On July 11, the laureates of the 23rd 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, Bill Viola (USA) in the Painting category, Anish Kapoor (United Kingdom) in the Sculpture category, and Ricardo Legorreta (Mexico) in the Architecture category. (Japanese)
The exhibitions titled ‘Kikuhata Mokuma kaiko ten – Sengo / Kaiga’ opened at the Fukuoka Art Museum (July 9 – August 28) and the Nagasaki Prefectural Art Museum (July 16 – August 13). They traced the works of KIKUHATA Mokuma, one of the leading figures in postwar Japanese art, from his debut to the present day. To comprehensively showcase the full scope of KIKUHATA’s diverse output – encompassing objets d’ art, paintings, drawings, and television programs, the exhibitions were divided across two venues: the Fukuoka City Museum focuses on the ‘postwar’ period, primarily showcasing objets d’ art, while the Nagasaki Prefectural Art Museum presented the ‘paintings’ section, including major works from the mid-1980s onwards. Each venue functioned as an independent exhibition, allowing visitors to appreciate the works in this distinct format. After gaining attention in the 1950s as a leading figure of the ‘Kyūshū School (Kyūshū-ha)’, KIKUHATA engaged in writing and television program production, distancing himself from the so-called art world for approximately twenty years from the late 1960s. His trajectory, marked by the successive unveiling of large-scale paintings from the mid-1980s onwards, reflected how the avant-garde movements that emerged across postwar Japan transformed within the new art world order centered on major cities, following the Expo ’70 and the period of high economic growth. His works raised questions that prompted a reconsideration of postwar art. (Japanese)
On June 17, the winners of the 6th Western Art Foundation Prize, which publicly honor individuals and institutions involved in curating exhibitions that have contributed to the understanding of Western art and academic research in the field of Western art, were announced. The Academic Prizes for Individuals were awarded to ŌYA Mina (for the exhibition titled ‘Exhibition of Frank Brangwyn’, held at the National Museum of Western Art) and KAMIYA Yukie (for the exhibition titled ‘Simon Starling: Project for a Masquerade (Hiroshima)’, held at the Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art). The Cultural Promotion Prize for institutions was given to Mitsubishi Estate (for the exhibition titled ‘Manet and Modern Paris’, held at the Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum, Tokyo). (Japanese)
On June 1, the ‘Act on the Indemnification of Damage to Works of Art in Exhibition’, promulgated on April 4, came into force. This legislation enables the government to compensate for damage to exhibited artworks up to a maximum of ¥95 billion, allowing more citizens to appreciate outstanding artworks, which had been under consideration since the 1990s, against a backdrop of rising art valuations and soaring insurance premiums. Following the law’s implementation, the first exhibition to be applied was the exhibition titled ‘Goya: Lights and Shadows’ (National Museum of Western Art), opening in October, and the exhibition titled ‘Jackson Pollock: A Centennial Retrospective’ (Aichi Prefectural Museum of Art), opening in November. (Japanese)
On May 25, UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova announced that the approval of the registration of 697 items comprising annotated paintings and diaries of the Chikuhō coal mines by YAMAMOTO Sakubei as a UNESCO Memory of the World. Nominated by the local city of Tagawa City in Fukuoka Prefecture and Fukuoka Prefectural University, this marks the first such registration in Japan. (Japanese)
On May 20, the Council for Cultural Affairs (Commissioner: NISHIHARA Suzuko) submitted a report on four places to be designated as Places of Scenic Beauty and four places to be designated as Historic Sites to TAKAKI Yoshiaki, Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. The list includes the Fuji Five Lakes (Yamanashi Prefecture), formed by volcanic activity of Mount Fuji, to be designated as a Place of Scenic Beauty; Umamukaiyama kofun (Shikokuchūō City, Ehime Prefecture), believed to be the largest rectangular burial mound in Shikoku, constructed in the seventh century, to be designated a Historic Site. The Fuji Five Lakes are deeply associated with the worship of Mount Fuji and have been the subject of numerous artworks, such as ukiyo-e prints, which are highly valued for their aesthetic appeal. In addition to the list, two places such as Kobe East Park (Kobe City), one of Japan’s oldest parks where memorial services for the Great Hanshin Earthquake are held, to be registered as Registered Monuments; and five places such as agricultural and mountainous landscape of Sado Nishimikawa trace back to Sado Gold Mine to be selected as an Important Cultural Landscapes. (Japanese)
On May 7, 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 sites should be inscribed on the World Heritage List, recommended that Hiraizumi (Hiraizumi Town, Iwate Prefecture), resubmitted by Japan, be inscribed as a World Heritage Site. In response, on June 26, the UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee decided to inscribe Hiraizumi on the World Heritage List as a Cultural Heritage Site. ICOMOS had deferred the examination of the nomination of Hiraizumi in 2008 and the World Heritage Committee had also instructed a recommendation be made, leading to its registration being postponed. However, the Japanese government had resubmitted the nomination, clarifying that it represents the concept of Pure Land Buddhism. Meanwhile, concerning the buildings, including the main building of the National Museum of Western Art, designed by architect Le Corbusier that Japan had jointly nominated with France and others, ICOMOS recommended ‘non-inscription’, and their registration as a World Heritage Site was postponed. (Japanese)
The winners of the 5th 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 awarded to OZAWA Masami, the solo inheritor engaged in the restoration of armor that are designated national cultural properties. The Encouragement Prize went to Ōyama Akihiko, Associate Professor at Nara University of Education, who has worked on recapturing color on drawings for various historical structures including the Kondō Hall at Toshōdaiji temple in Nara. The Special Prize was given to Nihon urushikaki gijutsu hozonkai, which works tirelessly in Ninohe City, Iwate Prefecture, to secure the domestically produced urushi lacquer essential for restoration of cultural properties and to pass on its collecting techniques to the next generation. (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 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)
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 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)
On April 26, the Japan Art Academy (Director: MIURA Shumon) announced the recipients of the 67th Japan Art Academy Prize. In the Fine Arts category, the Imperial Prize was given to YAMAZAKI Takao (for his nihonga painting titled ‘Kaikō’, exhibited at a Nitten exhibition). In the same category, the Japan Art Prize was shared between KURODA Kenichi (for his calligraphy, titled ‘Ogurayama’, exhibited at a Nitten exhibition) and FURUYA Nobuaki (for his architectural design ‘Chino Cultural Complex’). (Japanese)
On April 15, the Council for Cultural Affairs (Commissioner: NISHIHARA Suzuko) submitted a report on eight assets to be designated as Important Cultural Properties to TAKAKI Yoshiaki, the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. The list includes Yusuhara hachimangū (Ōita City), notable for its distinctive layout of buildings within the shrine precincts and the form of its main hall, and the Meiji Memorial Picture Gallery (Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo), the central facility of the Meiji Jingū Gaien. In addition to the list, three districts, including the Asuke district in Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture, were also suggested to be Important Preservation Districts for Groups of Traditional Buildings. (Japanese)
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 25th winner was ODANI Motohiko. He was awarded for his international achievements, including representing Japan at the Venice Biennale, which were recognized for pioneering new frontiers in the field of sculpture for the new era. (Japanese)
Following the Agency for Cultural Affairs’ announcement on the ‘Project on Salvaging Cultural Properties and Other Materials from the Great East Japan Earthquake’ (Cultural Property Rescue Programme) on March 30, the Cultural Property Rescue Programme was launched to protect cultural properties damaged in the Great East Japan Earthquake, with its secretariat established within the Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties. Regardless of national or local designation status, this project targeted movable cultural properties and artworks, undertaking their rescue and emergency treatment, and providing temporary storage until they can be returned to their owners. The National Institutes for Cultural Heritage as well as nationwide organizations that own cultural properties and artworks participated in this initiative, conducting joint relief operations with the affected prefectures. (Japanese)
On April 1, KONDŌ Seiichi, Commissioner for Cultural Affairs, issued a message entitled ‘Call for your cooperation in saving and recovering cultural properties damaged by the Tohoku-Pacific Ocean Earthquake’, calling upon the public to contribute through donations and other forms of support. (Japanese)
On March 29, the government budged for the fiscal year 2011 (Heisei 23) was passed. The budget for the Agency for Cultural Affairs was ¥103.127 billion, 1.1% or ¥1.13 billion more than 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. In particular, as ‘Special Framework for Revitalizing a Vibrant Japan’, a total of ¥13.3 billion was allocated to the following items: Project 1 ‘Project for Cultivating Next-Generation Artists through Culture and Arts’; Project 2 ‘Projects for Tourism Promotion and Regional Revitalization Utilizing Cultural Heritage’; and Project 3 ‘Creative Japan Outreach Project’. (Japanese)
On March 25, the exhibition titled ‘AOKI Shigeru – Myth, Sea and Love’ opened at the Ishibashi Museum of Art (until May 15). Commemorating the centenary of the death of painter AOKI Shigeru, who left a significant mark on Japanese Romanticism in Modern Japanese art and died in 1911, the exhibition traced the full scope of his work and the transition of its reception to the present day, featuring 224 artworks as well as 61 related materials. It represented a project that drew upon the accumulated research on AOKI Shigeru into a single presentation, which consisted of five chapters: Chapter 1 ‘His Debut’; Chapter 2 ‘The Fertile Sea’; Chapter 3 ‘Mythology Depicted’; Chapter 4 ‘Wandering in Kyushu and Death’; and Chapter 5 ‘The Posthumous Legend Forms’. It subsequently toured to the National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto (May 27 – July 10) and the Bridgestone Museum of Art (July 17 – September 4). (Japanese)
On March 18, the Council for Cultural Affairs (Commissioner: NISHIHARA Suzuko) submitted a report on 43 assets to be Important Cultural Properties to TAKAKI Yoshiaki, Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. The list includes ‘Mother and Child (母子)’ by nihonga artist UEMURA Shōen (National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo). The Council for Cultural Affairs also recommended that 194 structures, including the Main Worship Hall of Tsukiji Hongwanji temple (Chūō Ward, Tokyo), as well as two artworks to be registered as Registered Tangible Cultural Properties. (Japanese)