On March 19, the winner of the 44th 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, was announced. The award was given to IWANE Ai for her photobook ‘KIPUKA’ and exhibition ‘FUKUSHIMA ONDO’. (Japanese)
On September 17, the laureates of the 31st Praemium Imperiale in Honor of Prince Takamatsu (organized by the Japan Art Association), which publicly honors individual world artists, were announced. In relation to art, the laureates were William KENTRIDGE in the Painting category, who has expressed the pain of the dark history of his native South Africa through his unique amination known as ‘monochromatic drawing’; Mona HATOUM in the Sculpture category, who has continued to express the suffering of displaced people through installations and a variety of other forms of expression; and in the Architecture category, Tod WILLIAMS and Billie TSIEN, American architects whose works are highly regarded for their use of diverse materials and harmony with the environment. (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 38th winner was TAKAHASHI Satoshi for his photobook titled ‘RESISTANCE Kanbojia kussezaru hitobito no negai’. (Japanese)
On September 26, the Agency for Cultural Affairs, in accordance with Act on Regulation of Execution of Budget Pertaining to Subsidies, etc., announced that they would withhold the subsidies granted to the Aichi Triennale 2019 since Aichi Prefecture had failed to report a serious fact that threatened the smooth running of the Aichi Triennale 2019, an international art festival being held in Aichi Prefecture, despite protests and threats, forcing the cancellation of the planned exhibition ‘After “Freedom of Expression?”’. Withholding subsidies due to procedural errors was unprecedented. In response, a number of experts and organizations issued opposition statements. On October 9, the Japanese Council of Art Museums submitted a request to the Commissioner of the Agency for Cultural Affairs to withdraw their decision on the subsidies. (Japanese)
On March 22, the Japan Art Academy (Director: KUROI Senji) announced the recipients of the 75th Japan Art Academy Prize. The Imperial Prize and the Japan Art Academy Prize were given to MAGAMI Kidō (for his calligraphy ‘Hekijin’, exhibited at the Forth Kaiso Shin-Nitten) in the Fine Arts category. The Japan Art Academy Prize was given to IKEGAWA Sunao (for his sculpture ‘Toki no tabibito’, exhibited at the Fifth Kaiso Shin-Nitten) and ARAKI Tsunenobu (for his craftwork ‘Tsuki izuru’, exhibited at the First Kaiso Shin-Nitten). (Japanese)
The winners of the 31st Kokka Prize, the award for remarkable research on Japanese and East Asian art, were announced. The Kokka Prize was given to a monograph titled ‘Bukkyō chōzō no seisaku to juyō – Heian jidai o chūshin ni –’ (published in 2019) by OKU Takeo. The Kokka Exhibition Catalog Prize was given to an exhibition catalog titled ‘Torei HIJIKATA: A Retrospective’ (held in 2018 at the Tottori Prefectural Museum) by YAMASHITA Mayumi. (Japanese)
The winners of the 13th 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 KITAGAMAE Yasuo (Nemuro city, Hokkaido), who has been engaged in research on Okhotsk culture and the conservation of its archaeological materials. The Encouragement Prize was given to the NPO Tanada Lover’s (Chair: NAGASUGA Yūichi, Ichikawa Town, Hyōgo Prefecture), which promotes the restoration of terraced rice paddies and the training of successors. The Special Prize went to Rekishi Shiryō Network (Representative committee member: OKUMURA Hiroshi, Nada Ward, Kōbe City), which rescues and preserves old written materials damaged in disasters. (Japanese)
On October 12, Typhoon Hagibis known as Typhoon No. 19 or Reiwa 1 East Japan Typhoon, which made landfall in eastern Japan, caused extensive damage to cultural properties. A windowpane was broken at the Tomioka Silk Mill in Tomioka City, Gunma Prefecture, designated as a World Heritage Site, and the plaster on the tower of the former Kaichi School Building in Matsumoto City, Nagano Prefecture, was exfoliated. At the Kawasaki City Museum in Kanagawa Prefecture, the underground storages were flooded where 230,000 items in the museum’s collections were damaged. Starting with removal of photographs and film footage, curators and specialist from museums and art galleries across Japan participated in a rescue operation to remove the damaged collection, which was completed in June 2020. (Japanese)
On May 17, the Council for Cultural Affairs submitted a report on seven structures to be designated as National Treasures or Important Cultural Properties to SHIBAYAMA Masahiko, the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. The list includes the former Kaichi School Building (Matsumoto City, Nagano Prefecture), built in the Meiji period, to be designated as a National Treasure; and six structures such Eiheiji temple (Eiheiji Town, Fukui Prefecture), the head of the Sōtō Buddhist sect, and Higashi Honganji Temple (Kyoto City), to be designated as Important Cultural Properties. (Japanese)
On October 18, the Council for Cultural Affairs submitted a report on six structures to be designated as Important Cultural Properties to HAGIUDA Kōichi, the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. The list includes the former Shimazu family residence (Shinagawa Ward, Tokyo), designed by British architect Josiah Condor, and the Kanagawa Prefectural Government Office Building (Yokohama City), which is considered a pioneer in government building architecture, to be designated as Important Cultural Properties. In addition to the list, the Tatsuno region of Tatsuno City, Hyōgo Prefecture, and the Kasedafumoto region of Minamisatsua City, Kagoshima Prefecture, were also suggested to be the Important Preservation Districts for Groups of Traditional Buildings. (Japanese)
On May 23, ‘the Citi exhibition Manga’ opened at the British Museum in the United Kingdom (until August 26). This exhibition introduced the history of Japanese manga up to the present day and its relationship with society, including KATSUSHIKA Hokusai’s manga, KAWANABE Kyōsai’s stage curtain for the Shintomi Theater and topical manga in the Meiji period. It was the largest-ever exhibition of manga outside Japan. It attracted 180,000 visitors, including many young people. (Japanese)
On October 29, the Japanese government announced six recipients of the Order of Culture and 21 recipients of the Person of Cultural Merit for the fiscal year 2019. In relation to art, the Order of Culture was given to photographer TANUMA Takeyoshi, who began his career as a press photographer and dedicated himself to elevating the status of photographers by creating a unique world on children both in Japan and abroad. The Person of Cultural Merit was given to lighting designer ISHII Motoko, who advocates for designing spaces through lighting to revitalize environments and has been involved in the lighting design of landmarks such as the Tokyo Tower and Himeji Castle; nihonga artist TABUCHI Toshio, whose works, meticulously researched in terms of nature and history, combine decorative and spiritual elements, and who has been highly praised for establishing a distinctive style in nihonga painting; and manga artist HAGIO Moto, who developed shōjo manga into a genre capable of diverse and profound expression. (Japanese)
On January 1, the winners of the 60th Mainichi Art Award (sponsored by the Mainichi Newspapers Co.), the annual award given to outstanding individuals in art and culture, were announced. In the Art Category I (Painting / Sculpture / Crats / Graphics), contemporary artist NAITŌ Rei won for his solo exhibition titled, ‘Rei Naito: on the bright Earth I see you’. (Japanese)
On June 5, the Iwate Prefectural Museum (Morioka City) announced that a senior curator (terminated in March 2020) at the museum had, without the owners’ permission, repeatedly taken samples from metal objects excavated from archaeological sites in and outside the prefecture, which the museum was requested by local authorities for conservation treatment, and had analyzed them, for which the museum apologized. On December 16, the Iwate Prefectural Board of Education announced that samples were taken from two important cultural properties (‘kasha’ (incense burner) and ‘kebyō’ (flower vase) excavated from the Yanagi no gosho and Hiraizumi ruins in Hiraizumi Town, Iwate Prefecture) without the owners’ permission. The final report in 2022 reported a total of 103 cultural properties had been damaged. (Japanese)
In the early hours of October 31, a fire broke out at Shuri Castle (Naha City, Okinawa Prefecture), completely destroying the Main Hall, North Hall, and South Hall, as well as damaging a total of nine other buildings. The complex centered around the Main Hall was rebuilt in 1992 after being burned down during the Battle of Okinawa in 1945. Additionally, the buildings that were destroyed housed over 1,500 paintings, lacquerware, and other craftworks dating back to the time of the Ryūkyū Kingdom. Among these, 421 permanent displayed items in the Main Hall were either destroyed or damaged by the fire. (Japanese)
On January 16, the exhibition titled, ‘Unrivaled Calligraphy: Yan Zhenqing and His Legacy’, opened at the Tokyo National Museum (until February 24). Focusing on the Tang dynasty when the universal beauty of calligraphy was standardized, the exhibition explored the essence of calligraphy and the personality of Yan Zhenqing, who had a profound influence on future generations. It featured masterpieces such as ‘Draft of a Requiem to My Nephew’ from the collection of the National Palace Museum, Taipei. It also drew attention for its concept of questioning the history of calligraphy from oracle bone script to the Qing dynasty and calligraphy in Japan. (Japanese)
On June 8, the selection process for the Teijiro Nakahara Prize (sponsored by Asahikawa City, Hokkaido, and Asahikawa City Board of Education), established to contribute to the development of the Japanese sculpture world, took place. The 41st prize was awarded to MISAWA Atsuhiko’s ‘Animal 2018 – 01’. (Japanese)
On November 7, the Ringa Art Encouragement Award (organized by the Ringa Art Encouragement Fund), which publicly honors outstanding individuals for their exceptional achievements in the field of art criticism and art history research, announced the winners of the 31st Ringa Art Encouragement Prize. In the Art History Research Division, ITŌ Yoshiyuki (Researcher, advisor of Fukuzawa Memorial Foundation), co-author of ‘Chōgenjitsu shugi no 1937 nen Fukuzawa Ichirō “Shūrurearizumu” o yominaosu’, was awarded. In the Art Criticism Division, KATADA Yūko (Curator, Yokohama Museum of Art) received the prize for her curatorial exhibition titled ‘Tetsuro Komai: A Pioneer of Modern Japanese Copperplate Prints’ and contribution of her essay to its catalog. (Japanese)
On February 5, Miyakonojō City, Miyagi Prefecture, announced its plan to demolish the former Miyakonojō Civic Center, designed by KIKUTAKE Kiyonori, which is regarded as a masterpiece of Metabolism architecture. The building was completed in 1966 and used as a cultural promotion center of the city of Miyakonojō since. However, it was closed in 2007 due to its age. The decision to demolish the building was based on the results of a citizen’s survey as there were no prospects for its future use. Demolition work began on July 23 and would be completed in March 2020. A digital archiving project was carried out at the time of demolition to record the building’s shape in three dimensions using 3D scanning, with the aim of passing on its architectural value and establishing a new preservation method. (Japanese)
On June 21, the Council for Cultural Affairs submitted a report on the following places to be designated as Special Historic Site, Places of Scenic Beauty or Historic Sites to SHIBAYAMA Masahiko, the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. The list includes three sites such as Mannōike pond (Mannō Town, Kagawa Prefecture), one of the largest reservoirs in Japan, where Kūkai was involved in the restoration project, to be designated as Places of Scenic Beauty; eight sites such as ruins of Iwabitsu Castle (Higashiagatsuma Town, Gunma Prefecture), associated with the Sanada clan of feudal lord during the Sengoku period, to be designated as Historic Sites; three sites such as Hirata Family Garden (Nakatsu City, Ōita Prefecture), which makes use of the landscape of Yabakei Gorge, to be registered as Registered Monuments; and ‘Nakijin Village Imadomari Fukugi Yashiki Forest and Village Landscape’ (Nakijin Village, Okinawa Prefecture), characterized by its green living environment created by windbreak forests, to be selected as an Important Cultural Landscape. (Japanese)