On March 10, 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 27th winner was KUROWARABI Sō. The artist capitalized on the charm of wood carvings and his works represented his earnest efforts to seek a relationship between humans and carvings, which were highly acclaimed. (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 2014. In the Fine Arts category, SATŌ Tokihiro, photographer, artist as well as Professor at the Tokyo University of the Arts, (for his exhibition ‘Sato Tokihiro: Presence or Absence’) and NAKAMURA Kazumi, Professor at the Tama Art University, (for his exhibition ‘Nakamura Kazumi’) shared the prize. NOMURA Masato, Professor at the Gakushuin University, was awarded for his monograph ‘Fūshi gaka Guranbiru: Tekisuto to imēji no 19 seiki’ in the Criticism category. Artist TAKATANI Shirō was awarded for his solo exhibitions such as ‘Camera Lucida’ in the Media Arts category. The three recipients of the Art Encouragement Prize for New Artists for the fiscal year 2014 were architect SAITŌ Tadashi for his architectural design ‘Hanchiku House’ in the Fine Arts category; MAEDA Kyōji, Deputy Editor of the Yomiuri Shimbun, for his monograph ‘E no yō ni: Meiji bungaku to bijutsu’ in the Criticism category; and manga artist KISHIMOTO Masashi for his manga ‘NARUTO’ in the Media Arts category. (Japanese)
On March 13, the Council for Cultural Affairs (Commissioner: MIYATA Ryōhei) submitted a report on one asset to be designated as a National Treasures and 39 assets to be designated as Important Cultural Properties to SHIMOKURA Hakubun, Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. The list includes the seated Miroku Bosatsu of Tōdaiji temple (Nara City) and the standing Kokūzō Bosatsu of Daigoji temple (Kyoto City) to be designated as a National Treasure; and the original glass photographic plates that were used to take pictures of the murals in the Kondō Hall of Hōryūji temple in 1935, and the port dues banners, called ‘kasho senki’, to be designated as Important Cultural Properties. (Japanese)
On March 13, the Council for Cultural Affairs (Commissioner: MIYATA Ryōhei) submitted a report on 171 buildings to be registered as Registered Tangible Cultural Properties to SHIMOMURA Hakubun, Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. The list includes the main building of the Toyama Prefectural Government Office constructed in 1935 and the Hirosaki City Hall designed by architect MAEKAWA Kunio. (Japanese)
On March 17, the winners of the 40th Kimura Ihei Award (Sponsored by the Asahi Shimbun Company and the Asahi Shimbun Publications Inc.), the award given to exceptional new photographers in honor of photographer KIMURA Ihei’s achievements, were announced. The awards were shared between ISHIKAWA Ryūichi for his photo books ‘Zekkei no porishī (A Grand Polyphony)’ and ‘okinawa portraits 2010-2012’ and KAWASHIMA Kotori for her photo book ‘Myōjō’. (Japanese)
On March 25, the Japan Art Academy (Director: KUROI Senji) announced the recipients of the 71st Japan Art Academy Prize. In the Fine Arts category, MAKOSHI Yōko (for her yōga painting titled ‘Ningen no taiga: Inochi mau, fushi no ai’, exhibited at the Dokuritsu exhibition) and TŌKI Fumio (for his architecture of the Bunkyō City Mori Ogai Memorial Museum) received the Japan Art Academy Prize. (Japanese)