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 March 6, the Agency for Cultural Affairs announced the recipients of the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology’s Art Encouragement Prize for fiscal year 2008. The recipients of the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology’s Art Encouragement Prize were sculptor FUNAKOSHI Katsura (57) and photographer MIZUKOSHI Takeshi (70) in the Fine Arts category; media artist IWAI Toshio (46) in the Media Arts category; and KATŌ Taneo (60), Executive Director of Asahi Breweries Arts Foundation, in the Development of the Arts category. The recipients of the Art Encouragement Prize for New Artists were yōga artist MARUYAMA Naofumi (44) in the Fine Arts category; YAMAIDE Junya (38), NPO BEPPU PROJECT; and manga artist INOUE Takehiko (42) in the Media Arts category. The award ceremony was held in Tokyo on March 16. (Japanese)
On February 24, the organizing committee of the Venice Biennale, an international exhibition of contemporary art, announced the award winners. Yoko Ono (76) was awarded the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement. The citation stated that she ‘had opened up new possibilities for expression in the global art world’. The award ceremony took place during the Biennale’s opening ceremony on June 6. (Japanese)
On January 31, a monk discovered that a wooden seated statue of the Eleven-Headed Kannon (Jūichimen Kannon) had been stolen from the abbot’s quarters at Kenninji temple in Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto, which was reported to the Higashiyama Police Station. In September 2008, a statue of Eleven-Headed Kannon (Jūichimen Kannon) was stolen from Ninnaji temple, and in October of the same year, a statue of Bishamonten was stolen from Bishamondō temple in Yamashina Ward. There had been a spite of thefts at temples in Kyoto. It was suggested that one contributing factor might be the high price at which a statue of wooden seated Dainichi Nyorai, attributed to the Kamakura-period sculptor Unkei, was sold at an auction in New York in March 2008. (Japanese)
On January 20, the exhibition titled ‘Myōshinji’ opened at the Tokyo National Museum (until March 1), which showcased paintings, calligraphy and other works associated with Myōshinji temple, the headquarters of the Myōshinji branch of the Rinzai Zen School. The exhibition commemorated the 650th anniversary of the passing of Zen Master Kanzan Egen (Musō Daishi), who was welcomed as the temple’s founding priest. It consisted of eight chapters: Chapter 1 ‘Rinzai Zen’; Chapter 2 ‘Myōshinji no kaisō (The Founding of Myōshinji)’; Chapter 3 ‘Myōshinji no chūkō (The Revival of Myōshinji)’; Chapter 4 ‘Zen no kūkan I (The Space of Zen I)’; Chapter 5 ‘Onki no fūkei (The Landscape of Semicentennial Memorial Service)’; Chapter 6 ‘Myōshinji to daidannotsu (Myōshinji and Its Major Patrons); Chapter 7 ‘Kinsei no zenfū (The Zen Style of the Pre-Modern Period)’; and Chapter 8 ‘Zen no kūkan II (The Space of Zen II)’. It traced the history of the temple from its founding in 1337 (Kenmu 4) through to the Edo period, featuring 220 items including calligraphy and paintings by eminent monks, portraits and screen paintings from the temple’s sub-temples. It offered a comprehensive overview of the transition of Zen culture over more than six and a half centuries. The exhibition subsequently toured to the Kyoto National Museum (March 24 – May 10). (Japanese)
Following the enactment in 2008 of the Law on Historical Urban Development, under which the central government provides subsidies to local authorities for the preservation of historical townscapes, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructures, Transport and Tourism, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, and the Agency for Cultural Affairs jointly announced on January 19 that five cities had been approved for subsidies; Kanazawa City in Ishikawa Prefecture, Takayama City in Gifu Prefecture, Hikone City in Shiga Prefecture, Hagi City in Yamaguchi Prefecture, and Kameyama City in Mie Prefecture. The scheme under which the central government subsidises between one-third and one-half of the cost of maintenance. However, properties already receiving governmental subsidies, such as those designated as Important Cultural Properties or Historic Sites, are excluded from this scheme. (Japanese)
On January 16, the Council for Cultural Affairs (Commissioner: ISHIZAWA Yoshiaki) submitted a report on one asset of ‘votive tables of child-rearing prayers’, dedicated to Miyake Hachiman shrine in Kyoto City, to be designated as an Important Tangible Folk Cultural Property to SHIONOYA Ryū, Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. This brought the total number of Important Tangible Folk Cultural Properties to 207. (Japanese)
The winners of the VOCA Prize, which encourages young artists who create two-dimensional artworks, were announced. The 16th Grand Prize of the VOCA was awarded to MISE Natsunosuke (‘J’). KASHIKI Tomoko (‘Okujō kōen’ and ‘Fukuro no usagi’) and TAKEMURA Kei (‘dancing N.N. at her room and at the same time in a library in Berlin’) jointly received the VOCA Encouragement Prize. IMAZU Kei (‘COSMOPOLITAN’) and SAKURAI Rieko (‘Ayatori’ and ‘Kingyo no ohaka’) jointly received the VOCA Honorable Mention Prize. ASAI Yūsuke (‘Hito’, ‘Kyō wa kyō’ and ‘Shokubutsu’) received the Ohara Museum of Art Prize. TAKAGI Kozue (‘ground’) received the Fuchu Art Museum Prize. The VOCA 2009, where the winners’ works were exhibited, was held at the Ueno Royal Museum in Tokyo from March 15 to 30 in 2009.
(Japanese)
On January 10, the exhibition titled ‘Kyoto Gosyo: Recalling Great Treasure of Court Culture: Commemorating the 20th Anniversary of the Emperor’s Accession of the Throne’ opened at the Kyoto National Museum (until February 22). Featuring approximately130 artworks spanning from the Heian to Meiji periods, the exhibition offers a retrospective on court culture through selected artifacts, including imperial treasures from the Imperial Household Agency and the Kyoto Imperial Palace, and artworks ,such as calligraphy, paintings, and decorative arts, bestowed upon temples and shrines, as well as sliding doors and wall paintings (shōhekiga) from former imperial residences. It consisted of eight chapters: Chapter 1 ‘Kyōto to tennō no ihō (Kyoto and the Emperors’ Treasures)’; Chapter 2 ‘Katsuranomiya ke to Katsura rikyū (The Katsuranomiya Family and Katsura Imperial Villa)’; Chapter 3 ‘Kyūtei to bukkyō (The Imperial Court and Buddhism)’; Chapter 4 ‘Kyūtei no shōzoku (Imperial Court Attire)’; Chapter 5 ‘Gosho no kōgei (Crafts of the Imperial Palace)’; Chapter 6 ‘Shishinden no sōgen (The Splendor of Shishinden)’; Chapter 7 ‘Gosho o kazatta shōhekiga (Screen Paintings Once Adorned at the Imperial Palace)’; and Chapter 8 ‘Gosho no shōhekiga (Screen Paintings of the Imperial Palace)’. (Japanese)
The recipients of the 50th Mainichi Art Award (sponsored by the Mainichi Newspapers Co.), an annual award given to outstanding individuals in art and culture, were announced. In relation to art, the award was given to ISHIUCHI Miyako in the Film II (Photography) category for her exhibition titled ‘Ishiuchi Miyako Hiroshima Strings of Time’ held at the Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art as well as her phonebook ‘Hiroshima’ published by Shūeisha; and FUNAKOSHI Katsura in the Art I (Painting / Sculpture) for his exhibition titled ‘Summer Villa: The Sculptures, Drawings, and Prints of KATSURA FUNAKOSHI in Art Deco Space’ held at the Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum. (Japanese)
On January 1, the recipients of the Asahi Prize for fiscal year 2008 (sponsored by the Asahi Shimbun Foundation) were announced. In relation to art, manga artist MIZUKI Shigeru received the prize for ‘his contribution to manga culture through a wide range of creative works themed yōkai and war.’ (Japanese)
The winners of the 18th VOCA Prize, which encourages young artists who create two-dimensional artworks, were announced. The Grant Prize of the VOCA was given to NAKAYAMA Reika (‘Aru wakusei’). GOTŌ Yasuka and MORI Chihiro received the VOCA Encouragement Prize. KUMAZAWA Mikiko and SAWADA Akiko received the VOCA Honorable Mention Prize. UEDA Akiko received the Ohara Museum of Art Prize. The VOCA exhibition 2011, where the winners’ works were exhibited, was held at the Ueno Royal Museum in Tokyo from March 14 to March 30 in 2011. (Japanese)
On December 10, the Council for Cultural Affairs (Commissioner: NISHIHARA Suzuko) submitted a report on 209 structures across 28 prefectures to be designated as Registered Tangible Cultural Properties to TAKAKI Yoshiaki, Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. The list includes the Nankai Building, the terminal building of Nankai Eclectic Railways’s Nanba Station (Osaka City), with its ornately decorated exterior; and the Tenryū River Bridge of the Tenryū Hamanako Railway (Hamamatsu City), a railway bridge constructed in 1940. This brings the total number of Registered Tangible Cultural Properties to 8,348. (Japanese)
On November 25, the Agency for Cultural Affairs announced that the plaster removal work, commenced in August 2004 to preserve the murals of the Kitora Tumulus (Asuka Village, Nara Prefecture), nationally designated as Special Historic Site, had now concluded all operations on all sections where murals were suspected to exist. Furthermore, on December 15, the Agency also announced that X-ray examinations of areas on the Dragon (east wall), the Snake (south wall), and the Monkey (east wall) sections where murals might have remained had failed to confirm their presence. On December 24, the Agency decided at the Study Group on the Preservation and Utilization of Kitora Tumulus Muras to preserve the removed plaster without immediately removing the mud covering it for the time being. (Japanese)
On November 29, the Japan Art Academy (Director: MIURA Shumon) announced that five new members had been elected to join their ranks for their distinguished artistic achievements. In relation to art, nihonga artist FUKUŌJI Kazuhiko, yōga artist YAMAMOTO Fumihiko, kōgei artist TAKEGOSHI Toshiaki, kōgei artist MORINO Hiroaki, and critics as well as translator AWAZU Norio were elected. It was officially announced by TAKAKI Yoshiaki, Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, on December 15. (Japanese)
The recipients of the 22nd 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, were announced. AMANO Kazuo (Chief Curator, Toyota Municipal Museum of Art) was awarded for his curated exhibition titled ‘East Asia Image of Modern Ages’, and MAEMURA Fumihiro (Curator, Utsunomiya Museum of Art) was awarded for his curated exhibition titled ’Sugiura Hisui no me to te‘. (Japanese)
On November 10, the 32nd Suntory Prize for Social Sciences and Humanities (sponsored by the Suntory Foundation) announced that, in relation to art, FURUTA Ryō was awarded the prize for his monograph titled ‘Tawaraya Sōtatsu’ (Henbonsha) in the Literary and Art Criticism category. (Japanese)
On November 3, the exhibition titled ‘Tsutaya Jūzaburō: Pubisher who Discovered Utamaro and Sharaku’ opened at the Suntory Museum of Art (until December 19). It featured the activities of TSUTAYA Jūzaburō, known as Tsutajū, the publisher who skillfully marketed the works of ukiyo-e artists such as KITAGAWA Utamaro, TŌSHŪSAI Sharaku, playwright SANTŌ Kyōden, and kyōka poet ŌTA Nanpo in the late eighteenth-century Edo, therey directing and creating the cutting edge of Edo culture. While stabilizing his business by publishing guides to Edo Yoshiwaha pleasure quarter, such as ‘Yoshiwara saiken’, he simultaneously built his brand by successively publishing works by popular kyōka poets and playwrights. Furthermore, the exhibition showcased his talent as a renowned producer, revealing his dedication to discovering new talents such as KATSUSHIKA Hokusai, JIPPENSHA Ikku, and KYOKUTEI Bakin. (Japanese)
On October 26, the Japanese government announced seven recipients of the Order of Culture and seventeen recipients of the Person of Cultural Merit for the fiscal year 2010. In relation to art, architect ANDŌ Tadao and fashion designer Issey MIYAKE were awarded the Order of Culture, and calligrapher FURUTANI Sōin, photographer HOSOE Eikō, and manga artist MIZUKI Shigeru were awarded the Person of Cultural Merit. (Japanese)
On October 25, Tōdaiji temple and the Gangoji Institute for Research of Cultural Property announced that two missing gold-and-silver-inlaid swords found under the sumeru altar (shumidan) within the Great Buddha Hall of Tōdaiji temple in Nara City during the Meiji period has been identified as the Shōsōin treasures sacred swords that had been missing for some 1,250 years. They were part of chindangu (votive objects buried beneath the altar) and were later designated as National Treasures. Those two swords are called ‘Yōhōken’ and ‘Inhōken’. This discovery was made during X-ray examinations conducted as part of conservation work, which revealed inlaid inscriptions reading ‘yōken’ and ‘inken’ on the blades. These swords are listed in the Record of the Nation’s Rare Treasures (Kokka chinpō chō), an inventory of Emperor Shōmu’s possessions donated to the Great Buddha by Empress Kōmyō, with a note stating that they were ‘removed items’. Records from other Shōsōin documents indicate that they were taken out in 759 (Tenpyō Hōji 3), yet their whereabouts thereafter had remained unknown. (Japanese)
On October 15, the Council for Cultural Affairs (Commissioner: NISHIHARA Suzuko) submitted a report on the designation of the Main Shrine Building, Ishi-no-ma Room, and Worship Hall of Kunōzan Toshōgū shrine as National Treasures, and nine assets including the pagoda of Ikegami Honmonji temple to be designated as Important Cultural Properties to TAKAKI Yoshiaki, Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. This brings the total number of Important Cultural Properties in the structure category to 2,374 (including 216 National Treasures). In addition to the list, approximately 7 hectares of land in Gojō City, Nara Prefecture, where numerous substantial townhouses from the Edo period onwards remain extant, was suggested to be selected to be an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings. (Japanese)
