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 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)
On November 12, the 41st Suntory Prize for Social Science and Humanities (Sponsored by the Suntory Foundation) announced that, in relation to art, KUWAKINO Kōji (Associate Professor, Osaka University) for his monograph ‘Runessansu teien no seishin shi’ was awarded in the Literary and Art Criticism category. (Japanese)
On March 1, the Agency for Cultural Affairs announced the winning works for the 22nd Japan Media Arts Festival Awards that are given to excellent media artworks from inside and outside of Japan. The Grand Prizes were given to a sound installation titled ‘Pulses/Grains/Phase/Moiré’ by FURUDATE Ken (Japan) in the Art Division; a TV program titled ‘Chico Will Scold You!’ by the ‘Chico Will Scold You!’ Production Team (Japan) in the Entertainment Division; an animated short film titled ‘La Chute’ by Boris LABBÉ (France) in the Animation Division; and a manga titled ‘ORIGIN’ by Boichi (Korea) in the Manga Division. (Japanese)
On June 24, the Idemitsu Museum of Arts (Marunouchi, Tokyo) announced that it had purchased 190 items from the Etsuko and Joe Price Collection, American collectors of Edo paintings over the years, including ITŌ Jakuchū’s ‘Birds, Animals, and Flowering Plants in Imaginary Scene’, a screen painting where plants and animals are depicted using a different arrangement of squares and colors. The couple had hoped to pass part of their collection to Japan due to their advanced age. (Japanese)
On November 15, the Council for Cultural Affairs submitted a report on the following places to be designated as Places of Scenic Beauty or Historic Sites to HAGIUDA Kōichi, the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. The list includes the Sakitama Kofun Cluster (Gyōda City, Saitama Prefecture), which includes the Inariyama kofun where the National Treasure ‘iron Inariyama burial-mound sword (J: kinsakumei tekken)’ was excavated, to be designated as a Special Historic Site; fifteen sites such as the Shiraho Saonetabaru Cave Site (Ishigaki City, Okinawa), where the oldest human remains from the Paleolithic period in Japan were excavated, to be designated as Historic Sites; four sites such as the Sudō Family Garden (Hirosaki City, Aomori Prefecture), constructed at the end of the Meiji Period, to be designated as Places of Scenic Beauty; five sites such as the Nagamine Family Garden (Nagano City), where its Edo-period waterways have been maintained to the present day, to be designated as Registered Monuments. The Council also suggested 133 structures to be registered as Registered Tangible Cultural Properties, including the Totsuna Bridge (Fukushima City), the oldest surviving steel arch bridges in Japan. (Japanese)
On March 3, the Japanese government and the Agency of Cultural Affairs held the inauguration ceremony for the Japan Cultural Expo, the core project of the cultural program on the occasions of the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics at the National Theatre of Japan in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo. Under the overall theme of ‘Japanese people and nature’, the project aims to promote the beauty of Japan from the Jomon period to the present day, both within Japan and worldwide, in the field of art, cultural heritage and media arts. It will be widely developed in 2020. (Japanese)
On June 24, the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo (Takebashi, Tokyo) announced that it had acquired a representative work by nihon-ga painter KABURAKI Kiyokata’s ‘Tsukiji Akashi-cho Town’ (1927). This painting won the Imperial Academy of Fine Arts Prize at the Teiten exhibition in 1927, was frequently exhibited at art exhibitions. It was also used as the design for a postage stamp in 1971 and was widely popular. However, it went missing after an exhibition that took place in 1975. In June, the museum purchased it from an art dealer in Tokyo, together with ‘Shintomi-cho Town’ and ‘Hama-cho Gashi Zone’, which were produced as a trilogy. They are now all in the museum’s collection. The trilogy was on public display at the museum from November 1 to December 15. (Japanese)
On November 29, the Japan Art Academy (Director: KUROI Senji) announced that it had elected two seven members to the Japan Art Academy for their outstanding achievements in artistic activities. In relation to art, kōgei artist HARUYAMA Fuminori and calligrapher KURODA Kenichi were elected. The election was officially announced by HAGIUDA Kōichi, the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology on December 15. (Japanese)
On March 5, ISOZAKI Arata won the Pritzker Architecture Prize, the annual award for outstanding architects, known as the Nobel Prize in architecture, which was announced by the Hyatt Foundation (sponsor of the prize) in the United States. ISOZAKI was recognised for his fusion of Eastern and Western cultures and his significant influence on Western architecture design. (Japanese)
In May, 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 a site should be inscribed on the World Heritage List, recommended the inclusion of the ‘Mozu-Furuichi Kofun Group: Mounded Tombs of Ancient Japan’, which had been nominated by the Japanese government on the World Heritage List. In response, on July 6, at the 43rd session of the UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee, held in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, it decided to inscribe the site on the World Heritage List as a Cultural Heritage Site. (Japanese)
On December 19, the winners of the VOCA Prize, which encourages young artists who create two-dimensional artworks, were announced. The Grant Prize of the VOCA was given to Nerhol (‘Remove’). KAN Mika (‘A Happy Birthday, #selfiewithme’) and RI Jong Ok (‘Olympia 2020’) jointly received the VOCA Encouragement Prize. KUROMIYA Nana (‘Image – Owarishi michi no shirube ni’) and MIYAMOTO Hanako (‘Shiro ga kieteiku. – Mein Tagebuch –’) jointly received the VOCA Honorable Mention Prize. The Ohara Museum of Art Prize was given to ASANO Yuriko (‘Kuchiake’). The VOCA exhibition 2020, where the winners’ works were exhibited, was held at the Ueno Royal Museum in Tokyo from March 12 to March 27 in 2020. (Japanese)
