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 March 8, the exhibition titled, ‘Okamoto Taro – The 100th anniversary of His Birth’, opened at the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo (until May 8). Commemorating the centenary of the birth of OKAMOTO Tarō, renowned for works including the ‘Tower of the Sun’, known as the symbol of Expo ’70, the exhibition offered a retrospective overview of his entire oeuvre, featuring approximately 130 works. It consisted of nine sections: Prologue ‘Non!’; Chapter 1 ‘Confrontation with Picasso’; Chapter 2 ‘Confrontation with “Pretty” Art’; Chapter 3 ‘Confrontation with “Wabi-Sabi”’; Chapter 4 ‘Confrontation with “Progress and Harmony for Mankind”’; Chapter 5 ‘Confrontation with the War’; Chapter 6 ‘Confrontation with the Consumer Society’; Chapter 7 ‘Confrontation with Okamoto Taro’; and Epilogue ‘The Spirit of Okamoto Taro Inherited’. The exhibition traced his consistent challenge to established values chronologically. Amidst recent vigorous reappraisals, including the opening of the Taro Okamoto Memorial Museum and Taro Okamoto Museum of Art, Kawasaki, this exhibition became an ambitious project seeking to reconsider Okamoto’s contemporary position. (Japanese)
On April 26, the Japan Art Academy (Director: MIURA Shumon) announced the recipients of the 67th Japan Art Academy Prize. In the Fine Arts category, the Imperial Prize was given to YAMAZAKI Takao (for his nihonga painting titled ‘Kaikō’, exhibited at a Nitten exhibition). In the same category, the Japan Art Prize was shared between KURODA Kenichi (for his calligraphy, titled ‘Ogurayama’, exhibited at a Nitten exhibition) and FURUYA Nobuaki (for his architectural design ‘Chino Cultural Complex’). (Japanese)
The exhibition titled ‘Omi: Spiritual Home of Kami and Hotoke’ opened, which showcased Buddhist and Shinto artifacts from Shiga Prefecture across three venues simultaneously: the exhibition titled ‘The Path to Tendai Buddhism – In Search of the Eternal Śākyamuni Buddha –’ was held at MIHO MUSEUM in Shigaraki (September 3 – December 11); the exhibition titled ‘Inori no kuni, Ōmi no butsuzō – Kodai kara chūsei e’ was held at the Shiga Prefectural Museum of Modern Art in Seta (September 17 – November 20); and the exhibition titled ‘Hiyoshi no kami to matsuri’ was held at the Otsu City Museum of History in Ōtsu (October 8 – November 23). The Ōmi region, where mountains encircle Lake Biwa, fostered ancient beliefs revering nature. When Buddhism was introduced from outside of Japan, Buddhist art flourished centered Mount Hiei. The exhibition ‘The Path to Tendai Buddhism’ featured 104 works organized into eight chapters: ‘The Passing of Shakyamuni’; ‘Cause and Effect of the Birth of Shakyamuni’; ‘Mahayana Bodhisattvas’; ‘Buddhas in Various Paradises’; ‘A Universe Filled with Buddhas’; ‘Buddhism in the Nara Period’; ‘Lotus Sutra and Saicho’; and ‘After Saicho and the Rise of Tendai Esotericism’. The exhibition ‘Inori no kuni, Ōmi no butsuzō’ displayed 57 Buddhist statues from the early Heian period to the Muromachi period. The exhibition ‘Hiyoshi no kami to matsuri’ presented 101 works across two chapters: ‘Kamigami no sugata (The Forms of the Deities)’ and ‘Hiyoshi sannōsai (The Hiyoshi Sannō Festival)’. The exhibitions served to impress upon visitors the richness of Shinto and Buddhist art in the Ōmi region. They also drew attention as an initiative where three neighboring museums presented simultaneously held exhibitions under the same theme. (Japanese)
On December 10, the exhibition titled ‘The World of Ishiko Junzō: From Art via Manga to Kitsch’ opened at the Fuchu Art Museum (until February 26, 2012). It revisited the full scope of work by ISHIKO Junzō, who was active as a contemporary art critic during Japan’s turbulent high-growth period. It consisted of three chapters: ‘Bijutsu (Art)’; ‘Manga’; and ‘Kitsch’. This densely packed exhibition, comprising 130 works, explored ISHIKO’s approach of questioning established artistic values and evaluating works through a ‘process of digging deeper and deeper downwards’. (Japanese)
On February 9, the winner of the 36th 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 SHIMOZONO Eiko for her photobook titled ‘Kizuna’ and the photographic exhibition of the same title. Her work, featuring women of her own generation, friends, and families as subjects, was highly commended for its style imbued with the sense of absurd. (Japanese)
On April 27, the Agency for Cultural Affairs announced the ‘Implementation guidance for the Great East Japan Earthquake Disaster-Affected Cultural Property Buildings Restoration Support Project’. In cooperation with education boards in the areas affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake, the Architectural Institute of Japan, and other relevant organizations, it launched the ‘Great East Japan Earthquake Disaster-Affected Cultural Property Buildings Restoration Support Project’ (Cultural Heritage Doctor Dispatch Project). This project involves dispatching specialists to assist with the restoration of disaster-affected cultural property buildings. (Japanese)
Due to Typhoon No. 12 (Talas), made landfall in Japan from September 3 to 4, Kumano Nachi Taisha in Wakayama Prefecture suffered damage. Part of its shrine building (Important Cultural Property) was buried by landslides from the mountain behind it, and part of the roof was also damaged. Furthermore, part of the cypress bark roof of the Zaōdō (main hall; National Treasure) of Kinpusenji temple in Nara Prefecture was also peeled off. (Japanese)
The Domon Ken Award (sponsored by the Mainichi Newspapers Co.), the award for a photographer who has made excellent achievements in the previous year, announced that the 30thwinner was ISHIKAWA Naoki. The award was given for his photobook titled ‘CORONA’ (Seidosha), focusing on Polynesia in the South Pacific, was highly commended for in recognition of its consistent them exploring the new state of the world where countless centers coexist rather than a single, powerful central one, alongside his vigorous photographic endeavors. (Japanese)
On April 29, the exhibition titled ‘Five Hundred Disciples of Buddha by Kano Kazunobu, Zojoji Temple Treasures: Buddhist Images and the Artist Kano Kazunobu at the End of the Edo Period’ opened at the Edo-Tokyo Museum (until July 3). It brought together the complete set of one hundred scrolls depicting the Five Hundred Arhats painted mainly by the late-Edo period artist KANŌ Kazunobu, which was devoted to Zōjōji temple, alongside other works by Kazunobu, depicting the Five Hundred Arhats. Originally scheduled to open on March 15, the exhibition was postponed due to the Great East Japan Earthquake that occurred on March 11. Commemorating the 800th anniversary of the death of Hōnen, the special exhibition featured the complete Zōjōji temple collection – previously only partially displayed due to the large scale of the works. It offered a rare opportunity to appreciate the profoundly distinctive artistic style of KANŌ Kazunobu, characterized by his rich use of Western-inspired perspective and chiaroscuro techniques. (Japanese)
On September 27, the exhibition titled ‘The Splendor of the Khitan Dynasty’ opened at the Kyushu National Museum (until November 27). It introduced the culture of the Khitan (Liao), who ruled present-day Inner Mongolia for 200 years from the early tenth century. It consisted of four chapters: Chapter 1 ‘Bajō no geijutsu (Art on Horseback)’; Chapter 2 ‘Daitō no ifū (The Legacy of the Great Tang)’; Chapter 3 ‘Sōgen toshi (Steppe Cities)’; and Chapter 4 ‘Sōten no bukkokudo (The Buddha’s Realm)’. Comprising approximately 130 items, including ornaments and artifacts associated with three imperial women, the exhibition revealed the fusion of Tang culture – which collapsed almost simultaneously with the Khitan unification – and the culture of the steppe nomads. This exhibition proved its significance, contributing to comparative studies of East Asian art forms. It subsequently toured to the Shizuoka Prefectural Museum of Art (December 17 – March 4, 2012) and the University Art Museum, Tokyo University of the Arts (July 12 – September 17, 2012) (Japanese)
The Great East Japan Earthquake that struck on March 11 caused damage and collapse to numerous cultural properties in the Tōhoku and Kantō regions. The number of nationally designated cultural properties affected reached 744. At Zuiganji temple in Matsushima Town, Miyagi Prefecture, part of the wall of the temple’s living quarter (National Treasure) collapsed. At the former Kōdōkan in Mito City, Ibaraki Prefecture (Special Historic Site and Important Cultural Property), the student alarm bell was completely destroyed. Damage from the tsunami triggered by the earthquake was also extensive. The Rokkakudō, part of the Izura Institute of Arts and Culture at the Ibaraki University, in Kitaibaraki City, Ibaraki Prefecture (Registered Tangible Cultural Property), was swept away, leaving only its foundations. Art galleries and museums also suffered damage from the earthquake and tsunami. The Ishinomaki Cultural Center saw its first floor almost completely destroyed by the direct impact of the tsunami. The Rikuzentakata City Museum was left only its building structure standing, with all its collections suffering water damage from the tsunami. (Japanese)
On May 1, the special exhibition titled ‘SHARAKU’ opened at the Tokyo National Museum (until June 12). It showcased 142 woodblock prints by the enigmatic ukiyo-e artist TŌSHŪSAI Sharaku, who vanished just ten months after his striking debut. Originally scheduled to open on April 5, the exhibition was postponed due to the Great East Japan Earthquake that struck on March 11. It consisted of five chapters: Chapter 1 ‘Sharaku izen no yakusha-e (Yakusha-e Prints before Sharaku)’; Chapter 2 ‘Sharaku o umidashita Tsutaya Jūzaburō (Tsutaya Jūzaburō, the Man Who Produced Sharaku)’; Chapter 3 ‘Sharaku no zenbō (The Complete Works of Sharaku)’; Chapter 4 ‘Sharaku to raibaru (Sharaku and His Rivals)’; and Chapter 5 ‘Sharaku no zanei (Afterimage of Sharaku)’. The exhibition identified the actors and plays depicted by comparing the prints with theatre programs and traced the chronological evolution of Sharaku’s artistic career according to the performance dates. Alongside works by other ukiyo-e artists depicting the same roles, this substantial exhibition highlighted the distinctive characteristics of Sharaku’s artistic style. (Japanese)
The Great East Japan Earthquake Recovery Auction was held at the Tokyo Art Club in Minato Ward, Tokyo, from October 5 to 9. Co-organized by the Agency of Cultural Affairs, the Japanese Council of Art Museums, and the Japanese Art Dealer Association, the auction presented 399 works by 396 living artists and three deceased artists for sale. This initiative aimed to support the rescue of artworks damaged in the Great East Japan Earthquake and sustained the activities of museums in the affected areas. The event attracted 3,360 visitors. ¥127 million in donations that was raised at the event was allocated towards the restoration of damaged artworks and the recovery of affected museums. (Japanese)
Following the Great East Japan Earthquake and the subsequent accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, numerous exhibitions that had planned to borrow artworks from overseas were cancelled or postponed. The exhibition titled ‘The State Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts, Moscow’, originally scheduled to run from April 2 to June 26 at the Yokohama Museum of Art, was postponed. This decision followed Russia’s assessment that the safety of the exhibition environment had not been ensured. Furthermore, the exhibition titled ‘La naissance de l’impressionnisme’, originally scheduled to open at the Hiroshima Prefectural Art Museum on April 5, was also cancelled due to the Directorate of Museums of the French Ministry of Culture advised a temporary suspension of art loans to Japan. Meanwhile, the exhibition titled ‘Genbaku o miru: 1945 – 1970’, originally scheduled to run from April 9 to May 29 at the Meguro Museum of Art, Tokyo, was postponed following discussions between Meguro Ward and the Meguro Foundation of Art and Culture, which operates the museum. The decision was made out of consideration for the feelings of the people affected by the earthquake. (Japanese)
On May 1, it was discovered that an additional painting, rendered on plywood, had been fitted into a corner of OKAMOTO Tarō’s mural painting ‘Myth of Tomorrow’, displayed within Tokyo’s Shibuya Station. The image evoked the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident that occurred in March. On May 18, the artist collective Chim↑Pom publicly displayed a video work showing the act of attaching the panel to the mural, along with the original artwork, during a preview of their solo exhibition, thereby announcing their involvement. On July 4, the Shibuya Police Station of the Metropolitan Police Department filed criminal papers with prosecutors against three individuals, including the collective’s leader, on violating the Minor Offenses Act (posting unauthorized notices). (Japanese)
On October 10, the Tōdai-ji Museum (Director: KIJITANI Ryōji) opened. This is the first facility to comprehensively display the treasures of Tōdaiji temple (Nara City). Located within the Tōdaiji Culture Center, completed in 2010 on the temple grounds, it comprises five exhibition rooms equipped with a seismic base isolation. A special opening commemorative exhibition titled ‘Nara jidai no Tōdaiji (Tōdaiji Temple in the Nara Period)’ was held until January 14, 2013. Following the dismantling and restoration of the Hokke-dō’s Shumidan (Buddhist altar), the principal image of the hall, the Standing Statue of Fuku Kensaku Kannon (National Treasure), had been enshrined in the museum. (Japanese)
On March 11, 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 2010. The recipients of the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology’s Art Encouragement Prize were artist ONODERA Yuki (for her exhibition titled ‘Onodera Yuki: Into the Labyrinth of Photography’) and architect KUMA Kengo (for his architectural design ‘Yusuhara Wooden Bridge Museum’) in the Fine Arts category; and game designer MIYAMOTO Shigeru (for his game ‘Super Mario Galaxy 2’) in the Media Art category. The recipients of the Art Encouragement Prize for New Artists were contemporary artist Tabaimo (for her exhibition titled ‘Tabaimo: Danmen’) in the Fine Art category; artist NAKAMURA Masato (for his direction of opening and management of ‘3331 Arts Chiyoda’) in the Development of the Arts category; KuroDalaiJee (aka KURODA Raiji), researcher of post-war Japanese avant-garde art, (for his monograph titled ‘Anarchy of the Body’) in the Criticism category; and multimedia artist KUWAKUBO Ryōta (for his artwork titled ‘The Tenth Sentiment’) in the Media Art category. (Japanese)
The winners of the 5th Yomiuri Aoniyoshi Prize (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 Prize was awarded to OZAWA Masami, the solo inheritor engaged in the restoration of armor that are designated national cultural properties. The Encouragement Prize went to Ōyama Akihiko, Associate Professor at Nara University of Education, who has worked on recapturing color on drawings for various historical structures including the Kondō Hall at Toshōdaiji temple in Nara. The Special Prize was given to Nihon urushikaki gijutsu hozonkai, which works tirelessly in Ninohe City, Iwate Prefecture, to secure the domestically produced urushi lacquer essential for restoration of cultural properties and to pass on its collecting techniques to the next generation. (Japanese)
The winners of the 23rd Kokka Prize, the award for remarkable research on Japanese and East Asian art, were announced. The Kokka Prize was given to a monograph titled ‘Nara kacchūshi no kenkyū’ (Yoshikawa kōbunkan) by MIYAZAKI Takashi and a monograph titled ‘Kinsei ikoku shumi bijutsu no shiteki kenkyū’ (Rinsen shoten) by KATSUMORI Noriko. The Kokka Prize (Exhibition Catalog Prize) was awarded to an exhibition catalog titled ‘Kōsō to kesa’ (Kyoto National Museum) by YAMAKAWA Aki. (Japanese)
On March 12, the exhibition titled ‘Nagasawa Rosetsu: The Fanciful Painter’ opened at the Miho Museum (until June 5). The exhibition showcased 110 works by the painter NAGASAWA Rosetsu, who was active primarily in Kyoto during the late eighteenth century and painted works that astonish the eye with their bold compositions and brushwork. The exhibition consisted of six chapters: Chapter 1 ‘Learn from Ōkyo’, presented Rosetsu’s early works demonstrating his studies under his master Maruyama Ōkyo; Chapter 2 ‘Journey to Nanki’, featured works created in Nanki, where he travelled as Ōkyo’s representative; Chapter 3 ‘The Stranger is New’, gathered his innovative works produced after returning from Nanki to Kyoto; Chapter 4 ‘People Surrounding Rosetsu’, examined the environment surrounding Rosetsu; Chapter 5 ‘Interest in Light’, focused on his expression of light, which resonates with modernity; and Chapter 6 displayed the newly re-discovered ‘Five Hundred Arhats (方寸五百羅漢図)’, painted on a piece of paper approximately one-inch square. The exhibition re-examined Rosetsu’s artistic career, which made a break with tradition after mastering his master’s style. (Japanese)
