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).
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)
On August 21, the exhibition titled ‘Tanaka Isson – Aratanaru zenbō’ opened at the Chiba Art Museum (until September 26). This was a retrospective exhibition of nihonga artist TANAKA Isson (1908 – 1977), who, though virtually unknown during his lifetime, was thrust into the limelight after his death when featured on a television program. It garnered significant attention as an initiative to re-examine and re-evaluate Isson’s artistic career. It focused on his early works and archival materials, moving beyond the tendency for his legacy to be defined primarily by his later works depicting the unique flora and fauna of the southern islands, created during his time residing on Amami Ōshima Island. The exhibition subsequently toured to the Kagoshima City Museum of Art (October 5 – November 7) and the Tanaka Isson Museum (November 14 – December 14). (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)
On April 16, the Council for Cultural Affairs (Commissioner: NISHIHARA Suzuko) submitted a report on eight assets to be designated as Important Cultural Properties to KAWABATA Tatsuo, the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. The list includes the Sugimoto Residence, a large-scale of Kyō-machiya (Kyoto townhouse) in the center of Kyoto; and the Former Tamana Reclamation Facility (Tamana City, Kumamoto Prefecture), built on reclaimed land in the Ariake Sea. In addition to the list, Sakuragawa City Makabe Traditional Building Preservation District (Sakuragawa City, Ibaraki Prefecture) was also suggested to be selected as an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings. (Japanese)
On January 1, the recipients of the Asahi Prize for the fiscal year 2009 (sponsored by the Asahi Shimbun Foundation) were announced. In relation to art, architect Toyo ITO received the prize for ‘achievements that expanded the possibilities of spatial expression in contemporary architecture.’ (Japanese)
On April 23, a commemorative ceremony was held to mark the completion of the Daiichiji Daigokuden Hall (former Imperial Audience Hall). A head of the 1300th anniversary of the capital’s relocation to Heijō in 2010, the building’s restoration had been underway since 2001. Based on the findings of extensive research, the project aimed to restore the hall’s original design, structure, and materials, by employing ancient traditional construction techniques wherever possible. The interior paintings, depicting the Four Directional Deities and the Twelve Zodiac Animals, were executed by nihonga artist UEMURA Atsushi. The Heijō Palace site, where the Daigokuden Hall had been restored, served as the main venue for the Heijō Relocation 1300 Year Festival from April 24 to November 7. (Japanese)
The recipients of the 51st Mainichi Art Award (sponsored by the Mainichi Newspapers Co.), an annual award given to outstanding individuals in art and culture, were announced. In relation to art, the award was given to architect KUMA Kengo for his architectural design of the Nezu Museum in Architecture Category; and SEKI Masato for his special display at the 9th Fusōinsha exhibition, held at the Tokyo Central Museum of Art and his publication of the collection of tenkoku seal-engraving. (Japanese)
On April 26, the Democratic Party of Japan’s HATOYAMA Yukio administration conducted budget screening exercise, targeting the National Institutes for Cultural Heritage and the National Museum of Art, both independent administrative institutions. While the budget screening concluded that ‘the scale of operations should be expanded’ regarding the collection of cultural properties and artworks, the institutions were required to make self-reliant efforts through private donations and cost reductions since the governmental financial support would not increase. In response, from September to December, both institutions, joined by the Japan Arts Council and the National Museum of Nature and Science, convened the Working Group on National Cultural Institutions (Chair: FUKUHARA Yoshiharu, Honorary Chairperson, Shisendo Co., Ltd), where the future direction and management following the transition to an independent administrative institution were discussed. (Japanese)
The winners of the VOCA Prize, which encourages young artists who create two-dimensional artworks, were announced. The 17th Grand Prize of the VOCA was awarded to MIYAKE Saori (‘a secret talk’ and ‘Bed’). SAKAMOTO Natsuko and NAKATANI Michiko jointly received the VOCA Encouragement Prize. KIYOKAWA Asami and SAITŌ Meo jointly received the VOCA Honorable Mention Prize. SAITŌ Meo also received the Ohara Museum Art Prize. The VOCA 2010, where the winners’ works were exhibited, was held at the Ueno Royal Museum in Tokyo from March 14 to 30 in 2010. (Japanese)
