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 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 recipients of the 5th 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 OZAWA Masami, the solo inheritor engaged in the restoration of armor that are designated national cultural properties. The Encouragement Award 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 Award 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 recipients of the 23rd Kokka Award, an award for remarkable research on Japanese and East Asian art, were announced. The Kokka Award 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 Exhibition Catalog Award was given 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)
On May 7, the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), an advisory body to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) that conducts preliminary inspections to determine whether sites should be inscribed on the World Heritage List, recommended that Hiraizumi (Hiraizumi Town, Iwate Prefecture), resubmitted by Japan, be inscribed as a World Heritage Site. In response, on June 26, the UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee decided to inscribe Hiraizumi on the World Heritage List as a Cultural Heritage Site. ICOMOS had deferred the examination of the nomination of Hiraizumi in 2008 and the World Heritage Committee had also instructed a recommendation be made, leading to its registration being postponed. However, the Japanese government had resubmitted the nomination, clarifying that it represents the concept of Pure Land Buddhism. Meanwhile, concerning the buildings, including the main building of the National Museum of Western Art, designed by architect Le Corbusier that Japan had jointly nominated with France and others, ICOMOS recommended ‘non-inscription’, and their registration as a World Heritage Site was postponed. (Japanese)
On October 21, the Council for Cultural Affairs (Commissioner: NISHIHARA Suzuko) submitted a report on six assets to be designated as Important Cultural Properties to NAKAGAWA Masaharu, Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. The list includes the Old Sasebo Wireless Transmission Facility (Hario Transmitting Station) (Sasebo City, Nagasaki Prefecture), used by the Imperial Japanese Navy as a communication facility during the Pacific War. In addition to the list, two districts, one of which was the Kaga Higashitani area in Kaga City, Ishikawa Prefecture, were suggested to be selected to be Important Preservation Districts for Groups of Traditional Buildings. Meanwhile, the Council also recommended the partial withdrawal of the designation for the portion of the grounds of Rokasensuisō (Ōtsu City), where a residence had been constructed, which had been designated as an Important Cultural Property in 1994. (Japanese)
On March 15, the exhibition titled ‘OBAKU: Kyoto Uji Manpukuji no meihō to zen no shinpū’ opened at the Kyushu National Museum to commemorate the 350th anniversary of the founding of Manpukuji temple, the head temple of the Ōbaku school of Zen Buddhism, established by Ingen Zenji who came from Ming China (until May 22). The exhibition featured 142 artefacts and materials preserved in Ōbaku temples, which brought the traditional Chinese Rinzai Zen teachings, Buddhist rituals, and life and culture in Ming China directly to seventeenth-century Japan. It consisted of five chapters: Chapter 1 ‘Hajimete no ōbakushū – mijikana ōbaku bunka (The First Encounter with Ōbaku – Ōbaku Culture Close at Hand)’; Chapter 2 ‘Tōjin tachi no Nagasaki (The Chinese in Nagasaki)’; Chapter 3 ‘Ingen tōrai (The Arrival of Ingen)’; Chapter 4 ‘Manpukuji no kaiso to kōryū (The Founding and Prosperity of Manpukuji Temple)’; and Chapter 5 ‘Ōbaku bunka (Ōbaku Cultural Renaissance)’. (Japanese)
On May 20, the Council for Cultural Affairs (Commissioner: NISHIHARA Suzuko) submitted a report on four places to be designated as Places of Scenic Beauty and four places to be designated as Historic Sites to TAKAKI Yoshiaki, Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. The list includes the Fuji Five Lakes (Yamanashi Prefecture), formed by volcanic activity of Mount Fuji, to be designated as a Place of Scenic Beauty; Umamukaiyama kofun (Shikokuchūō City, Ehime Prefecture), believed to be the largest rectangular burial mound in Shikoku, constructed in the seventh century, to be designated a Historic Site. The Fuji Five Lakes are deeply associated with the worship of Mount Fuji and have been the subject of numerous artworks, such as ukiyo-e prints, which are highly valued for their aesthetic appeal. In addition to the list, the Council also suggested two places such as Kobe East Park (Kobe City), one of Japan’s oldest parks where memorial services for the Great Hanshin Earthquake are held, to be registered as Registered Monuments; and five places such as agricultural and mountainous landscape of Sado Nishimikawa trace back to Sado Gold Mine to be selected as an Important Cultural Landscapes. (Japanese)
On October 22, the exhibition titled ‘Goya: Light and Shadows’ opened at the National Museum of Western Art (until January 29, 2012). It featured the artistic career of Goya, Spain’s foremost painter, through 123 works and documents, which included 72 items from the Museo del Prado, such as the oil painting titled ‘La maja vestide (E: The Clothed Maja)’ alongside prints and letters. It consisted of fourteen chapters: I ‘Kaku aru watashi – Goya no jigazō (This is Me: Goya’s Self-Portraits)’; II ‘Sōi to jissen (Originality and Practice)’; III ‘Uso to musessō (Lies and Licentiousness)’; IV ‘Giga, yume, kimagure (Satire, Dreams, and Whimsy)’; V ‘Roba no shū: Gudon na mono tachi (The Donkeys: The Stupid Ones)’; VI ‘Mamono no mure (The Horde of Monsters)’; VII ‘Kokuō fusai ika, boku o shiranai hito wa inai (The King and Queen, and All Who Know Me)’; VIII ‘Hisan na nariyuki (The Tragic Outcome)’; IX ‘Fuun naru saiten (The Unfortunate Festival)’; X ‘Akumu (Nightmares)’; XI ‘Shinjin to danzai (Faith and Condemnation)’; XII ‘Yami no naka no shōki (Sanity in Darkness)’; XIII ‘Kikai na gūwa (A Strange Fable)’; and XIV ‘Itsuraku to bōryoku (Pleasure and Violence)’. The exhibition traced the work of artist who cast a profound gaze upon society and his own inner world during the turbulent period spanning the late eighteenth to early nineteenth centuries. (Japanese)
The year 2011 marked the 800th anniversary of the passing of Hōnen, the founder of the Jōdo sect of Buddhism, and the 750th anniversary of the passing of Shinran, the founder of the Jōdo Shinshū of Buddhism, prompting a series of commemorative exhibitions. On March 17, the exhibition titled ‘Shinran shōnin 750-kaiki shūkyōdan rengō 40-shūnen kinen Shinan ten shōgai to bijutsu’ opened at the Kyoto Municipal Museum of Art (until May 29) while on Mary 29, the exhibition titled ‘Honen: The Life and Art of the Founder of the Pure Land Buddhist Sect’ opened at the Kyoto National Museum (until May 8). The ‘Shinran’ exhibition displayed approximately 130 artworks, including 45 National Treasures and Important Cultural Properties, consisting of three chapters: ‘Shinran shōnin no oshie to shōgai (The Teaching and Life of Shinran)’; ‘Jōdo shinshū no hirogari (The Dissemination of Jōdo Shinshū)’; and ‘Denrai no meihō to bijutsu (Treasures and Artworks)’. The ‘Hōnen’ exhibition comprised two chapters: Chapter 1 ‘Hōnen no shōgai to shisō (The Life and Thought of Hōnen)’, centered around the National Treasure ‘Illustrated Biography of Master Hōnen (法然上人絵伝)’; and Chapter 2 ‘Hōnen e no hōon to nenbutsu no keishō (Gratitude to Hōnen and the Continuation of Nenbutsu)’, displayed artworks created from the faith that emerged after Hōnen’s passing. Both exhibitions provided a rare opportunity to see outstanding works kept at associated temples, gathered together in one place. (Japanese)
On May 25, UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova announced that the approval of the registration of 697 items comprising annotated paintings and diaries of the Chikuhō coal mines by YAMAMOTO Sakubei as a UNESCO Memory of the World. Nominated by the local city of Tagawa City in Fukuoka Prefecture and Fukuoka Prefectural University, this marks the first such registration in Japan. (Japanese)
On October 25, the Japanese government announced five recipients of the Order of Culture and fifteen recipients of the Person of Cultural Merit for the fiscal year 2011. In relation to art, potter ŌHI Toshirō was awarded the Order of Culture, and ceramic artist IMAI Masayuki, sculptor HASHIMOTO Kentarō, and calligrapher HIBINO Kōhō were awarded the Person of Cultural Merit. (Japanese)
On March 18, the Council for Cultural Affairs (Commissioner: NISHIHARA Suzuko) submitted a report on 43 assets to be designated as Important Cultural Properties to TAKAKI Yoshiaki, Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. The list includes ‘Mother and Child (母子)’ by nihonga artist UEMURA Shōen (National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo). The Council for Cultural Affairs also recommended that 194 structures, including the Main Worship Hall of Tsukiji Hongwanji temple (Chūō Ward, Tokyo), as well as two artworks to be registered as Registered Tangible Cultural Properties. (Japanese)
On June 1, the ‘Act on the Indemnification of Damage to Works of Art in Exhibition’, promulgated on April 4, came into force. This legislation enables the government to compensate for damage to exhibited artworks up to a maximum of ¥95 billion, allowing more citizens to appreciate outstanding artworks, which had been under consideration since the 1990s, against a backdrop of rising art valuations and soaring insurance premiums. Following the law’s implementation, the first exhibition to be applied was the exhibition titled ‘Goya: Lights and Shadows’ (National Museum of Western Art), opening in October, and the exhibition titled ‘Jackson Pollock: A Centennial Retrospective’ (Aichi Prefectural Museum of Art), opening in November. (Japanese)
