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 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.), an award for a photographer who has made excellent achievements in the previous year, announced that the 30th winner 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)
The recipients of the 52nd 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 ceramic artist AKIYAMA Yō for his solo exhibition titled ‘Yo Akiyama’, held at Art Court Gallery, Osaka; and artist MORIMURA Yasumasa for his solo exhibition titled ‘A Requiem: Art on Top of the Battlefield’, held at the Tokyo Photographic Art Museum and other venues. (Japanese)
