naruto Village of Imizu District in Etchū Province (hemp)’ (Nara National Museum), depiction of land reclamation in the Nara period. One of 38 assets to be designated as Important Cultural Properties was a painting ‘Yoritomo in a Cave’ by nihonga artist MAEDA Senson (Okura Museum of Art). The Council for Cultural Affairs also recommended 139 structures, including the Former Iwasaki Family Residence, a family house of IWASAKI Yatarō, as well as one kōgei artwork to be registered as Registered Tangible Cultural Properties. (Japanese)
On July 19, the contemporary art festival ‘Setouchi International Art Triennale 2010’ opened (until October 31). It staged across seven islands in the Seto Inland Sea including Naoshima and Shōdoshima Islands, and the surrounding area of Takamatsu Port in Kagawa Prefecture serving as its home port. FUKUTAKE Sōichirō (Chairman, The Fukutake Foundation) served as General Producer, with KITAGAWA Fram (Art Director) as General Director. The festival featured the works of 75 artists from 18 countries and regions, alongside 16 events. Amidst a movement to utilize contemporary art for regional development, it garnered significant public attention as a newly launched international exhibition together with the Aichi Triennale 2010, recording a total attendance of approximately 940,000 visitors. Furthermore, preceding the art festival, the Lee Ufan Museum, operated by the Naoshima Fukutake Art Museum Foundation and designed by ANDŌ Tadao, opened on June 15 on Naoshima Island. (Japanese)
On March 24, the Agency of Cultural Affairs Review Committee for Preservation and Utilization of Mural Paintings of Tumuli (Chair: NAGAI Yorikuni, Adjunct Professor, National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies), which had been investigating the causes of deterioration of the murals of Takamatsuzuka Tumuli, submitted its report to TAMAI Hideo, Commissioner of the Agency of Cultural Affairs. The report identified multiple factors, including natural causes, inadequate preservation measures, and a lack of monitoring systems by the Agency. It stated that delayed countermeasures following mold growth also led to a vicious cycle that further exacerbated the damage. (Japanese)
South Korean civic groips demanded the return of a five-story stone pagoda in the collection of the Okura Museum of Art in Minato Ward, Tokyo, marking the centenary of the Japan-Korea Annexation Treaty. On July 21, Mayor Cho Byeong-don of Icheon City, where the pagoda once stood, visited the museum to hand over a petition for its return and signatures from over 100,000 people. The pagoda is believed to date from the early Goryeo period. It was moved to Japan after the Japan-Korea Treaty of 1910 and was designated as a National Important Cultural Property in 1933. In response to the request, the museum stated that it could not comply with the request at this stage. (Japanese)
On March 28, the Hyatt Foundation announced that SEJIMA Kazuyo and NISHIZAWA Ryūe had been selected as its laureates of the Pritzker Architecture Prize, an annual award to honor outstanding architects, often referred to as the Nobel Prize of architecture. They were praised for their achievements in Japan, Europe, and the United States through their joint architectural firm, SANAA (Tokyo). The award citation recognized their collaborative work in realizing architecture that is powerful yet delicate, practiced, and utilized in accordance with its purpose. Major joint projects include the Kumanokodo Nakahechi Museum of Art (1996) and the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa (2004). Furthermore, SEJIMA Kazuyo served as director of architecture for the 12th Venice Biennale of Architecture, held from August to November in 2010. She was the first Japanese architect and the first woman in the history of the Venice Biennale of Architecture to hold this position. (Japanese)
On August 7, the exhibition titled ‘Hashimoto Heihachi and Kitasono Katsue: Unusual Pair of Brothers, a Sculptor and a Poet’ opened at the Mie Prefectural Art Museum (until October 11). For the first time, it brought together works by sculptor HASHIMOTO Heihachi (1987 – 1935) and his younger brother KITASONO Katsue (born HASHIMOTO Kenkichi, 1902 – 1978), who emerged as an avant-garde poet and pursued diverse activities spanning literature and art. This significant exhibition highlighted how the seemingly contrasting creative paths of Heihachi, who expressed the spiritual essence residing in natural objects like stone and wood through wood carving, and Katsue, who embraced Futurism, Dada, and Constructivism in his poetry and design, were rooted in their shared upbringing and era, as well as mutual exchange of ideas and dialogue. The exhibition subsequently toured to the Setagaya Art Museum (October 23 – December 12). (Japanese)
On March 24, the government budged for the fiscal year 2010 (Heisei 22) was passed. The budget for the Agency for Cultural Affairs was ¥102.024 billion, 0.5 % or ¥485 million more than the previous year. The budget is divided into three principal projects as follows: 1. creation and utilization of rich culture and arts and cultivation of human resources; 2. Preservation and utilization of Japan’s precious cultural properties; and 3. dissemination of Japan’s outstanding culture both domestically and internationally. In particular, for Project 1, funding increases were allocated to training artists and enhancing cultural experiences for children; for Project 2, ‘Act on Promotion of Seismic Retrofitting of Buildings’ was newly launched to carry out seismic retrofitting firefighting equipment installed over 30 years ago at national treasures and important cultural properties in the Kinki region; and for Project 3, a substantial budget increase was allocated for the strategic dissemination of outstanding state design and media arts. (Japanese)
On August 21, the art festival ‘Aichi Triennale 2010: Arts and Cities’ opened (until October 31), aiming to establish the Aichi region as a cultural and artistic contributor to Japan and the world. Multiple venues centered on Nagoya City served as exhibition sites, including the Aichi Arts Center, Nagoya City Art Museum, Chōjamachi Site, Nayabashi Site, Nagoya Castle, Oasis 21, and Chūō-Hirokōji Building. Based on the basic concept announced in March 2008, the following policies were decided in October of the same year: ‘Cutting-edge – Introducing contemporary art trends with a focus on fine art from an international perspective’; ‘Festivity – Creating a sense of exaltation as an urban festival’; and ‘Hybridity – Actively incorporating performing arts with contemporary art as the core’. Following three years of preparation with TAKEHATA Akira as Artistic Director, approximately 130 artists from around the world participated, creating a notable art festival where multiple artistic spaces were simultaneously generated throughout a single city. (Japanese)
The Domon Ken Award (sponsored by the Mainichi Newspapers Co.), an award for a photographer who has made excellent achievements in the previous year, announced that the 29th winner was SUZUKI Ryūichirō. The award was given for his photobook titled ‘RyUlysses’ (Heibonsha), which was recognized for its meticulous recreation of Dublin, Ireland, using a panoramic camera, inspired by James Joyce’s ‘Ulysses’. (Japanese)
