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 June 13, the exhibition ‘Lacas Namban: Huellas de Japón en España’ opened at Museo Nacional de Artes decorativas, Madrid (until September 29). The exhibition was part of a series of events commemorating the 400th anniversary of Spanish-Japanese relations as well as marking the 400th anniversary of the departure of the Keichō mission to Spain, led by HASEKURA Tsunenaga. The exhibition brought together a collection of lacquerware from the Nanban chest in the collection of Monasterio de las Descalzas Reales, as well as other pieces from around Spain. (Japanese)
On June 9, the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, bid successfully on a Japanese chest for 7.3 million euros (approximately 950 million yen) at an auction. This lacquer chest, made in Japan in the early Edo period, was originally purchased by French cardinal Jules Mazarin in 1658 and was found in a private house in France. One of the four Japanese chests owned by the Mazarin family, this is one of the finest pieces of Japanese export lacquerware, made entirely of black-lacquered wood lavishly decorated with gold maki-e and raden (shell inlay) decoration. It came into the possession of Sir Trevor Lawrence, a British collector of Japanese art, in 1882, but went missing since 1941. (Japanese)
On June 1, the opening ceremony and awards ceremony of la Biennale di Venezia, the world’s largest biennial international contemporary art exhibition, were held in Venice, Italy, with the Japan Pavilion receiving a Special Mention in a category of the national participations where 88 nations participated. The Japan Pavilion, curated by KURAYA Mika, Chief Curator of the Department of Fine Arts at the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, presented TANAKA Kōki’s solo exhibition titled ‘abstract speaking-sharing uncertainty and collective acts’, which mainly consisted of video works inspired by the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. (Japanese)
On May 18, the selection process of the Teijiro Nakahara Prize (sponsored by Asahikawa City, Hokkaido and its City Board of Education), which was established to contribute to the development of the Japanese sculpture world, took place. UEMATSU Keiji’s ‘Cutting – Axis・Latitude・Longitude’ was selected as the 38th prize winner. (Japanese)
On May 17, the Council for Cultural Affairs (Commissioner: MIYATA Ryōhei) submitted a report on one building to be designated as a National Treasures and nine buildings to be designated as Important Cultural Properties to SHIMOMURA Hakubun, Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. The list includes Bannaji (Ashikagashi City, Tochigi Prefecture), a medieval esoteric Buddhist temple that represents East Japan to be designated as a National Treasure; and the Former Residence of the Maeda Family (Meguro Ward, Tokyo), built in the early Shōwa period by the former feudal lord of the Kaga domain, to be designated as an Important Cultural Property. In addition to the list, Tsuwano (Tsuwano Town, Shimane Prefecture) and Jōtō (Tsuyama City, Okayama Prefecture) were also suggested to be the Important Preservation Districts for Groups of Traditional Buildings. At the same time, it also called for the lifting of the designation of the main hall of Kinzanji (Okayama City) as an Important Cultural Property, which burned down in 2012. (Japanese)
On April 15, the government budget for the fiscal year 2013 (Heisei 25) was passed. The budget for the Agency for Cultural Affairs became ¥103.342 billion, increased by 0.14%, which is ¥142 million increase compared to 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, utilization and succession of Japan’s precious cultural properties; and 3. Dissemination of Japan’s outstanding culture and arts / promotion of international cultural exchange. Major categories whose budget increased in each project are as follows: in Project 1, ¥450 million for ‘Program for Cultural and Art Promotion Utilizing Universities’; in Project 2, ¥1.7 billion for ‘Project to Revitalize the Local Community by Cultural Property Buildings’; ¥3.2 billion for ‘Project to Promote Integrated Use and Support of Historic Landmarks that Utilize Local Characteristics’; ¥1.01 billion for ‘Project to Support Creative Activities at Art Museums and History Museums as the Core of the Local Community’; and ¥3.384 billion for ‘Project to Revitalize the Local Community by Using Cultural Heritage’. (Japanese)
The National Archives of Modern Architecture opened in Yushima, Tokyo, to collect and preserve materials relating to pre-war and post-war Japanese architecture, which is under the direct control of the Agency for Cultural Affairs. ANDŌ Tadao was appointed to be Honorary Director. A special exhibition was held to celebrate its opening, titled ‘Tokyo Olympics in Architectural Documents from the 1964 Yoyogi National Stadium to the 2020 New National Stadium’ (May 8 – June 14), which included drawings of the Yoyogi National Stadium designed by TANGE Kenzō. (Japanese)
The winners of the 7th 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 given to AWATA Junji, who carries on the tradition of Anōshū, a group of stonemasons who were highly respected by Oda Nobunaga and is engaged in repairing castle stonewalls. TORIHARA Yūji, who produces gold and silver threads for gold brocade and other materials used in the decoration of cultural properties, received the Encouragement Prize, and the Sumitomo Foundation (President: SUMITOMO Kichizaemon), which provides grants for the restoration of cultural properties, was selected for the Special Prize. (Japanese)
On April 24, the exhibition titled ‘The Lady and the Unicorn from the Musée de Cluny, Paris, France’ opened at the National Art Center, Tokyo (until July 15). This exhibition featured six late medieval tapestries from the collection of the Musée de Culny – Musée national du Moyen Âge, Paris, France, including ‘The Lady and the Unicorn’. This was the first time they were exhibited in Japan, having been loaned out of the museum to coincide with a complete renovation of the exhibition space. The exhibition toured to the National Museum of Art, Osaka (July 27 – October 20). (Japanese)
On March 31, the special exhibition titled ‘Kano Sanraku and Sansetsu’ opened at the Kyoto National Museum (until May 12). This exhibition traced the life and work of Sanraku, the head of the Kyō-Kanō school line, and Sansetsu, the second head of the Kyō-Kanō school, through 83 works, including three from overseas. Based on painstaking research and study, the exhibition demonstrated how the two generations inherited KANŌ Eitoku’s splendid style of painting while they developed richer and more of their original styles. (Japanese)
On March 26, the exhibition titled ‘Natume Soseki and Arts’ opened at the Hiroshima Prefectural Art Museum (until May 6). This exhibition featured works by artists who appeared in the literary works and art criticism of the great novelist NATSUME Sōseki, in an attempt to decipher the world of the art. It included works by the Pre-Raphaelites, modern Japanese art, bookbinding and illustrations by artists who associated with Sōseki, as well as literati paintings by Sōseki’s own hand. The exhibition travelled to the University Art Museum, Tokyo University of the Arts (May 1 – July 7) and the Shizuoka Prefectural Museum of Art (July 13 – August 25). (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 32nd winner was KAMEYAMA Ryō. The award was given for his photobook titled ‘AFRIKA WAR JOURNAL’ (Little More), which was highly acclaimed for its new direction in photo-documentary, focusing on the suffering of people at the bottom of the pyramid in conflict zones across Africa. (Japanese)
On March 19, the Japan Art Academy (Director: MIURA Shumon) announced the recipients of the 69th Japan Art Academy Prize. In the Fine Arts category, MAKI Fumihiko (for his architecture of the Toyama Auditorium at Nagoya University) received the Imperial Prize and the Japan Art Academy Prize. In the same category, NŌJIMA Kazuaki (for his nihonga painting titled ‘Kanemaki (Kurokawa noh), exhibited at a Nitten exhibition), SATŌ Tetsu (for his yōga painting titled ‘Natsu no owari ni’, exhibited at a Nitten exhibition) and TERAIKE Shizuto (for his kōgei artwork titled ‘Fukisō’, exhibited at a Nitten exhibition) received the Japan Art Academy Prize. (Japanese)
On March 17, the Hyatt Foundation announced that ITO Toyo was chosen as a winner of the Pritzker Architecture Prize, the annual award to honor outstanding architects, which is often referred to as the Nobel Prize of architecture. His works were praised for their spirituality and poetic scope as well as for his attempt to expand the possibilities of architecture through such projects as Sendai Mediatheque. (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 2012. In the Fine Arts category, artist KAWAMATA Tadashi (for his exhibition ‘Kawamata Tadashi: Expand BankART’ etc.) and artist NARA Yoshitomo (for his exhibition ‘NARA Yoshitomo: a bit like you and me…’) shared the prize. TAMAMUSHI Satoko, art historian as well as Professor at Musashino Art University, was awarded for her monograph titled ‘Tawaraya Sōtatsu: kingin no kazari no keifu’ in the Criticism category. KAWAGUCHI Yōichirō, computer graphic artist, was awarded for his exhibition titled ‘Kawaguchi Yōichirō tokubetsuten’ in the Media Arts category. The recipients of the Art Encouragement Prize for New Artists for the fiscal year 2012 were photographer KAWAUCHI Rinko for her exhibition ‘Kawauchi Rinko: Illuminance, Ametsuchi, Seeing Shadow’ in the Fine Arts category; SHIMIZU Emiko, scholar of comparative literature and art history, for her monograph titled ‘Okakura Tenshin no hikaku bunkashiteki kenkyū – Bosuton deno katsudō to geijutsu shisō’ in the Criticism category; and OKIURA Hiroyuki, animation director, for his animation work ‘A Letter to Momo’ in the Media Arts category. (Japanese)
On March 8, the exhibition titled ‘Francis Bacon’ opened at the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo (until May 26). This exhibition featured 33 works by London-based painter Francis Bacon, which are housed in national and international collections. It also displayed performance works influenced by Bacon and was notable for its focus on the physicality the artist saw important. The exhibition travelled to the Toyota Municipal Museum of Art (June 8 – September 1). (Japanese)
On March 2, the exhibition titled ‘Raffaello’ opened at the National Museum of Western Art (until June 2). This is Raphael Sanzio’s first ever exhibition in Japan, one of the representative painters of the Italian Renaissance, which displayed 23 pieces of Raphael’s works along with his masters and followers, including ‘Madonna del Graduca’ (Palatine Gallery, Florence). In addition to this exhibition, ‘Leonard da Vinci: Biblioteca Pinacoteca Ambrosiana’ exhibition (held at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum from April 23 to June 30) and ‘Michelangelo Buonarroti: The Making of a Genius and the 500th Anniversary of the Sistine Chapel’ exhibition (held at the Fukui Fine Art Museum from June 28 to August 25 and the National Museum of Western Art from September 6 to November 17), were held as part of ‘Italia in Giappone 2013’. (Japanese)
On Februay 27, the Council for Cultural Affairs (Commissioner: MIYATA Ryōhei) submitted a report on three assets to be designated as National Treasures and 50 assets to be Important Cultural Properties to SHIMOMURA Hakubun, Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. The three assets to be designated as National Treasures are Standing Fudō Myōō with Two Attendants, wooden sculptures made by Unkei, a sculptor of Buddhist statues in the Kamakura period (Ganjōjuin temple, Shizuoka Prefecture); Monju Bosatsu and Four Attendants by Kaikei (Monjuin temple, Nara Prefecture); and ‘Collection of Documents and Buddhist Sutras at Daigoji Temple’, historical records dating from the Heian to Meiji periods (Daigoij temple, Kyoto Prefecture). The list for Important Cultural Properties includes ‘Pine Trees of the Four Seasons’ by Edo-period painter KANŌ Tanyū (Daitokuji temple, Kyoto Prefecture). (Japanese)
On February 26, the Denchū Hirakushi Award (sponsored by Ibara City, Okayama Prefecture), established to commemorate HIRAKUSHI Denchū’s achievements along with the promotion of wood carvings in Japan, announced that the 26th winner was ŌHIRA Minoru. He was awarded for his sculptural forms that represent his broad perspectives and his experienced work to date. (Japanese)
Regarding the Buddhist statue stolen from Tsushima City in Nagasaki Prefecture and found in South Korea, the Daejeon District Court in central South Korea issued a provisional injunction against the South Korean government returning the statue to Japan. Among the cultural properties stolen by Korean thieves from temples and shrines on Tsushima Island in October 2012 was a seated statue of Kanzeon Bodhisattva, designated as a Nagasaki Prefectural Tangible Cultural Property, owned by Kannonji temple. Buseoksa temple located in Seosan, central South Korea, claimed that the statue was produced at the temple in the 14th century but was looted by wakō (lit. Japanese pirates), and applied for a provisional injunction to prohibit the return of the statue until it could be determined how it had originally been brought to Japan. In response, the mayor of Tsushima City requested the Korean Cultural Heritage Administration to return the statue in June. (Japanese)
