The Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum garden has reopened. 

Teien

Japanese Museums with COVID-Related Closings

Site of the Manzanar internment camp in California. Source: Wikimedia Commons (sonora ortiz).

2021-12-01 0.25.24

From Minority to Majority: Thoughts on Asian American Hate from an Asian American Living in Japan

Viva Video! The Art and Life of Shigeko Kubota at Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo

IMG 0892-1 (1)

Exhibitions Open Over the New Year Holidays (2021-2022)

The <a href="https://universes.art/en/venice-biennale/2021-architecture">17th Venice Architecture Biennale</a> is currently being held after postponement from last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With participants from 46 countries, this year’s event on through November 21 explores the theme “How Will We Live Together?” Architects from around the world have gathered in Italy to present projects on topics including the challenges that climate change brings to architecture, the role of public space in urban settings, reconstruction techniques, and new forms of collective building. The Japan Pavilion (Commissioner: The Japan Foundation) is curated this time by Kozo Kadowaki, an architect and professor. Other Japanese architects taking leading roles are Tomohisa Miyauchi, who represents the Singapore Pavilion, and Kenichi Teramoto, a co-curator of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Pavilion. Their works consider the reuse of old buildings, designs for communal spaces, and alternative construction materials with environmental benefits. 
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/001_D0A6534.jpg" alt="The Japan Pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale" title="Photo: ⒸAlberto Strada, Courtesy of the Japan Foundation" width="518" height="345" class="imgcaption" />
Japan 
For the <a href="https://venezia-biennale-japan.jpf.go.jp/e/architecture/2021">Japan Pavilion</a> exhibition, titled “Co-ownership of Action: Trajectories of Elements,” Kadowaki directed a team of architects and preservation building specialists in dismantling a house and bringing its parts to Venice. Named the “Takamizawa House” after a former occupant, the dwelling was a 65-year-old structure typical of Japanese wood construction. It was located across the street from where Kadowaki lived in Tokyo. Having undergone repeated additions and renovations over three decades, the house physically embodied the changes Japanese society went through during the postwar years. It was one of many such aging residences in Japan, which faces a housing glut due to depopulation. After careful study and deconstruction, its materials were shipped to the Biennale, where they are exhibited along with photographs of the building and a timeline of its history. 
 <img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/014_D0A6854.jpg" alt="Parts from the house displayed inside the pavilion" title="Photo: ⒸAlberto Strada, Courtesy of the Japan Foundation" width="518" height="345" class="imgcaption" />
Although not all of the house could be salvaged, parts of it were reconstructed in Venice with new elements added by local artisans. Materials from the house’s roofs and walls have been reused to make benches, screens, and display panels for the pavilion. 
 <img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/024_D0A6974.jpg" alt="Benches made from the house's materials" title="Photo: ⒸAlberto Strada, Courtesy of the Japan Foundation" width="518" height="345" class="imgcaption" />
One goal of the project was to visualize how “transport and movement in general have become an increasingly frenetic aspect of contemporary society.” Another was to address issues of waste involved in construction. “Building results in a lot of scrap material, so we wanted to create an exhibition on an architectural scale that did not produce garbage,” explained Kadowaki.
Interconnection also figured prominently in the project. A guide to the exhibition elaborates, “Our actions never belong to ourselves alone. The creations of the architects will be a result of the history through which Takamizawa House lived…they will also be linked to the actions of the artisans and the experiences of visitors.” 
While no longer whole, the house has a future. After the Biennale, its parts will be used in a community facility for an apartment complex in the suburbs of Oslo. Takamizawa House’s journey continues.
Singapore 
The Singapore Pavilion presents “To Gather: The Architecture of Relationships,” an exhibition examining the ways in which inhabitants of Singapore share space — in the city, with one another, and with nature. Tomohisa Miyauchi, an architect an educator who has taught at the National University of Singapore, is one of five curators of the show. This is his third time curating the country’s pavilion. “This isn’t simply about architecture,” he explains. “It’s about people’s relationships, ideas, histories, cultures, and how they think about the future.”
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/2.-HDB01_credit-Tomohisa-Miyauchi-1.jpg" alt="This block of apartments on Singapore's Pending Road features a neighborhood hawker center, a kind of 'community dining room.'" title="Photo: ©Tomohisa Miyauchi (2013)" width="518" height="324" class="imgcaption" />
Singapore has experienced rapid urbanization since its independence in 1965. The majority of its urban population lives in public housing, where spaces such as hawker centers – open-air food courts – contribute to community life. In 2020, hawker culture in Singapore was added to the UNESCO list of Intangible Culture and the Heritage of Humanity. In addition to hawker centers, the Singapore project highlights “void decks” as relationship-building spaces. Used for leisure, shelter, and civic functions, these open areas on the ground floors of apartments let different groups in the community convene. Elderly residents can play checkers, delivery bikers can take a break from the rain, and town officials can hold meetings or operate polling stations during elections. 
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/8.-Void-Deck-of-Housing-and-Development-Board-Flats-Photography-by-Open-Narrative.jpg" alt="Void deck of Housing and Development Board Flats" title="Photo: ©Open Narrative (2020)" width="518" height="346" class="imgcaption" />
Miyauchi designed Singapore’s exhibition, which features 16 tables with works demonstrating community-oriented spaces in the spirit of hawker centers and void decks. Arranged by the themes “Communing Relationships,” “Framing Relationships,” “Uncovering Relationships,” and “Imagining Relationships,” the displays include a <a href="https://www.archdaily.com/904646/kampung-admiralty-woha">senior housing complex</a> with on-site shopping, childcare, and medical facilities that supports intergenerational bonding and active aging-in-place. Another project aimed at humanizing the city uses <a href="https://www.bothsidesnow.sg/">creative engagement</a> in public spaces to stimulate conversation about end-of-life concerns. 
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/210518-Singapore-Biennale-Architettura-2021-Venezia-_gerdastudio-C5DS5020.png" alt="Inspired by local hawker centers, the Singapore Pavilion exhibits 16 works introducing Singaporean modes of gathering and coexistence." title="Photo: ©gerdastudio" width="518" height="345" class="imgcaption" />
United Arab Emirates 
Kenichi Teramoto and Wael Al Awar curated this year’s Gold Lion-winning UAE Pavilion (commissioned by the Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation). They attempted to create a technological equivalent of Portland cement. “The UAE has an image as a desert country, but in fact it has mineral-rich wetlands such as the sabkha salt flats,” Teramoto stated. With the assistance of researchers at the University of Tokyo, New York University Abu Dhabi, and American University of Sharjah, Teramoto and Wael developed a large-scale prototype structure created from an environmentally friendly cement made of recycled industrial waste brine. The new substance could reduce the climate impact of the construction industry and alleviate the need for Portland cement. After water, cement is the world’s second-most demanded resource.
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Image-courtesy-National-Pavilion-UAE-La-Biennale-di-Venezia.-Photography-by-Frederico-Torra-for-PLANE-SITE.-_DSF5049.jpeg" alt="The UAE Pavilion 'Wetland' considers alternatives to cement as a building material." width="518" height="389" title="Image courtesy National Pavilion UAE La Biennale Di Venezia" class="imgcaption" />
At the pavilion, Teramoto and Wael’s cement has been hand-cast into organic shapes recalling traditional coral-built houses. A structure built from 2,400 of these cement modules is exhibited in front of Farah Al Qasimi’s photographs of the Al Ruwais Sabkha salt flats, which are shown against a backdrop of voltage cables running to industrial facilities.
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Image-courtesy-National-Pavilion-UAE-La-Biennale-di-Venezia.-Photography-by-Frederico-Torra-for-PLANE-SITE.-_DSF5060.jpeg" alt="The UAE Pavilion won the Gold Lion for Best National Participation." title="Image courtesy National Pavilion UAE La Biennale Di Venezia" width="518" height="389" class="imgcaption" />
Kazuyo Sejima, president of this year’s Gold Lion jury, described Teramoto and Wael’s project as “a bold experiment that encourages us to think about the relationship between waste and production on a local and global scale, and opens us to new construction possibilities between craft and high-technology.”
A <a href="https://nationalpavilionuae.org/architecture/2020-2/">virtual tour</a> gives a fuller look at the UAE exhibition.
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Image-courtesy-National-Pavilion-UAE-La-Biennale-di-Venezia.-Photography-by-Frederico-Torra-for-PLANE-SITE.-0201.jpeg" alt="" title="Image courtesy National Pavilion UAE La Biennale Di Venezia" width="518" height="345" class="imgcaption" />

article_22822

Japan at Venice Architecture Biennale 2021

Tokyo was named “Best City in the World” in this year’s Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards, an honor reflecting the city’s celebrated culinary culture and its famed mix of tradition and the cutting-edge. These features just scratch the surface of what Tokyo has to offer, however. One of its most remarkable assets is its creative scene, which this autumn hosts a new showcase. <a href="https://www.artweektokyo.com/en/">Art Week Tokyo</a> (AWT), running November 4 though November 7, involves 50 leading museums and galleries. Organized with support from Japan’s Agency for Cultural Affairs, the program is centered on artist-curated bus trips around the city. It looks to position Tokyo as “the first destination for contemporary art in Asia and beyond.” 
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/AWT-MI-1.jpg" alt="Installation view of Robin White's works in 'Another Energy: Power to Continue Challenging – 16 Women Artists from Around the World' at AWT participant Mori Art Museum" width="518" height="246" title="Photo: Jennifer Pastore" class="imgcaption" />
At the helm is Atsuko Ninagawa, director of the gallery <a href="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/venue/FA8AE572.en">Take Ninagawa</a>. The AWT co-founder remarks, “Tokyo has a very high potential to become one of the world’s most exciting locations for contemporary art. AWT aims to create a platform that provides easy access and promotes new infrastructures for art in the city. We hope to show the synergy between different art venues and their local environments.”
Yung Ma, whose curatorial credits include the Centre Pompidou and the Venice Biennale Hong Kong Pavilion, has also been brought on board. His project <a href="https://www.artweektokyo.com/en/bus-en/">Moving Voices</a> will turn the Art Mobile bus into “a unique site for performative intervention.” He will have help from the music collective Group Ongaku, the installation artist Yuko Mohri, the Fluxus and Group Ongaku veteran Mieko Shiomi, and the experimental dramaturge Akira Takayama. These four pioneering artists will contribute new and historic works dealing with voice, sound, and movement. Each is in charge of a different bus route, which will connect between 11 and 15 venues apiece. 
Yuko Mohri’s project on wheels explores Tokyo’s social history through music in a radio-based tour. She states, “It’s not widely known, but Japanese domestic pop songs also have a history of referencing social issues. Through these songs, whether major or from the underground, I will conjure the spirits inhabiting Tokyo.” 
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/AtsukoNinagawa.jpg" alt="Art Week Tokyo 2021 Director Atsuko Ninagawa" title="Photo: Katsuhiro Saiki" width="257" height="343" class="imgcaption floatl" /><img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Take-Ninagawa_E01.jpg" alt="Shinro Ohtake, 'Mnemoscape 1' (2019)
© Shinro Ohtake, courtesy of Take Ninagawa, Tokyo" title="Photo: Kei Okano" width="257" height="343" class="imgcaption floatl" /> 
Organized bus trips are a revelatory way to experience the Tokyo art scene, which unlike cities such as New York does not concentrate its museums and galleries in only a few districts. The creative world on display during AWT is the product of centuries of evolution – the Tokyo art scene predates even “Tokyo” itself, having flourished with the popularity of Ukiyo-e prints in the 17th century when the city was still known as Edo and not yet Japan’s capital. After WWII, artists sought to shake off traditional, institutionalized forms of art and find new modes of expression. Avant-garde and radical developments such as Gutai and the Hi-Red Center collective emerged in the 1950s and early 1960s, followed by Mono-ha, which still commands fascination today. International trends in experimental art also took hold during this postwar period, with Japanese artists involved in movements such as Fluxus and Neo-Dadaism. In the mid-1970s and early 1980s, there was a “return to painting” after decades of conceptualism. The late 1980s and early 1990s saw the rise of Tokyo Simulationism, a “neo-pop” movement led by artists including Takashi Murakami, which gave way to Murakami’s Superflat phenomenon at the turn of the century. <a href="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/event/2021/A723">Kaikai Kiki Gallery</a>, Murakami’s showroom for the Japanese and international artists he manages, will be one of the stops for the Art Mobile bus.
In the 1990s and 2000s, money left over from Japan’s bubble years and a drive by artists to break away from entrenched gallery systems largely closed off to newcomers spurred new museum and gallery openings. Notably, <a href="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/event/2021/F9BF">SCAI The Bathhouse</a> appeared in 1993, followed a decade later by <a href="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/venue/61183FDF">Mori Art Museum</a>. Both the public bath-turned-gallery and the 53rd-floor art institution in Roppongi Hills will participate in AWT. 
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/SCAI_E01.jpg" alt="Kohei Nawa, 'Tornscape' at SCAI The Bathhouse " width="518" height="345" class="imgcaption" />
The past 15 years have seen a takeoff in privately owned and artist-run galleries opening doors for emerging artists. Hideki Aoyama’s <a href="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/venue/51F0DCEE.en">Aoyama Meguro</a>, which opened in 2007, represents an international roster of artists with conceptual and action-based leanings. Tomoko Ashikawa’s Waitingroom has been discovering and championing young Japanese artists since it arrived on the scene in 2010. During AWT, <a href="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/event/2021/16FE">Waitingroom</a> will feature exonemo, an internet art collective who Ashikawa explains, “has been at the forefront of Japanese media art for 25 years. They’re known for works that combine real and internet-based spaces.” For this show, they’ve created a connect-the-dots book with pages on display at the gallery. Ownership rights to individual pages will be sold as NFTs to randomly selected buyers through a special <a href="https://connect-the-random-dots.ooo/#en">website</a>. 
Ashikawa also notes an increase in alternative venues in recent years. “These experimental spaces not beholden to preexisting gallery systems are invigorating the entire art scene,” she states. The artist-run gallery <a href="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/venue/2CA7F8F1">XYZ Collective</a>, for example, will be showing work by its member Cobra, a video and installation artist.
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/exonemo2.jpg" alt="Exonemo's 'Connect the Random Dots' at Waitingroom" width="518" height="334" class="imgcaption" />
There will be many other attention-worthy shows during AWT. <a href="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/event/2021/D637">Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery</a> is holding a retrospective for the postwar illustrator Makoto Wada. Watari-um, a private contemporary art museum with a three-decade record of progressive shows, presents <a href="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/event/2021/0A04">Pollinator</a>, Yoichi Umetsu’s self-curated exhibition of imaginative ceramics and paintings. Watari-um CEO Koichi Watari emphasizes, “There are many talented Japanese artists who still have not been introduced to overseas art scenes and markets.” 
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/ワタリ_展覧会01.jpg" alt="Yoichi Umetsu's exhibition 'Pollinator' at Watari-um" width="518" height="345" class="imgcaption" />
This ever-expanding universe of Tokyo creativity offers views of Japanese art from diverse perspectives. While COVID-related travel restrictions mean this year’s AWT will not have a large international audience, the Tokyo art scene remains alive and eccentric, ready to reclaim the world stage next year.

article_22751

Art Week Tokyo 2021: Expressions and Origins

October 1 is known as Tokyo Citizens’ Day (都民の日, Tomin no Hi). Although it is a regular work day, many government-run cultural institutions in the metropolitan area will be open for free. Most Tokyo public schools will have the day off. 
Here are some places to visit. Please note that not all exhibitions and spaces at these venues will be open free-of-charge. Please check official websites before going, as hours, schedules, and other conditions may change. Some places require reservations.
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/tomin-no-hi-1.jpeg" alt="Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo" width="518" height="345" class="imgcaption" />
Museums
Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum 
Only the garden is open for free admission on October 1. 
Phone: 03-3443-0201 
<a href="https://www.teien-art-museum.ne.jp/en/">https://www.teien-art-museum.ne.jp/en/</a>
Tokyo Photographic Art Museum 
Exhibitions: Chikako Yamashiro: Reframing the land/mind/body-scape, Manabu Miyazaki: Wild Animals Now, Reversible Destiny: Australian and Japanese contemporary photography 
Phone: 03-3280-009 
<a href="https://topmuseum.jp/e/contents/index.html">https://topmuseum.jp/e/contents/index.html</a>
Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo 
MOT Collection Exhibition 
Phone: 03-5245-4111 
<a href="https://www.mot-art-museum.jp/en/">https://www.mot-art-museum.jp/en/</a>
Edo-Tokyo Museum 
Permanent Exhibition 
Phone: 03-3626-9974 
<a href="https://www.edo-tokyo-museum.or.jp/en/">https://www.edo-tokyo-museum.or.jp/en/</a>
Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum 
Phone: 042-388-3300 
<a href="https://www.tatemonoen.jp/english/">https://www.tatemonoen.jp/english/</a>
Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum 
Exhibition: Walls & Bridges – Touching the World, Living the World 
Phone: 03-3823-6921 
<a href="https://www.tobikan.jp/en/index.html">https://www.tobikan.jp/en/index.html</a>
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/tomin-no-hi-2.jpg" alt="'Walls & Bridges – Touching the World, Living the World' at Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum" width="518" height="389" class="imgcaption" />
Zoos/Botanical Gardens
Jindai Botanical Garden 
*Reservations required 
Phone: 042-483-2300 
<a href="https://www.tokyo-park.or.jp/jindai/#googtrans(en)">https://www.tokyo-park.or.jp/jindai/#googtrans(en)</a>
Tama Zoological Park 
*Reservations required 
Phone: 042-591-1611 
<a href="https://www.tokyo-zoo.net/english/tama/index.html">https://www.tokyo-zoo.net/english/tama/index.html</a>
Ueno Zoological Gardens 
*Reservations required 
Phone: 03-3828-5171 
<a href="https://www.tokyo-zoo.net/english/ueno/index.html">https://www.tokyo-zoo.net/english/ueno/index.html</a>
Tokyo Sea Life Park 
*Reservations required 
Phone: 03-3869-5152 
<a href="https://www.tokyo-zoo.net/english/kasai/index.html">https://www.tokyo-zoo.net/english/kasai/index.html</a>
Inokashira Park Zoo 
*Reservations required 
Phone: 0422-46-1100 
<a href="https://www.tokyo-zoo.net/english/ino/index.html">https://www.tokyo-zoo.net/english/ino/index.html</a>
Yumenoshima Tropical Greenhouse Dome 
Phone: 03-3522-0281 
<a href="https://www.yumenoshima.jp/english.html">https://www.yumenoshima.jp/english.html</a>
Tokyo Port Wild Bird Park 
Phone: 03-3799-5031 
<a href="http://www.wildbirdpark.jp/en/index.html">http://www.wildbirdpark.jp/en/index.html</a>
Gardens (All Require Reservations)
Hamarikyu Gardens 
Phone: 03-3541-0200 
<a href="https://www.tokyo-park.or.jp/park/format/index028.html">https://www.tokyo-park.or.jp/park/format/index028.html</a>
Former Shiba Rikyu Garden 
Phone: 03-3434-4029　 
<a href="https://www.tokyo-park.or.jp/park/format/index029.html">https://www.tokyo-park.or.jp/park/format/index029.html</a>
Koishikawa Korakuen 
Phone: 03-3811-3015 
<a href="https://www.tokyo-park.or.jp/park/format/index030.html">https://www.tokyo-park.or.jp/park/format/index030.html</a>
Rikugien 
Phone: 03-3941-2222 
<a href="https://www.tokyo-park.or.jp/park/format/index031.html">https://www.tokyo-park.or.jp/park/format/index031.html</a>
Former Iwasaki House Garden 
Phone: 03-3823-8340 
<a href="https://www.tokyo-park.or.jp/park/format/index035.html">https://www.tokyo-park.or.jp/park/format/index035.html</a>
Mukojima Hyakkaen 
Phone: 03-3611-8705 
<a href="https://www.tokyo-park.or.jp/park/format/index032.html">https://www.tokyo-park.or.jp/park/format/index032.html</a>
Kiyosumi Garden 
Phone: 03-3641-5892 
<a href="https://www.tokyo-park.or.jp/park/format/index033.html">https://www.tokyo-park.or.jp/park/format/index033.html</a>
Old Furukawa Garden 
Phone: 03-3910-0394 
<a href="https://www.tokyo-park.or.jp/park/format/index034.html">https://www.tokyo-park.or.jp/park/format/index034.html</a>
Tonogayato Garden 
Phone: 042-324-7991 
<a href="https://www.tokyo-park.or.jp/park/format/index036.html">https://www.tokyo-park.or.jp/park/format/index036.html</a>

article_22691

October 1 is Tokyo Citizens’ Day

“What kind of art is close to you?” I want to ask.
‘Public art’ is art that exists in the public spaces where we live. Notions regarding public art have undergone various changes according to the times. In recent years, public art is thought to play many roles in urban development, such as enhancing creation of local communities and relationships in local life.
In urban areas, many people pass in front of public art. People busy walking through the concrete-covered skyscrapers of the big city are often unaware of the art in the space. When I stop in front of an art piece or point my camera at it to appreciate the art I see, people passing by stare at me with puzzled looks. A lot of art is scattered around the Roppongi Hills area of Tokyo. How does the art that exists in the big city look to my eyes? In this text, I would like to introduce three artworks in Roppongi that were particularly impressive to me, as well as what I experienced and felt. 
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Public-Art-1.jpg" alt="Louise Bourgeois, 'Maman' 2002 (1999)/Bronze, stainless steel, marble. 9.27 x 8.91 x 10.23 (h) m" title="Photo: Aya Haraikawa" width="518" height="389" class="imgcaption" />
Maman
A huge spider statue by French artist Louise Bourgeois installed at the main entrance of Roppongi Hills stands out to visitors. The work’s title is “Maman”. Inside the body of the bronze spider, 20 shining marble eggs are held. It represents longing for a mother. It seems to show how people from all over the world gather in this place, meet, and create new values and wisdom that carefully hatches and spreads like the eggs held by Maman.
I was wondering about the title “Maman” attached to this work. At first, I felt the thin legs that seemed about to collapse and the heavy eggs held in the center looked strange. However, when I saw people passing under this work, people eating rice on the bench next to me, and when I myself went underneath this work, I felt a little reassured and warm. Louise Bourgeois said she saw spiders as strong creatures. I felt that this work represented Louise’s own mother. The slender and long legs of the spider express the mother’s slender feminine arms and firmly grasp the foundation of the ground. I felt that the appearance was expressing strength as a symbol of Roppongi. I felt an overwhelming presence and kindness, and I thought it was a strong and gentle work that envelops the people who come to this place. 
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Public-Art-2.jpg" alt="Jean-Michel Othoniel, 'Kin no Kokoro' 2013/Bronze, gold leaf, stainless steel, 330 x 360 x 169 (h) cm" title="Photo: Aya Haraikawa" width="518" height="389" class="imgcaption" />
Kin no Kokoro
This is the work of Jean-Michel Othoniel, a contemporary French artist, set in a pond in Mohri Garden in commemoration of the 10th anniversary of Roppongi Hills and Mori Art Museum. The title of the work is “Kin no Kokoro” (Gold Heart). When walking around the pond, the work appears to transform from an iconic Mobius ring shape to a large heart. When the sculpture is reflected on the surface of the water, it has a golden glow and an aura encouraging the viewer to engage with the work. I remember feeling calm standing near this heart statue that blends in with the green scenery of the garden surrounded by buildings in the big city. On the day I visited, there were autumn leaves. The statue matched the autumn scenery, and its reflection in the pond made me forget the city. One of the ways to enjoy this work is by walking around the pond. 
The scenery of the greenery around the pond changes with the seasons. At first glance, the bronze statue is covered in gold, which seems cold, but I was overwhelmed by how well it fits into the historical landscape of Japan’s nature and Mohri Garden, which has been there since the Edo period. This space made me forget the big city in an instant. 
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Public-Art-3.jpg" alt="Tokujin Yoshioka, 'Chair that disappears in the rain' 2003/Main part: glass, Chair legs: mirror-finished stainless steel, Floor: burner-finished granite, Chair: 0.75 x 0.98 x 0.99 (h) x 0.41 (sh), lump: 0.5 x 0. 98 x 0.55 (h) m, Floor: 1.68 x 5.95 m" title="Photo: Aya Haraikawa" width="518" height="389" class="imgcaption" />
Chair that disappears in the rain
This artwork is located on the sidewalks of Keyakizaka-dori and Sakurazaka-dori, which are the main streets of Roppongi Hills. Here you can see the realization of a ‘Streetscape’ project created by the collaboration of 13 designers. “Chair that disappears in the rain” by Japanese artist Tokujin Yoshioka is one of the works on the street. When you put a piece of glass in water, the outline of the glass gradually disappears, and it appears as if this chair disappears on a rainy day. The chair is made from a raw material for making lenses for large astronomical telescopes and was processed with special techniques. 
The first time I saw this work was as a photograph. I wanted to actually see this creation, which has a title of great impact. It wasn’t a rainy day when I saw it this time, but I couldn’t hide my surprise at how it blended into the city. It is impressive that the surface looks like ripples of raindrops. I was also struck by how the transparent glass melted into the landscape. I felt that it was a work that could be enjoyed in various ways, despite being intended for sitting. There may be a view that you can see by sitting down after looking at a lot of art. Rainy days are when many people feel depressed, however, this is a work that I want to see on such a rainy day. When I first encountered it I was able to think about the wide range of expressions in art. By all means, I would like to visit again on a rainy day.
What I noticed this time when I visited the art spots in Roppongi, is that how in the past I hadn’t looked at the art around me. The three works I introduced this time were pieces that I had seen several times and had passed before. However, looking back, I didn’t remember seeing the works. When I was pointing my camera to shoot the work, many people turned to me with the expression, “What are you shooting?” This is evidence that Roppongi’s public art blends into the city. On the other hand, it is proof that no one pays attention to the art around them. I wanted to know more about the city filled with the expressions of various artists. I also realized that I needed to let people know that there is art around us that we don’t notice. I will make an effort to look around me more.
Finally, I would like to ask you again. “What kind of art is close to you?” 
Text and photos by Aya Haraikawa

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What Kind of Art is Close to You?

Oita Prefecture on Japan’s southern island of Kyushu is a place of scenic mountains, coastlines, and hot springs. It is also rich in culture ranging from centuries-old Buddhist rituals to the latest contemporary art. <a href="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/event/2021/AEC6.en">Art Site Kunisaki Peninsula</a>, led by the NPO <a href="http://www.beppuproject.com/r/download/bp_introduction_en.pdf">Beppu Project</a>, is drawing attention to all that Oita has to offer with art projects adding sustainable value to local communities. Tokyo Art Beat participated in a Beppu Project tour of some of Oita’s creative highlights. Here are a few artists with works in the prefecture to check out. 
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/1-Tsukahara-Crater.jpg" alt="Tsukahara Crater in Yufu, Oita, the site of a project by Tetsuya Umeda" width="518" height="389" class="imgcaption" />
Tetsuya Umeda 
Tetsuya Umeda is the featured artist for this year’s <a href="https://inbeppu.com/2020/en/">in Beppu</a>, an event selecting a single creator to present works in the capital city of Beppu and the surrounding area. For his project <a href="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/event/2021/955A.en">Zero-Tai</a>, Umeda has created an interactive experience in which participants tour Beppu using a map and handheld radio. Destinations include geographical features and spaces unique to the region, such as the Tsukahara Crater, the grounds of the former Tsurumi-en amuseument park, and Spa Beach. The radio broadcasts offer the artist’s thoughts and snippets of sound from various points in time. A film shot by Umeda at the featured locations is shown at the historical movie theater Beppu Bluebird Theater. 
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/2-Tetsuya-Umeda.jpg" alt="Tetsuya Umeda's 'Zero-Tai' film screened at Beppu Bluebird Theater" width="518" height="389" class="imgcaption" />
Antony Gormley 
The celebrated British sculptor Antony Gormley chose the edge of a cliff on Oita’s Kunisaki Peninsula as one of the sites for his “Another Time” series. Reaching <a href="https://www.google.co.jp/maps/place/%E3%82%A2%E3%83%B3%E3%83%88%E3%83%8B%E3%83%BC%E3%83%BB%E3%82%B4%E3%83%BC%E3%83%A0%E3%83%AA%E3%83%BC%E3%81%AE%E9%89%84%E3%81%AE%E5%83%8F/@33.6269475,131.6027806,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x35446a6559e0de95:0x47bb1fa0615786c5!8m2!3d33.6269475!4d131.6049693">Another Time XX</a>, an iron sculpture of a man gazing east out onto the horizon, requires a strenuous trek up the mountain. Installing the work required careful designs, multiple attempts, and the expertise of locals. The monument stands as “an attempt to bear witness to what it is like to be alive and alone in space and time.” 
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/4「ANOTHER-TIME-XX」／アントニー・ゴームリー-Antony-Gormley-（2013）.jpeg" alt="Antony Gormley, 'Another Time XX'" width="518" height="345" class="imgcaption" />
Shimabuku 
The artist Shimabuku works with landscapes to create installations inviting quiet reflection on their surrounding environments. He currently has four works on the Kunisaki Penninsula from which the Seto Inland Sea can be observed.
The mountain <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/%E7%A5%87%E5%9C%92%E5%B1%B1/@33.532272,131.7217623,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x354447e075f51f3f:0x75881f6944dc47a0!8m2!3d33.532272!4d131.723951">Gion</a> is the site of a pair of Shimabuku’s works. “The Glowing Road: A Path Without Stairs” begins at the entrance of a small shrine that for hundreds of years has been accessed by climbing up a steep slope without any steps. Shimabuku has intervened in the landscape and installed a handrail to help people reach the top. Climbing the slope while grasping the rail, which lights up at night and can be seen from planes, is a part of experiencing the artwork.
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/7-Shimabuku_Hikaru_Michi_04.jpg" alt="Shimabuku, 'The Glowing Road: A Path Without Stairs' at night" title="Photo: Shimabuku" width="518" height="347" class="imgcaption" />
At the top of the slope, we find “Necklace: Carrying Stones Up the Mountain,” a circle of stones from all over Japan. Shimabuku has placed some of the larger rocks and invites visitors to leave stone offerings of their own, creating a “necklace” for the mountain. The work, which alludes to the area’s history as a meeting point of intersecting cultures, stands in front of Yasaka Shrine. 
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/8-Shimabuku-Stone-Circle.jpg" alt="Shimabuku, Necklace: Carrying Stones Up the Mountain' with the Seto Inland Sea in the distance" title="Photo: Shimabuku" width="518" height="389" class="imgcaption" />
<a href="https://www.google.co.jp/maps/place/%E5%B3%B6%E8%A2%8B%E9%81%93%E6%B5%A9%E4%BD%9C%E5%93%81%E3%80%8C%E6%81%AF%E5%90%B9%E3%80%8D/@33.6404383,131.6810738,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x35444575ec30a1ab:0x9a5c16c1cfa5b285!8m2!3d33.6404383!4d131.6832625?hl=ja">Breath</a> juts out into the sea. On the end of a jetty on Kunisakimachihama Beach, Shimabuku has installed a single streetlight that “breathes” by blinking on and off at night. Its respiration is meant to speak to the people who come to receive its messages in the calm, meditative spot.
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/9-Shimabuku_Ibuki_02.jpg" alt="Shimabuku, 'Breath'" title="Photo: Shimabuku" width="518" height="345" class="imgcaption" /> 
For the work <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/%E9%A6%AC%E3%83%8E%E7%80%AC/@33.6820044,131.5425537,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x35446961123c9071:0x8b59c152b56062c6!8m2!3d33.6820044!4d131.5447424">Manose</a>, named for its location, Shimabuku found a rocky sea-surrounded path just off of a highway. Text on the road partition asks visitors to step out onto the peculiar peninsula, which disappears to leave an island when the tide is high. The sign instructs: “Look for a stone with a hole in it. Stand up pieces of driftwood. Stack stones on top of stones.” Shimabuku believes that past, future, and present selves meet in these simple acts. 
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/5-Shimabuku_Manose_01.jpg" alt="Shimabuku, 'Manose'" title="Photo: Shimabuku"　width="518" height="345" class="imgcaption" />
Tatsuo Miyajima 
Tatsuo Miyajima is known for his digital counters symbolizing lifespans and cycles of life and death. His <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Hundred+Life+Houses/@33.5897072,131.629171,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x35444042c221d91b:0x866d68ec934d42e3!8m2!3d33.5897072!4d131.631365?shorturl=1">Hundred Life Houses</a> is comprised of 100 of these glowing counters, each enclosed in its own box-like habitat on the side of a cliff formed by volcanic eruption. The speeds at which the numerals ascend and descend were decided by 100 people who participated in a workshop with Miyajima. 
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/10-Miyajima-Houses.jpg" alt="Tatsuo Miyajima, 'Hundred Life Houses'" width="518" height="389" class="imgcaption" />
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/12「Hundred-Life-Houses」／宮島達男（2014）.jpeg" alt="Tatsuo Miyajima, 'Hundred Life Houses' after dark" width="518" height="345" class="imgcaption" />
Tadashi Kawamata 
Venice Biennale veteran Tadashi Kawamata creates large wooden structures that emphasize audience interaction. In the Kibe area of Kunisaki, he has built <a href="https://www.google.co.jp/maps/place/%E5%B2%90%E9%83%A8%E3%83%97%E3%83%AD%E3%82%B8%E3%82%A7%E3%82%AF%E3%83%88+%E8%AA%AC%E6%95%99%E5%A3%87/@33.6647585,131.623288,17z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x35444240a600d04d:0x8cbc8d738de1aeed!8m2!3d33.6647586!4d131.6254874">La Chaire (Church Pulpit)</a>, an open-air work resembling the preaching pulpit and pews of a church. This installation, where events like concerts and even weddings take place, pays tribute to Father Petro Kasui Kibe, a persecuted 17th century Jesuit priest from the region who became the first Japanese person to visit Jerusalem. Changing gradually with use and the passage of time, the work is intended to be a part of the surrounding forest and invites reflection on relationships between people, time, and place. 
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/13-Tadashi-Kawamata.jpg" alt="Tadashi Kawamata, 'La Chaire (Church Pulpit)'" width="518" height="389" class="imgcaption" />
teamLab 
The digital art superstars of teamLab have staked a claim on the city of Bungotakada’s <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/%E3%83%81%E3%83%BC%E3%83%A0%E3%83%A9%E3%83%9C%E3%82%AE%E3%83%A3%E3%83%A9%E3%83%AA%E3%83%BC%E7%9C%9F%E7%8E%89%E6%B5%B7%E5%B2%B8/@34.7571656,131.1271591,6z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x354412d147ff6bbf:0x3dafeafd2e836c2f!8m2!3d33.6274408!4d131.4753581?shorturl=1">Matama Beach</a>. Like their other immersive installations across Japan and Asia, this one dazzles with mesmerizing light displays. Director Toshiyuki Inoko was apparently inspired by the local flora and envisioned an endless cycle of flowers blooming and withering. Visitors determine how the spectacle will play out through their own participation. 
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/14「花と人、コントロールできないけれども、共に生きる-–-Kunisaki-Peninsula」／チームラボ（2014）.jpg" alt="teamLab, 'Flowers and People, Cannot Be Controlled But Live Together'" width="518" height="292" class="imgcaption" /> 
Yoko Ono 
The <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/%E5%9B%BD%E6%9D%B1%E5%8D%8A%E5%B3%B6%E8%8A%B8%E8%A1%93%E7%A5%AD+%E9%A6%99%E3%80%85%E5%9C%B0%E3%83%97%E3%83%AD%E3%82%B8%E3%82%A7%E3%82%AF%E3%83%88/@33.6813402,131.5241017,17.2z/data=!4m15!1m9!3m8!1s0x0:0x27ff7ee3a62fdd0a!2z6ZW35bSO6by777yi44O777yr44ON44OD44OI!5m2!4m1!1i2!8m2!3d33.6817723!4d131.5251671!3m4!1s0x0:0xf582a03448fc6bbf!8m2!3d33.6820042!4d131.5246747">Nagasakibana</a> campground in Bungotakada is home to rolling fields of flowers like the yellow rapeseed plant that blooms in spring. Here you can find works by the international artist and celebrity Yoko Ono, who has placed 13 “benches” made of Kunisaki stone around the landscape. Accompanying each is a plaque engraved with the artist’s poems and instructions, such as “Listen to the world turn.” “Wish Tree,” another work by Ono, invites visitors to write their aspirations for changing the world on strips of paper and affix them to the tree. The wishes are collected and sent to Ono’s Imagine Peace Tower in Iceland. 
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/15「見えないベンチ」／オノ・ヨーコ-2013.jpg" alt="Yoko Ono, 'Invisible Bench'" width="518" height="345" class="imgcaption" />
Yodogawa Technique 
The artist <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/%E9%95%B7%E5%B4%8E%E9%BC%BB%EF%BC%A2%E3%83%BB%EF%BC%AB%E3%83%8D%E3%83%83%E3%83%88/@33.6816523,131.5238575,17z/data=!4m8!3m7!1s0x0:0x27ff7ee3a62fdd0a!5m2!4m1!1i2!8m2!3d33.6817723!4d131.5251671">Yodogawa Technique</a> (Hideaki Shibata) creates colorful sculptures from items that have been discarded or washed up on shores. Using bright plastic toys, electronics, and other objects, Yodogawa Technique has cobbled together a camel for the Nagasakibana campground. With humps inspired by the Kunisaki mountains, the camel – a symbol of travel – features cabinet doors on its stomach. Open it up and you’ll find jars of seeds you are free to take with you, setting them out on their own journeys. You are also welcome to make your own contributions to the camel. 
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/16-淀川テクニック（クレジット無し）.jpg" alt="Yodogawa Technique, 'Kunisaki Peninsula Camel'" width="518" height="394" class="imgcaption" /> 
Takahito Kimura 
Takahito Kimura’s <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/%E9%95%B7%E5%B4%8E%E9%BC%BB%EF%BC%A2%E3%83%BB%EF%BC%AB%E3%83%8D%E3%83%83%E3%83%88/@33.6816523,131.5238575,17z/data=!4m8!3m7!1s0x0:0x27ff7ee3a62fdd0a!5m2!4m1!1i2!8m2!3d33.6817723!4d131.5251671">Sitting with the Sun</a> is another work to enjoy at the Nagasakibana site. Kimura, an artist who creates works that experiment with nature, echoes the floral landscape with a pair of iron sunflowers on the beach. The shadows cast by the heads of the flowers offer shade falling over stones and pieces driftwood arranged as benches. The locations of these shady spots change with the time of day and season, creating different vantage points for moments of relaxation and gazing at the sea. 
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/17-Takahito-Kimura.jpg" alt="Takahito Kimura, 'Sitting with the Sun'" width="518" height="345" class="imgcaption" />
From the hot springs of Beppu to the coasts and peaks of the Kunisaki Peninsula, Oita Prefecture is a place of natural wonders that in recent years has come to host works by top artists. An ideal visit combines experiences of the area’s art, nature, and local culture. With creative initiatives like the ones led by Beppu Project ever-evolving, multiple visits are recommended.

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9 Contemporary Artists to See in Oita

<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Togichi-1.jpg" alt="Kurumaya Museum of Art" width="257" height="193" class="imgcaption floatl" />Tochigi Prefecture, located roughly two hours north of Tokyo by train, is better known for its shrines and waterfalls than for contemporary art. There are a number of attractions that make the trip worthwhile for art fans, however. 
Kurumaya Museum of Art and Ogawa House 
<a href="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/venue/FC641BDB.en">Kurumaya Museum of Art</a> in Oyama is a small gem of a destination. Located inside a Meiji-era warehouse, this museum often focuses on local cultural events, but also demonstrates an impressive commitment to contemporary art with exhibitions of cutting-edge artists. The current show spotlights sound artist <a href="http://www.shunowada.com/data/works_owadashun_Eng.pdf">Shun Owada</a>, whose installations study normally inaudible aspects of the natural world, sometimes using Tochigi limestone. In one work, Owada honed in on the sounds of chemical reactions when acid is dripped on limestone fossils. His exhibition “Explode Ok Extent” with work from throughout his career, including one installation in a nearby field, runs through February 7. 
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Tochigi-3.jpg" alt="Shun Owada, 'scales' (2011). 
A mirrorball of microphones and speakers that creates a feedback loop of sounds throughout the gallery." width="518" height="389" class="imgcaption" />
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Tochigi-5.jpg" alt="Shun Owada, 'Hut' (2020)/'Unearth' (2016). This pair of works, an installation inside a pump shed, can be found a ten-minute walk from Kurumaya Museum of Art." width="518" height="389" class="imgcaption" />
Next to Kurumaya Museum of Art is the Ogawa House, the Meiji-style home of a fertilizer tycoon. Be sure to check out this Registered Tangible Cultural Property for its well-preserved architecture and sublime blend of Japanese and Western 19th-century decor.
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Ogawa-House.jpg" alt="Ogawa House" width="518" height="389" class="imgcaption" />
N’s Yard and Miruru 
Yoshitomo Nara afficionados should make the pilgrimage to <a href="https://www.nsyard.com/en/">N’s Yard</a>, the artist’s private museum in bucolic Nasushiobara. Opened in 2017, the site features five sprawling rooms of Nara’s paintings, photography, and personal items, plus a cafe and a shop. Works by other contemporary artists are also displayed throughout the gallery, which is curated by Nara with periodically changing exhibit content. N’s Yard is closed for winter holidays from December 15 through March 24. 
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Tochigi-8a.jpg" alt="Yoshitomo Nara, 'Miss Forest/Thinker' (2016)" width="257" height="343" class="imgcaption floatl" /><img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Tochigi-8b.jpg" alt="Yoshitomo Nara, 'Medaka bowl' (2019)" width="257" height="343" class="imgcaption floatl" /> 
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Tochigi-7.jpg" alt="N's Yard Installation View (From left: 'Banging the Drum' (2020) and 'Bright eyes' (2020) by Yoshitomo Nara, 'Rain Drops' (2004) by Yoshitomo Nara and Hiroshi Sugito" width="518" height="389" class="imgcaption" />
N’s Yard is accessible by bus or taxi from Kuroiso Station, where a stunning new library called <a href="https://www.nasushiobara-library.jp/%E5%9B%B3%E6%9B%B8%E9%A4%A8%E3%83%BB%E5%88%86%E5%AE%A4%E6%A1%88%E5%86%85/%E9%82%A3%E9%A0%88%E5%A1%A9%E5%8E%9F%E5%B8%82%E5%9B%B3%E6%9B%B8%E9%A4%A8%E3%81%BF%E3%82%8B%E3%82%8B/">Miruru</a> opened this year. Designed by the architecture firm UAo, the light-filled wood and glass space holds a collection of some 200,000 titles and offers both study and interactive spaces.
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Miruru.jpg" alt="Miruru library" width="518" height="389" class="imgcaption" /> 
Itamuro Onsen Daikokuya 
<a href="http://www.itamuro-daikokuya.com/en/">Itamuro Onsen Daikokuya</a>, also in Nasushiobara, is a must-visit for lovers of contemporary Japanese art. This hotspring resort founded in 1551 is an oasis of culture hosting regular exhibitions by living artists. It is also home to five gardens designed by the Mono-ha master Kishio Suga, as well as a gallery of his works – the <a href="http://www.itamuro-daikokuya.com/en/art/museum/">Kishio Suga Souko Museum</a>. A small library is stocked with an excellent selection of exhibition catalogues and books about art. Regular events include concerts, artist talks, and mochi rice-cake making. 
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Daikokuya-1.jpg" alt="Itamuro Onsen Daikokuya entrance" width="518" height="389" class="imgcaption" />
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Daikokuya-3.jpg" alt="'Ume' guest room" width="518" height="389" class="imgcaption" />
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Daikokuya-2.jpg" alt="Salon with works by Yutaro Aoki" width="518" height="389" class="imgcaption" />
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Daikokuya-4a.jpg" alt="Kishio Suga Souko Museum exterior" width="257" height="343" class="imgcaption floatl" /><img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Daikokuya-4b.jpg" alt="Kishio Suga Souko Museum interior" width="257" height="343" class="imgcaption floatl" /> 
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Suga-galore.jpg" alt="Works by Kishio Suga" width="518" height="389" class="imgcaption" />
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Daikokuya-6.jpg" alt="'Garden of Accumulated Space' by Kishio Suga" width="518" height="389" class="imgcaption" />
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Biotop-2a.jpg" alt="Art Biotop ceramics studio" width="257" height="343" class="imgcaption floatl" />Art Biotop 
<a href="https://www.artbiotop.jp/">Art Biotop</a> in Nasu-machi is another scenic getaway combining the attractions of art and nature. Set deep in the mountains, this estate includes an artist residency, a restaurant, a hotel, and ceramics, glass, and indigo studios. 
The real highlight, however, is the Mizuniwa Water Garden. This wooded area dotted with small, shallow, irregularly shaped ponds and stone paths that weave around them creates a beautifully surreal environment. Designed by architect Junya Ishigama, the Water Garden is larger than the Tokyo Dome. It is made up of 160 “biotope” ponds of varying sizes and more than 300 deciduous trees transported to the garden at full maturity. The ponds gradually become larger as you proceed through the garden, and the larger the pond, the wider the space between the branches of the trees. Seasonal flowers and turning leaves, which are reflected in the biotopes, make the Water Garden worth returning to repeatedly. 
<a href="https://www.artbiotop.jp/water_garden/">Reservations</a> are required to visit the Mizuniwa Water Garden. 
 
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/biotop-1.jpg" alt="Mizuniwa Water Garden at Art Biotop" width="518" height="389" class="imgcaption" />
Tochigi Prefectural Museum of Fine Arts 
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Tochigi-Prefectural-a.jpg" alt="Tochigi Prefectural Museum of Fine Arts with Nobuo Sekine's 'Phase of Nothingness – Cone' (1974.9)" width="257" height="343" class="imgcaption floatl" /><img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/IMG_4620.jpg" alt="Shounsai Shono, 'Kagero' (1958), Oita Prefecture Art Museum" width="257" height="290" class="imgcaption floatl" /> 
<a href="http://www.art.pref.tochigi.lg.jp/en/index.html">Tochigi Prefectural Museum of Fine Arts</a> in Utsunomiya houses a collection of Japanese modern and contemporary artworks, primarily those with connection to Tochigi Prefecture. It is also notable for its works by European artists and its collection of Meissen porcelain. Through December 20, it presents the superb exhibition “<a href="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/event/2020/2786">Masterpieces of Bamboo Art—Katsushiro Soho and Fujinuma Noboru</a>.” Spotlighting two Living National Treasures of bamboo art residing in Tochigi, this show of dozens of masters and emerging artists from across Japan surveys some of the country’s highest achievements in bamboo art. Hundreds of pieces ranging from baskets to abstract sculptures are on display. Examples of intricate bamboo patterns and videos with English showing the masters at work are not to be missed. 
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Tochigi-Prefectural-Interior.jpg" alt="Entrance to 'Masterpieces of Bamboo Art—Katsushiro Soho and Fujinuma Noboru'" width="518" height="389" class="imgcaption" />
As you can see, Tochigi Prefecture has plenty of creativity and beauty to enjoy. Whether just for a day or for a longer stay, get off the beaten path and pay a visit when you can.

article_21264

Tochigi: An Off-Beat Art Adventure

<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Ichihara-Lakeside.jpg" alt="Ichihara Lakeside Museum" width="518" height="389" class="imgcaption" />
Tokyo 
<a href="https://www.nact.jp/english/">The National Art Center, Tokyo</a> 
No extended hours until further notice. Closes at 6:00 p.m.
<a href="https://chihiro.jp/en/tokyo/">Chihiro Art Museum Tokyo</a> 
Closed until further notice
<a href="https://www.tatemonoen.jp/">Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum</a> 
Closed until further notice
<a href="https://www.shukokan.org/language/">Okura Museum of Art</a> 
Closed until further notice
<a href="https://www.admt.jp/en/">The Ad Museum Tokyo </a> 
Closed until further notice
<a href="https://www.momat.go.jp/english/ge/topics/art-museum-evening-extended-hours-will-be-suspended/">National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo</a> 
Friday and Saturday evening extended hours suspended. Closes at 5:00 p.m. 
<a href="https://www.kahaku.go.jp/">National Museum of Nature and Science</a> 
Some exhibitions and services closed until further notice. Extended Friday and Saturday hours suspended. Closes at 5:00 p.m. 
<a href="https://www.mot-art-museum.jp/en/">Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo</a> 
MOT Collection exhibition closed until further notice
<a href="https://www.suntory.com/sma/?_ga=2.216913810.587271274.1610946508-806005057.1610946508">Suntory Museum of Art</a> 
Closes at 6:00 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays through February 7.
<a href="http://www.ejrcf.or.jp/gallery/english/">Tokyo Station Gallery</a> 
Closes at 6:00 p.m. on Fridays through February 5
<a href="http://www.ukiyoe-ota-muse.jp/eng">Ota Memorial Museum of Art</a> 
Closes at 5:00 p.m. until further notice
<a href="http://www.seikado.or.jp/">Seikado Bunko Art Museum</a> 
Closes at 4 p.m. through February 7
<a href="http://www.2121designsight.jp/en/">21_21 Design Sight</a> 
Hours changed to 11:00–17:30 until further notice
<a href="http://www.toguri-museum.or.jp/">Toguri Museum of Art</a> 
Closed from January 20 until further notice
Saitama 
<a href="https://pref.spec.ed.jp/momas/">The Museum of Modern Art, Saitama</a> 
Closed through February 7 
Chiba 
<a href="https://www.ccma-net.jp/">Chiba City Museum of Art</a> 
Friday and Saturday evening hours suspended until State of Emergency lifted. Closes at 6:00 p.m. 
<a href="http://www2.chiba-muse.or.jp/www/ART/index.html">Chiba Prefectural Museum of Art</a> 
Closed until further notice
<a href="https://lsm-ichihara.jp/en/">Ichihara Lakeside Museum</a> 
Closed through February 7
<a href="https://www.city.ichikawa.lg.jp/higashiyama/english/index.html">Higashiyama Kaii Memorial Hall</a> 
Closed until further notice
Kanagawa 
<a href="http://www.moma.pref.kanagawa.jp/en/">The Museum of Modern Art, Hayama</a> 
Closed until further notice
<a href="https://www.yokosuka-moa.jp/">Yokosuka Museum of Art</a> 
Closed until further notice
As of January 18. Information subject to change. This list may be incomplete. Please check museum and gallery websites for the latest news.

article_21544

Kanto Museum Closings and Shortened Hours

20th-century masters, a Heisei retrospective, and contemporary art frontrunners promise to be some of the high points of Japan’s year in art shows. 
<a href="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/event/2020/7EE9.en">Francis Bacon: The Barry Joule Collection</a> 
Where: Museum of Modern Art, Hayama 
When: 1/9–4/11 (Currently Closed)
For the first time in Japan, rare works by the Irish-born Surrealist Francis Bacon (1909–1992) from the collection of close acquaintance Barry Joule are on display. Oil paintings, drawings, photographs, and “secret” works – some said to have been destroyed – are among the 130 items on show. While this exhibition is currently closed due to COVID-19, there are plans for it to run at The Shoto Museum of Art in Tokyo (4/20–6/13). 
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/F-フランシス・ベーコン《ボクサーの写真上のドローイング》1970年代–1980年代頃　-©The-Barry-Joule-Collection.jpg" alt="Francis Bacon, ‘Working document 46 recto: Image of two boxers’ Around 1970s–1980s, ©The Barry Joule Collection" width="518" height="340" class="imgcaption" />
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/D-フランシス・ベーコン《Ｘアルバム9裏ー叫ぶ教皇》1950年代後半–1960年代前半　©The-Barry-Joule-Collection.png" alt="Francis Bacon, ‘X Album J9 verso – The Screaming Pope’ Late 1950s–early 1960s, ©The Barry Joule Collection" width="518" height="298" class="imgcaption" />
<a href="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/event/2020/B74F">Masaya Chiba Exhibition</a> 
Where: Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery 
When: 1/16–3/21
The first museum solo show for Masaya Chiba (b. 1980) spotlights his innovative practice of creating an “environment” for artworks such as papier-mâché and scrap-wood figures, which he arranges with other objects before painting the scene and presenting these paintings on homemade wooden stands. In addition to these works blurring the lines between painting and sculpture, Chiba also produces photography, video, sound art, and other genres of work drawing from various eras and traditions. This exhibition features his pet turtle, which roams around the gallery. Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery will also show other artists including Tsubasa Kato and Ryan Gander this year.
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/4_平和な村2019.jpg" alt="Masaya Chiba, ‘Peaceful Village’ (2019–2020) oil on canvas, The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo Collection, ©Masaya Chiba / Courtesy of ShugoArts" width="518" height="300" class="imgcaption" />
<a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/event/2021/3C66.en">Bubbles/Debris: Art of the Heisei Period 1989–2019</a> 
Where: Kyoto City Kyocera Museum of Art 
When: 1/23–4/11
Through the key words “bubbles/debris,” this exhibition curated by art critic Noi Sawaragi looks at how artists interpreted the Heisei period (1989–2019), an era marked by economic instability and natural disasters. Featured avant-gardists include Chim↑Pom, Dommune, Parplume, contact Gonzo, and Osamu Kokufu.
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Bubbles-Debris.png" alt="Chim↑Pom, ‘Build-Burger’ 2016, Photo: Morita Kenji, Courtesy of the artist, ANOMALY, MUJIN-TO Production, Image for reference only." width="518" height="346" class="imgcaption" />
<a href="https://www.arttowermito.or.jp/english/gallery/lineup/article_5111.html">Artists and the Disaster: Imagining the 10th Year</a> 
Where: Art Tower Mito 
When: 2/20–5/9
This year marks the tenth anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake. What has changed and what hasn’t? Art Tower Mito in Ibaraki Prefecture looks back on evolving artistic responses to the disaster, from documentation to creative reflection. Artists such as Hikaru Fujii, Natsumi Seo, and Tadasu Takamine present works in this show considering the role of imagination in anticipating and reckoning with calamity. Admission will be free on March 11. 
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/2.komoriseo_kotaichi004.jpg" alt="Haruka Komori + Natsumi Seo, ‘Double layered town/Making a song to replace our positions’ (2019) ©Komori Haruka + Seo Natsumi" width="518" height="291" class="imgcaption" />
<a href="https://www.sompo-museum.org/en/exhibitions/2020/mondrian/">Mondrian: In Search of Pure Pictures</a> 
Where: Sompo Museum of Art 
When: 3/23–6/6
Dutch painter Piet Mondrian (1872–1944), best known for his geometric blocks of primary colors, will have his first solo show in Tokyo in 23 years. Fifty works ranging from early landscapes to late abstract paintings by the De Stijl artist will be on loan from the Kunstmuseum Den Haag in the Netherlands, along with 20 other related works. 
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Mondrian.png" alt="Piet Mondrian ‘Composition with large red plane, yellow, black, gray, and blue’ (1921) Oil on canvas, 59.5×59.5 cm, Kunstmuseum Den Haag" width="518" height="331" class="imgcaption" />
<a href="https://www.mot-art-museum.jp/en/exhibitions/mark-manders/">The Absence of Mark Manders</a> and <a href="https://www.mot-art-museum.jp/en/exhibitions/rhizomatiks/">rhizomatiks_multiplex</a> 
Where: Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo 
When: 3/20–6/20
MOT has two particularly exciting exhibitions coming up. One spotlights the Dutch sculptor Mark Manders, who sees himself as “a writer but with objects instead of words.” His giant clay sculptures of human figures appear like ancient ruins in a contemporary setting. Manders’ first solo exhibition in Japan features works shown in the country for the first time, including his “Mind Study” from the 2013 Venice Biennale. 
In their first large-scale solo exhibition at a museum, the creative team Rhizomatiks, which has collaborated with renowned artists such as Björk, Perfume, and kyogen theater master Mansai Nomura, demonstrates its diverse approach to blending technology with artistic expression. A variety of projects are showcased in this hybrid online/offline exhibition of new works and archival materials. 
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/1_MarkManders.jpg" alt="Mark Manders studio view" width="518" height="389" class="imgcaption" />
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/tab_rhizoma_6.jpg" alt="Rhizomatiks Research×ELEVENPLAY×Kyle McDonald, discrete figures Special Edition, 6 Oct. 2019, Sapporo Cultural Art Theater hitaru, produced by Sapporo Cultural Art Theater hitaru, Rhizomatiks, ©kenzo kosuge" width="518" height="345" class="imgcaption" />
<a href="https://www.tobikan.jp/en/exhibition/2021_isamunoguchi.html">Isamu Noguchi: Ways of Discovery</a> 
Where: Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Art 
When: 4/24–8/29
This exhibition promises to shed light on the “path of discovery” taken by visionary designer Isamu Noguchi (1904–1988), whose his minimalist, abstract pieces resonant with nature remain popular. Displays will include his “Akari” lamps, a three-story installation of his works, and stone sculptures exhibited for the first time in Tokyo.
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/⑪あかりクラウド_NYクレジット入り.-1024x683.jpg" alt="“Akari Cloud” Installation, Isamu Noguchi Foundation/Garden Museum (New York) installation view (2018–2019), Photo: Nicholas Knight, ©The Noguchi Museum /ARS" width="518" height="346" class="imgcaption" />
<a href="https://www.mori.art.museum/en/exhibitions/anotherenergy/index.html">Another Energy: Power to Continue Challenging – 16 Women Artists from Around the World</a> 
Where: Mori Art Museum 
When: 4/22–9/26
Mori Art Museum will reopen after renovations with this exhibition of female contemporary artists who started their careers between the 1950s and 1970s and continue to practice today. Ranging in age from 71 to 105, they hail from 14 different countries yet share “a determination to pursue their own distinctive career paths with unshakable conviction.” Genres on display include paintings, video, sculpture, large-scale installations, and performances. The participating artists are Etel Adnan, Phyllida Barlow, Anna Boghiguian, Miriam Cahn, Lili Dujourie, Anna Bella Geiger, Beatriz González, Carmen Herrera, Kim Soun-Gui, Suzanne Lacy, Kimiyo Mishima, Kazuko Miyamoto, Senga Nengudi, Nunung WS, Arpita Singh, and Robin White.
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/15_15-1_-.jpg" alt="Arpita Singh, ‘My Lollipop City; Gemini Rising’ (2005), Oil on canvas, 152.4 x 213.3 cm, Collection: Vadehra Art Gallery, New Delhi" width="518" height="371" class="imgcaption" />
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/13_13-1_-R.S.V.P.-.jpg" alt="Senga Nengudi, ‘Studio Performance with R.S.V.P.’ (1976), Gelatin silver print, Courtesy: Sprüth Magers and Thomas Erben Gallery" width="518" height="378" class="imgcaption" />
<a href="https://www.nact.jp/english/exhibitions/2021/matisse2021/">Henri Matisse: Forms in Freedom</a> 
Where: The National Art Center, Tokyo 
When: 9/15–12/13
The French painter Henri Matisse (1869–1954) was a giant of color-focused Fauvism at the beginning of the 20th century. Centered on works from the Musée Matisse collection, this exhibition is a rare chance to see the artist’s paper cutouts in Japan. The show also presents Matisse’s paintings, sculptures, sketches, prints, textiles, and objects, as well as his design for the Chapelle du Rosaire de Vence. 
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/2-2.png" alt="" width="518" height="269" class="imgcaption" />
<a href="https://www.kaws-tokyo-first.jp/">Kaws Tokyo First</a> 
Where: Mori Arts Center Gallery 
When: 7/16–10/11
Kaws, known for creating multicolored cartoon-like characters with Xes for eyes, will have his first major exhibition in Japan. It will feature around 70 paintings, sculptures, and products illuminating the artist’s unique production process and place in art history. Items come from the Kaws private collection, making this a must-see for fans. Homage will be paid to a smaller 2001 show at Shibuya Parco by the same title. 
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/【1】KAWS-ACCOMPLICE-2010-©-KAWS-photograph-by-Jonty-Wilde.png" alt="KAWS ACCOMPLICE , 2010 © KAWS, photograph by Jonty Wilde" width="518" height="383" class="imgcaption" />
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/【A】KAWS-Ⓒ-Nils-Mueller-for-Wertical.jpg" alt="KAWS © Nils Mueller for Wertical" width="518" height="345" class="imgcaption" />
<a href="https://www.momat.go.jp/am/2021/">100 Years of Mingei: The Folk Crafts Movement</a> 
Where: The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo 
When: 10/26–2/13, 2022
This exhibition marking the 60th anniversary of the death of movement founder Soetsu Yanagi looks back on a century of folk crafts with more than 400 exhibits, among them ceramics, textiles, woodwork, baskets and other items from collections across Japan. Contemporary materials such as magazines, books, photographs, and films will also reveal the evolving history of Mingei.
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/2_pa_leach_42_トリミング後.jpg" alt="Bernard Leach, 'Soetsu Yanagi's Study' (1918)" width="518" height="363" class="imgcaption" />
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/1_ck_sometsuke_28_6.png" alt="Beveled jar with autumn flower motif, cobalt blue underglaze, Joseon Dynasty, early 18th century" width="518" height="353" class="imgcaption" />
Other notable 2021 exhibitions: <a href="https://panasonic.co.jp/ls/museum/en/exhibition/index.html">Courbet and the Sea: Eyes on Nature in the 19th Century</a> at Panasonic Shiodome Museum of Art (4/10–6/13); <a href="https://chojugiga2020.exhibit.jp/">National Treasure: Frolicking Animals</a> at Tokyo National Museum (4/13–5/30); <a href="https://www.setagayaartmuseum.or.jp/en/exhibition/special/detail.php?id=sp00202&set_lang=true">Aino and Alvar Aalto: Shared Visions</a> at Setagaya Art Museum (3/20–6/20); <a href="https://kinbi.pref.niigata.lg.jp/tenran/kikakuten/shigeko_kubota/">Viva Video! Shigeko Kubota</a> at The Niigata Prefectural Museum of Modern Art (3/20–6/6; At Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo 11/13–2/23, 2020); <a href="https://www.momak.go.jp/English/exhibitionArchive/2021/441.html">Pipilotti Rist: Your Eye is My Island</a> at The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto (4/6–6/13; Art Tower Mito dates TBD).

article_21560

Japanese Exhibitions to See in 2021

Many venues will be closed for Japan’s New Year holidays, but here are a few spaces in the Tokyo area keeping their doors open:
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/1NY.jpg" alt="Work by Yoshitomo Nara at the Mori Art Museum exhibition 'STARS: Six Contemporary Artists from Japan to the World – Stars are Not Made Overnight!'" width="518" height="389" class="imgcaption" />
Open on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day 
<a href="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/event/2020/0332.en">STARS: Six Contemporary Artists from Japan to the World – Stars are Not Made Overnight!</a> 
Where: Mori Art Museum 
Dates: July 31, 2020–January 3, 2021 
Tickets: Please make <a href="https://www.e-tix.jp/mamtcv/en/">reservations</a> 
<a href="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/event/2020/DAC9">King & Queen from the National Portrait Gallery, London</a> 
Where: Ueno Royal Museum 
Dates: October 10, 2020–January 11, 2020 
Tickets: Please make <a href="http://www.kingandqueen.jp/ticket/">reservations</a>
<a href="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/event/2020/59D3">Connections: 150 years of Modern Art in Japan and France</a> 
Where: Pola Museum of Art 
Dates: November 14, 2020–April 4, 2021
Closed on New Year’s Day Only 
<a href="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/event/2020/02D9">Bernard Buffet Retrospective </a> 
Where: Bunkamura Museum of Art 
Dates: Nov. 21, 2020–January 24, 2021 
Closed on January 1, 2021 
Tickets: Please make <a href="https://my.bunkamura.co.jp/Show/programFacilityList/index/4">reservations</a>
Contemporary Art 
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/2NY.jpg" alt="Work by Izumi Kato at the Teien exhibition 'Garden of Life: Eight Contemporary Artists Venture into Nature'" width="257" height="321" class="imgcaption floatl" /><a href="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/event/2020/F763">Living Tokyo – I Love Art 15</a> 
Where: Watari-um 
Dates: September 5, 2020–January 31, 2021 
Closed: December 31, 2020–January 4, 2021
<a href="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/event/2020/5595">Sleeping: Life with Art – From Goya and Rubens to Shiota Chiharu</a> 
Where: The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo 
Dates: November 25, 2020–February 23, 2021 
Closed: December 28, 2020–January 1, 2021 
Tickets: Please make <a href="https://www.e-tix.jp/momat/en/">reservations</a>
<a href="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/event/2020/D703">Garden of Life: Eight Contemporary Artists Venture into Nature</a> 
Where: Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum 
Dates: October 17, 2020–January 12, 2021 
Closed: December 28, 2020–January 4, 2021 
 
Japanese Culture 
<a href="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/event/2020/D472">Higashiyama Kaii and Nihonga Depicting Four Seasons</a> 
Where: Yamatane Museum of Art 
Dates: November 21, 2020–January 24, 2021 
Closed: December 28, 2020–January 2, 2021
<a href="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/event/2020/EBBB">The Extraordinary Drawings of Kyosai</a> 
Where: Tokyo Station Gallery 
Dates: November 28, 2020–February 7, 2021 
Closed: December 28, 2020–January 1, 2021 
Tickets: Please make <a href="https://l-tike.com/event/mevent/?mid=545122">reservations</a>
<a href="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/event/2020/4EEC">Hyuga Masamune: The National Treasure Sword and Art for the Generals</a> 
Where: Mitsui Memorial Museum 
Dates: November 21, 2020–January 27, 2021 
Closed: December 26, 2020–January 3, 2021 
Tickets: Please make <a href="https://airrsv.net/mitsui-museum/calendar">reservations</a>
<a href="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/event/2020/D2F7">Reopening Celebration III: Art Revisited, Beauty Revealed – Six Storied Exchanges</a> 
Where: Suntory Museum of Art 
Dates: December 16, 2020–February 28, 2021 
Closed: December 28, 2020–January 1, 2021
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/3NY.jpg" alt="'Eiko Ishioka: Blood, Sweat, and Tears—A Life of Design' at the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo" width="518" height="389" class="imgcaption" />
Shows at Popular Museums 
<a href="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/event/2020/F585">Rimpa and Impressionism: Arts Produced by Urban Cultures, East and West</a> 
Where: Artizon Museum 
Dates: November 14, 2020–January 24, 2021 
Closed: December 28, 2020–January 4, 2021 
Tickets: Please make <a href="https://www.artizon.museum/en/ticket/">reservations</a> 
Reviewed <a href="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/2020/12/urban-cultures-through-the-eyes-of-rimpa-and-impressionism.html">here</a>
<a href="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/event/2020/CDF3.en">Eiko Ishioka: Blood, Sweat, and Tears—A Life of Design</a> 
Where: Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo 
Dates: November 14, 2020–February 14, 2021 
Closed: December 28–January 1, 2021 
<a href="https://event.etix.com/kketix/e/2006305?&cobrand=mot&country=JP&language=ja&_ga=2.57800874.1635273594.1609123613-1024742204.1609123613">Reservations</a> prioritized
<a href="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/event/2020/7D7C">1894 Visions: Odilon Redon and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec</a> 
Where: Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum, Tokyo 
Dates: October 24, 2020–January 17, 2021 
Closed: December 31, 2020–January 1, 2021 (Open January 4, 2021) 
<a href="https://webket.jp/pc/ticket/itemdetail?fc=00307&ac=0000&igc=0048">Reservations</a> accepted 
Reviewed <a href="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/2020/12/post-impressionism-visions-from-west-to-east.html">here</a> 
<a href="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/event/2020/9711">traNslatioNs – Understanding Misunderstanding</a> 
Where: 21_21 Design Sight 
Dates: October 16, 2020–March 7, 2021 
Closed: December 26, 2020–January 3, 2021
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/4NY.jpg" alt="'traNslatioNs - Understanding Misunderstanding' at 21_21 Design Sight" width="518" height="389" class="imgcaption" />
Galleries 
<a href="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/event/2020/5602">Charlotte Dumas “Bezoar”</a> 
Where: Maison Hermès 
Dates: August 27, 2020–December 29, 2020 
Closed: From December 30, 2020
<a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/event/2020/44E7">Doug Aitken “New Ocean: Thaw”</a> 
Where: Espace Louis Vuitton Tokyo 
Dates: November 13, 2020–February 7, 2021 
Closed: January 1, 2021
<a href="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/event/2020/DD96">Jun Oson “D_I_S_T_A_N_C_E”</a> 
Where: Diesel Art Gallery 
Dates: October 30, 2020–February 4, 2021 
Closed: January 1, 2021
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/5NY.jpg" alt="'Jun Oson “D_I_S_T_A_N_C_E' at Diesel Art Gallery" width="518" height="389" class="imgcaption" />
<a href="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.ja/2020/12/new_year_holidays_2020_2021.html">Japanese</a> version of this article

article_21468

Exhibitions Open Over the New Year

Top Five
<a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/event/2020/66A4.en">Galleries without Artworks</a> 
Setagaya Art Museum (7/4–8/27) 
With the COVID-19 crisis making borrowing pieces for shows difficult, the Setagaya Art Museum struck upon the radical idea of holding an exhibition sans artworks. The result was a meditative display of the museum’s light-filled, cream-hued rooms that spoke poignantly to the moment and the presence of absence.
<img class="imgcaption" src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/1-Setagaya-Art-Museum.jpg" alt="Setagaya Art Museum" width="518" height="389" />
<a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/event/2020/723F.en">Yokohama Triennale 2020: Afterglow</a> 
Yokohama Museum of Art, other sites (7/17–10/11) 
Travel restrictions meant that Raqs Media Collective, the New Delhi-based directors of this year’s Yokohama Triennale, couldn’t make it to the seventh “Yokotori.” The show went on, however. It featured hundreds of works by 67 artists and groups at three sites including the Yokohama Museum of Art, and it was also streamed online. Drawing from concepts such as “the co-existence of care and toxicity,” the festival offered a multi-faceted look at what it means to create and engage with art in an imperfect world. The scale and diversity of this year’s Yokotori in the face of numerous difficulties made it a standout for the year.
See our <a href="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/2020/08/yokohama-triennale-2020-photo-report.html">photo report</a>.
<img class="imgcaption" src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/2-Yokotori-Zeng-Bo-Pteridophilia-I-2016.jpg" alt="Zheng Bo, 'Pteridophilia I' (2016) at Yokohama Triennale 2020" width="518" height="457" />
<a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/event/2020/3CEE.en">MANGA⇔TOKYO</a> 
The National Art Center, Tokyo (8/12–11/3) 
While the postponement of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics put a damper on the city, this exhibition provided a spirited tribute to it. Based on a 2018 Paris version, MANGA⇔TOKYO surveyed manga, anime, video games, and tokusatsu special-effect films set in the city. Displays ranged from Sailor Moon to Shin-Godzilla, and a 22-meter, 1/1000 model of Tokyo welcomed visitors into a unique blend of fiction and reality. The show gave an inspired overview of this dynamic, ever-evolving metropolis that lives in people’s hearts and minds. It also served as a reminder that if anything proves the possibility of regeneration, it’s Tokyo.
<img class="imgcaption" src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/3-Manga-Tokyo.jpg" alt="MANGA⇔TOKYO" width="518" height="389" />
<a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/event/2020/EE35.en">Exonemo: Un-dead Link – Reconnecting with Internet Art</a> 
TOP Museum (8/18–10/11) 
Exonemo has been at work since the mid-nineties, and the time was ripe for an in-depth look at their internet-obsessed art. Spanning the comic, surreal, and tragic, exonemo reveals intersections of technology and humanity in ways few other artists do. Staring at a bonfire of computer equipment – to me symbolic of deliberately sabotaged progress – felt like a bleakly 2020 moment.
<a href="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/event/2020/B74D">An Ode to Tom</a> 
The Container (9/21–11/30) 
An Ode to Tom brought a much-welcome infusion of joie de vivre to the year. Toasting Tom of Finland, celebrated artist of masculinized homoerotic art, this show came about thanks to the untiring efforts of curator Shai Ohayon. Displaying work by three Japanese artists inspired by Tom’s hunky muses, this show – along with a larger sister exhibition at Parco – marked a victory for taboo smashing and LGBTQ representation in Japan. A pretty remarkable accomplishment for a shipping container.
<img class="imgcaption floatl" src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/4-exonemo.jpg" alt="exonemo at TOP Museum" width="257" height="343" /><img class="imgcaption floatl" src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/5-Ode-to-Tom.jpg" alt="'An Ode to Tom' at The Container" width="257" height="343" /> 
Honorable Mention
<a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/event/2020/5FD4.en">wall to wall Noriyuki Haraguchi</a> 
√K Contemporary (3/7–5/23) 
While the Mono-ha master Noriyuki Haraguchi sadly passed away in 2020, this show at the chicly industrial gallery √K Contemporary turned out to be a fantastic finale for him. In addition to new work deconstructing the space around it, pieces from throughout his fifty-year career such as the seminal Oil Pool were presented. Haraguchi’s ongoing dialogues with materiality will be missed.
<img class="imgcaption" src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/6-Noriyuki-Haraguchi-Oil-Pool-2020.jpg" alt="Noriyuki Haraguchi, 'Oil Pool' (2020) at √K Contemporary" width="518" height="389" />
<a href="https://en.jingu-artfest.jp/tenku-kaikatsu/">Tenkukaikatsu – Meiji Jingu Forest: Outdoor Sculpture Exhibition</a> 
Meiji Jingu (3/20–12/13) 
The Imperial shrine Meiji Jingu turned a century old in 2020, as did its hand-planted forest designed to reach its most verdant this year. The wooded area was the setting for an outdoor sculpture exhibition with works by major contemporary artists including Kohei Nawa and Atsuhiko Misawa. Nawa’s white deer posed majestically amid the greenery while Misawa’s tiger lurked with a touch of menace. Meaning “as open as the sky and sea,” “Tenkukaikatsu,” offered a way to see art while avoiding the dreaded mitsu crowded conditions.
<img class="imgcaption floatl" src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/7a-Meiji-Jingu.jpg" alt="Kohei Nawa's white deer" width="257" height="343" /><img class="imgcaption floatl" src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/7b-Meiji-Jingu.jpg" alt="Atsuhiko Misawa's white tiger" width="257" height="343" /> 
<a href="https://www.hirosaki-moca.jp/en/exhibitions/thank-you-memory/">Thank You Memory: From Cidre to Contemporary Art</a> 
Hirosaki Museum of Contemporary Art (6/1–9/22) 
Up north in Aomori Prefecture, a new museum graced the national scene. Hirosaki Museum of Contemporary Art opened after some pandemic-related delays with the exhibition “Thank You Memory: From Cidre to Contemporary Art,” a tribute to the city of Hirosaki and the former brewery where the museum resides. World-renowned contemporary artists including Yoshitomo Nara, Jean-Michel Othoniel, and Aki Sasamoto contributed works to this excellently curated show fit for the modernist beauty of architect Tsuyoshi Tane’s renovated building.
<img class="imgcaption" src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/8-Hirosaki-MOCA.jpg" alt="Hirosaki Museum of Contemporary Art, 'Thank You Memory: From Cidre to Contemporary Art'" width="518" height="389" />
<a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/event/2020/B6CE.en">New Photographic Objects</a> 
Museum of Modern Art, Saitama (6/2–9/6) 
The Museum of Modern Art, Saitama had its finger on the pulse of Japanese photography with this show by artists making a decided shift away from the digital and toward the physical. Nerhol’s photo-sculptures and Daisuke Yokota’s room-spanning curtains of film were highlights in this boldly envisioned show.
<img class="imgcaption floatl" src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/9a-MOMAS.jpg" alt="Museum of Contemporary Art, Saitama" width="257" height="343" /><img class="imgcaption floatl" src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/9b-MOMAS.jpg" alt="Museum of Contemporary Art, Saitama" width="257" height="343" /> 
<a href="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/event/2020/8D43.en">Ugo Festival 2020</a> 
Shinokubo Ugo (10/17–11/7) 
New life in the Tokyo art world burst forth in the form of Shinokubo Ugo, a fresh and energetic space in Korea Town. This artist-run venue quickly became a hotspot for parties, culture, and party culture, with scores of people visiting despite the pandemic. The opening show “Ugo Festival” offered an eclectic mix of works like Karu Miyoshi’s larger-than-life feet sculpture and accompanying performance. Shinokubo Ugo’s advent wasn’t without struggle, however. As the organizers put it: “Our opening event in March had to be cancelled, and a whole bunch of other stuff happened. But we’ve learned and evolved…” 
A fitting note for a chaotic year.
<img class="imgcaption" src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/10-Ugo-1.jpg" alt="Shinokubo Ugo" width="518" height="389" />
<a href="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.ja/2020/10/ugo_opening.html">Report on Shinokubo Ugo</a> in Japanese
*Correction: An earlier version of this article stated that Min Tanaka danced at the exhibition “wall to wall Noriyuki Haraguchi.” These performances were cancelled due to the coronavirus outbreak.

article_21421

Shows that Shaped Japan’s Year in Art

<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/RMA-Flag-Fumieda.jpg" alt="Rokko Meets Art 2020 flag 'The scenery I sew' by Fumieda" width="257" height="343" class="imgcaption floatl" /><a href="https://www.rokkosan.com/art2020/la">Rokko Meets Art</a> returned for its eleventh edition with its biggest lineup yet. Featuring 44 artists, this festival on Mt. Rokko in Kobe expanded this year with satellite sites at JR Shin-Kobe Station and the Arima Onsen area. The program also became both more local and more international, spotlighting artists with connections to Kobe and a group of Germany-based creators. Participants include those invited and those chosen in a public competition. Most of the artworks have been created in the past year.
With 48 artworks spread out across 12 areas, we recommend taking two days to experience all of the art. Cars are allowed on Mt. Rokko, but there are also walking paths and public transportation. The mountain is best <a href="https://www.rokkosan.com/en/access/">accessed</a> by a cablecar from Rokko Cable Shita Station. This <a href="https://www.rokkosan.com/en/">area guide</a> can help you plan your route. The ¥2500 multi-day <a href="https://www.rokkosan.com/art2020/la/ticket_la">passport</a> also comes with a map.
This year’s program includes <a href="https://www.rokkosan.com/art2020/news/cat_event/5319">The Night Museum</a>, a special after-sundown event with gardens and artworks illuminated around the mountain. The leaves are about to change colors, making now the perfect time to witness this autumn evening spectacle. 
The nearby hotspring town of Arima Onsen also rewards visitors with a brand new festival: <a href="https://arima-artnight.jp/">Arima Art Night</a>. This free event from 17:00 to 22:30 nightly lets you roam the atmospheric streets while taking in augmented reality that interacts with the scenery. Rokko Meets Art, The Night Museum, and Arima Art Night all run through November 23.
By area, let’s take a look at some of the creativity on show this year: 
<a href="https://rokkosansilence-resort.com/en/">Rokkosan Silence Resort</a> 
Rokkosan Silence Resort, now home to restaurants, galleries, and meeting spaces, has recently been converted from the Rokkosan Hotel, a Heritage of Industrial Modernization site built in 1929 and renovated by the Italian architect Michele De Lucchi. This elegant space hosts the works of four Rokko Meets Art artists. 
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Ikuya-Takahashi-at-Rokkosan-Silence-Resort.jpg" alt="Ikuya Takahashi, 'Daydream Postman'" width="518" height="389" class="imgcaption floatl" /> Ikuya Takahashi is a talented animator represented at multiple Rokko Meets Art venues. At Rokkosan Silence Resort, he presents an animated film on two screens framed by the brick arches of the lounge. 
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Nozomu-Uchida-22Living-Things22.jpg" alt="Nozomu Uchida, 'Form of living things'" width="257" height="343" class="imgcaption floatl" /><img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Moe-Nakamura-Grow-in-Silence.jpg" alt="Moe Nakamura, 'Grow in Silence'" width="257" height="343" class="imgcaption floatl" /> Nozomu Uchida crafts steam punk-esque metal sculptures that highlight the special abilities of animals. He is married to Moe Nakamura, a star artist at Rokko Meets Art this year. Nakamura’s paintings, drawings, and camphor carvings of enigmatic, childlike characters feature trees and other motifs from nature. 
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Tomoko-Hisamatsu-This-is-the-world-we-live-in.jpg" alt="Tomoko Hisamatsu, 'This is the world we live in'" width="518" height="389" class="imgcaption" />Influenced by modern Japanese painting, Tomoko Hisamatsu’s warped images confront social realities.
Rokko Cable Area 
The cablecar terminal Rokko Cable Sanjo Station, an Art Deco-style building from 1932, displays works by a group of artists from Germany in exchange with the Kobe-based artist collective C.A.P. 
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Alexander-Böll-8-by-8.jpg" alt="Alexander Böll, '8 by 8'" width="257" height="343" class="imgcaption floatl" /><img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Anna-Schilling-Faxen.jpg" alt="Anna Schilling, 'Faxen'" width="257" height="343" class="imgcaption floatl" /> Alexander Böll has installed eight sets of small lights and speakers in one of the building’s stone nooks. Listen in closely and you can hear their sounds fluctuate with the light. Anna Schilling pays tribute to Japan’s culture of faxing by transmitting her drawings directly from Germany.
Chapel of the Wind Area 
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Kunio-Nakamura-Nest-of-Madness-.jpg" alt="Kunio Nakamura, 'fukyo house'" width="518" height="389" class="imgcaption" />The Chapel of the Wind area includes both an open field occupied by performance artist Kunio Nakamura’s makeshift dwelling ‘fukyo house’ and a concrete church designed by the celebrated architect Tadao Ando. 
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Daisuke-Yamashiro-1.jpg" alt="Daisuke Yamashiro,《Monitor Ball ver. Rokko》" width="257" height="343" class="imgcaption floatl" /><img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Daisuke-Yamashiro-2.jpg" alt="Daisuke Yamashiro, '《Monitor Ball》 ver. Rokko'" width="257" height="343" class="imgcaption floatl" /> This year, Chapel of the Wind contains a sculpture with rotating video by Daisuke Yamashiro. This work brings the outside indoors with images of the sky, rain, and trees recorded on Mt. Rokko.
Grand Hotel ROKKO SKYVILLA 
The Kobe-based non-profit C.A.P. (The Conference on Art and Art Projects) has converted the Former Guesthouse Grand Hotel Rokko Skyvilla, not used in a decade, into a five-story house of art with works by about 30 artists installed in its rooms and halls. 
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/CAPS-Miyuki-Asayama-The-Story-Continues-to-be-Born.jpg" alt="Miyuki Asayama, 'The Story Continues to Be Born'" width="518" height="389" class="imgcaption" />Miyuki Asayama is interested in the invisible forms of life all around us. Here she takes over an entire room with red and white fabric pieces that allude stories playing out beyond our view.
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/CAPS-Yuta-Ikehara-Visions.jpg" alt="Yuta Ikehara, 'Visions'" width="518" height="389" class="imgcaption" />Yuta Ikehara is a multimedia artist working in watercolor painting, photography, and collage. His TV installation considers the regeneration of life and the confluence of the natural and the artificial. 
Rokkosan Country House 
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Ana-Miyaki-How-to-Walk-With-Boards-and-My-Belly.jpg" alt="Ana Miyaki, 'How to Walk with Boards and My Belly'" width="518" height="389" class="imgcaption" /> Performance artist Ana Miyaki presents boards covered in items she has carried with her on Sunday “picnics” around Mt. Rokko. Miyaki explores how carrying things on her person causes changes in environment and state of mind. 
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Manami-Hayasaki-White-Mountain.jpg" alt="Manami Hayasaki, 'White Mountain'" width="518" height="389" class="imgcaption" />Taking an interest in relationships between humans and the environment, Manami Hayasaki probes dualities such as life and death and good and evil in her paper sculptures. Here she presents paper cuttings in the images of plants on Mt. Rokko. The stones were excavated from the mountain. 
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Kimu-green-on-green.jpg" alt="KIMU, 'green on green'" width="257" height="343" class="imgcaption floatl" /><img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Osaka-Prefectural-Tennoji-High-School-Art-Club.jpg" alt="Osaka Prefectural TENNOJI High School Art Club" width="257" height="348" class="imgcaption floatl" /> For ‘green on green,’ KIMU has assembled an army of identical creatures with green “hair” made from camouflage outfits. The work asks what it could be like for humans to see the world from the viewpoint of nature. Also on the hills of the Rokkosan Country House, T-shirts decorated with popular Mt. Rokko sights float in the breeze. The shirts were made by members of the Osaka Prefectural Tennoji High School art club. 
Rokko-Arima Ropeway Rokko Sancho Station 
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Mika-Takeuchi-Sentimental-Park-Station.jpg" alt="Mika Takeuchi, 'Sentimental Park Station'" width="518" height="389" class="imgcaption" />An out-of-commission platform has been transformed into “Sentimental Park Stn.,” Mika Takeuchi’s latest project. Takeuchi continues to depict “melody pets,” animal characters in the form of playground equipment once found at Japanese amusement parks. Here she envisions a “funland of memories” where the melody pets go after their time in service has ended.
Rokko Garden Terrace Area 
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Nao-Uesaka　Rokko-Scenery-Mirror.jpg" alt="Nao Uesaka, 'Rokko Sight of Rokko'" width="518" height="389" class="imgcaption" /> Nao Uesaka is the winner of the festival’s top honor this year, the Rokko Meets Art Open Call Award Grand Prix. With a history of working in miniatures, she has created small dioramas based on places around Mt. Rokko. 
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Koichi-Ono-I-find-you-over-there-look-at-you-1.jpg" alt="Kouichi Ono, 'I find you over there look at you'" width="518" height="389" class="imgcaption" />Painter Kouichi Ono creates works with facial motifs, as he considers the face to be a kind of “business card for human society and a mirror of the heart.” He presents a series of larger-than-life outdoor paintings.
<a href="https://www.rokkosan.com/art2020/news/cat_event/5319">The Night Museum</a> 
Rokko Alpine Botanical Garden & Rokko International Musical Box MuseumThe Night Museum, which can be enjoyed from sundown, is spread out across the Rokko International Musical Box Museum, Rokko Alpine Botanical Garden, Rokko-Shidare Observatory, and Rokko Garden Terrace Area. Be sure to borrow a lantern at the west entrance of the Rokko Alpine Botanical Garden before winding your way around the pond while viewing the illuminated artworks and color-changing light displays. 
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Kyota-Takahashi-Glow-with-Night-Garden-Project-in-Rokko.jpg" alt="Kyota Takahashi, 'Japanese lantern parade landscape 2020'" width="518" height="389" class="imgcaption" />Kyota Takahashi, known for his lighting work at major public events across Japan, is responsible for the installation at the Rokko Alpine Botanical Garden. This display of coordinated color and sound creates a dynamic nighttime vista. 
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Sawako-Tanizawa-Kaori-Fujino-echoes.jpg" alt="Sawako Tanizawa, Kaori Fujino, 'echoes'" width="257" height="343" class="imgcaption floatl" /><img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Clemomo-Survivor-Grandma.jpg" alt="CLEMOMO, 'Survivor Grandma'" width="257" height="343" class="imgcaption floatl" /> Installed in matsu pine and enoki nettle trees, “echoes” by artist Sawako Tanizawa and novelist Kaori Fujino combine visual and literary art. “Survivor Grandma” by the two-person unit CLEMOMO is a powerful matriarch astride a furry, light-emanating beast. Carrying weapons and wine, “grandma” is equipped for the apocalypse. 
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Masayuki-Fushimi-Where-is-the-Past.jpg" alt="Masayuki Fushimi, 'Palindromes and Light'" width="518" height="389" class="imgcaption" />Another textual installation best viewed at night, Masayuki Fushimi’s “Palindromes and Light” poses philosophical questions about the nature of time and what it means to be present in the moment. Japanese hiragana letters light up one by one to spell out a poem/meditation piece. 
JR Shin-Kobe Station 
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Kohei-Maeda-itomu-1.jpeg" alt="Kohei Maeda at work on 'itomu'" width="257" height="343" class="imgcaption floatl" /><img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Kohei-Maeda-itomu-2.jpeg" alt="Kohei Maeda, 'itomu' video" width="257" height="343" class="imgcaption floatl" /> JR Shin-Kobe Station presents work by Kohei Maeda, winner of the 2019 Kobe Meets Art Mayor’s Prize. “Itomu” is an installation centered on Thai protective figures by the same name, which Maeda has formed out of clay. He creates these works onsite each weekend from 12:00–17:00. A film shows Maeda carrying a video screen itomu around some of Kobe’s well-known spots. 
Arima Onsen Area 
The Arima Onsen area, famous for its hot springs, features the work of three Rokko Meets Art creators: Takeshi Kimura, Canaco Matsumoto, and Hiroko Kubo. 
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Takeshi-Kimura-I-cant-go-back-but-its-nice-to-have-a-day-to-soak-in-the-past..jpg" alt="Takeshi Kimura, 'I Can't Go Back But It's Nice to Have a Day to Soak in the Past'" width="518" height="397" class="imgcaption" /> It’s worth the hike up the hill to see Takeshi Kimura’s sculpture of a pink hot spring soaker at a former tennis court. The towering work is made from an ingenious use of boards and string.
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Canaco-Matsumoto-Repose-in-Arima.jpg" alt="Canaco Matsumoto, 'Repose in Arima'" width="518" height="389" class="imgcaption" />Four spots around Arima are decorated with the chalk art of Canaco Matsumoto, who brings classical Italian and trick art techniques to street art. 
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Hiroko-Kubo-Letters-of-the-macaque-wind-rain-earth.jpg" alt="Hiroko Kubo, 'Letters of the Macaque (rain)'" width="518" height="389" class="imgcaption" />Hiroko Kubo presents a triptych of monkey-themed sculptures at a plaza near Arima Onsen Station. Reflected in a small pond, their neon-colored forms are abstractly shaped like the Japanese characters for wind, rain, and earth. 
<a href="https://arima-artnight.jp/">Arima Art Night</a> 
This year marks the first Arima Art Night. All you need to enjoy this augmented reality art festival is your phone. Download the free app for <a href="https://apps.apple.com/jp/app/arima-art-night/id1534189104">iOS</a> or <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tsd.ArimaArtNight">Android</a> and let it guide you to designated spots around Arima after dark. The app (Japanese only) also has useful information on restaurants, hot springs, and other local sites. 
Look for signs on the sides of streets and use the QR codes to activate app features. Then, align the AR images with what you see outside, follow the instructions on the screen, and let the colorful art unfold before your eyes. The artwork is designed by Akira Okamoto and Mugi Nakajima. 
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/AAR-1.jpg" alt="Arima Art Night" width="257" height="343" class="imgcaption floatl" /><img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/AAN-Street.jpg" alt="Arima Art Night" width="257" height="457" class="imgcaption floatl" /> 
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/AAR-3.jpg" alt="Arima Art Night" width="257" height="457" class="imgcaption floatl" /><img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/AAR-4.jpg" alt="Arima Art Night" width="257" height="457" class="imgcaption floatl" /> The charming historic town of <a href="https://visit.arima-onsen.com/">Arima Onsen</a>, known for its copper-colored hot springs, is only about thirty minutes from JR Shin-Kobe Station or fifteen minutes from Rokko-Arima Ropeway’s Rokko Sancho Station, making it the perfect place for an overnight stay while enjoying Rokko Meets Art. Hiking trails are also accessible from Arima Onsen and the timing is excellent for fall foliage. Why not take advantage of Go to Travel campaigns and enjoy hot springs along with an established and a brand-new art tradition?

article_21043

Rokko Meets Art 2020

Japan is home to ancient creative traditions, and Aomori is at the heart of it. The world’s oldest pottery, from around 14,500 BC, was discovered here. A 3.5-hour bullet-train ride north of Tokyo, this prefecture has a reputation as being traditional, but it is also home to some of Japan’s most innovative contemporary art. The four cities of Aomori, Hirosaki, Towada, and Hachinohe make up the prefecture’s “art zone.”
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Big-Doki-Sannai-Maruyama.jpg" alt="Giant replica of a prehistoric 'doki' pot at Sannai Maruyama" width="257" height="343" class="imgcaption floatl" /><img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Nara-Dog-Hirosaki.jpg" alt="Yoshitomo Nara's 'A to Z Memorial Dog' (2007) at Hirosaki Museum of Contemporary Art (C) Yoshitomo Nara" width="257" height="343" class="imgcaption floatl" /> 
Aomori’s artistry thrived all the way back in the Jomon period (13,000–300 BC). This era was named for the cord markings on its pottery, a decorative practice that would develop into intricate variations over millennia. There are some 3,000 archeological sites in Aomori Prefecture today, and 60% of them are Jomon. These ruins of ancient civilization are currently being considered for UNESCO World Heritage status. The Sannai Maruyama Special Historical Site and the Komakino Site, both in Aomori City, and the Korekawa Archeological Institution in Hachinohe, are excellent spots to see Jomon art and artifacts right where they were discovered. At the first two sites it is possible to walk the actual excavation grounds. 
For contemporary art, head to the Aomori Museum of Art (next to the Sannai Maruyama Site), the recently opened Hirosaki Museum of Contemporary Art, or the Towada Art Center. Hirosaki City Dashi Display Museum and Neputa Village in Hirosaki exhibit folk art in the form of community-made festival floats. Aomori offers immersion in art from all eras.
Aomori City 
<a href="https://sannaimaruyama.pref.aomori.jp/english/">Sannai Maruyama Special Historical Site</a> 
This archeological site and museum roughly the size of Tokyo Disneyland introduces Jomon history and culture. Stroll through the grounds of a village people lived in thousands of years ago, where you can now see burial pits and recreated Jomon architecture. Artifacts are still being found at this National Historic Site, with pottery reassembly and restoration taking place in the museum work studio. Check out Jomon tools, jewelry, doki pots, and dogu clay figurines. Try making some of these Jomon objects in a workshop. 
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Sannai-Maruyama-Installation-View.jpg" alt="Sannai Maruyama Site museum" width="257" height="343" class="imgcaption floatl" /><img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Doki-Sannai-Maruyamajpg.jpg" alt="Jomon 'doki' under restoration" width="257" height="343" class="imgcaption floatl" /> 
<a href="http://www.aomori-museum.jp/en/index.html">Aomori Museum of Art</a> 
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Aomori-Museum-of-Art-exterior.jpg" alt="Aomori Museum of Art main entrance" width="518" height="389" class="imgcaption" /></a>
Architect Jun Aoki drew much of his inspiration for this world-class contemporary art museum from the neighboring Sannai Maruyama site. He designed it to have narrow channels resembling the excavation trenches, with earthen brown walls that contrast with the white spaces of the galleries. 
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/photo1.jpg" alt="Aomori Museum of Art in winter with brown 'trench' walls (Photo: Aomori Museum of Art)" width="518" height="348" class="imgcaption" />
The museum holds a collection of 4,700 works. It places a special focus on artists from the prefecture, such as the international pop-art darling Yoshitomo Nara and the renowned woodblock printmaker Shiko Munakata. Its permanent works are displayed in four shows annually, organized around different themes. At the heart of the museum is a four-story atrium, Aleko Hall. Here you can see recreations of Marc Chagall works. For more information on Aomori Museum of Art, please see our <a href="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/2015/10/aomori-and-its-artists.html">previous report</a>. 
<a href="https://komakinosite.jp/index.php">Komakino Site</a> 
A 30-minute drive from Shin-Aomori Station, the Komakino Site is a rewarding trip for fans of ancient mysteries. Its concentric stone circles, dating back some 4,000 years, were discovered by high-school students, and much remains unknown about their original intended use.
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Komakino-2.jpg" alt="Stone circle at the Komakino Site" width="518" height="389" class="imgcaption" />Designated a National Historic Site, Komakino might be thought of as a miniature Jomon Stonehenge. The stone circle consists of central, inner, and outer rings. The overall diameter is 55 meters, making it the largest stone circle in Japan. The purpose of the circle is unclear, but it is believed to have been used in spiritual rituals, perhaps for funeral ceremonies. There are also pit tombs and dwelling ruins here, where dogu figurines and enigmatic triangular rocks have been excavated.
The Komakino Site Preservation Museum, housed in what was formerly an elementary school, gives explanations about the site and Jomon culture in general with excellent English materials. Here you can see plenty of relics uncovered at Komakino.
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/pottery-fragments-1.jpg" alt="Fragments of Jomon pottery at the Komakino Site Preservation Museum showing different decorative patterns" width="518" height="388" class="imgcaption" />
Hirosaki 
<a href="https://www.hirosaki-moca.jp/en/">Hirosaki Museum of Contemporary Art</a> 
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Hirosaki-MOCA-Exterior.jpg" alt="Hirosaki Museum of Contemporary Art front entrance" width="518" height="389" class="imgcaption" />
Hirosaki Museum of Contemporary Art opened its doors in spring 2020 following renovations to its century-old brick building, once a cider brewery. The inaugural exhibition “Thank You Memory: From Cidre to Contemporary Art” focused on this place as a site of modern industrial heritage. In addition to locally researched works by eight contemporary artists from around the world, the show spotlighted the building’s renovation process and works created with the cooperation of local residents. With this first exhibition, the museum established itself as a “memory device” for passing down Hirosaki culture to future generations.
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Aki-Sasamoto-Spirits-Cubed-2020-Navin-Rawanchaikul-22A-Letter-to-Inocchi22-2020.jpg" alt="Front: Aki Sasamoto, 'Spirits Cubed' (2020), Back wall: Navin Rawanchaikul, 'A Letter to Inocchi' (2020)" width="518" height="389" class="imgcaption" />
The exhibition showcased items from the former warehouse, such as glass bottles and signs, displayed along with the contemporary artworks. Aki Sasamoto presented a laboratory-esque brewing installation. Hikaru Fujii created a film recounting the building’s history. The new works, including Navin Rawanchaikul’s homage to Hirosaki in the form a massive mural complete with scenes of Jomon life, will remain in the permanent collection. The museum plans to hold two main exhibitions a year of contemporary art and works pertinent to the culture of Hirosaki and Japan’s northern Tohoku region.
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Hikaru-Fujii-Architecture-Two-Thousand-Twenty-2020bottles-3.jpg" alt="Bottles found in the Brick Warehouse, Hikaru Fujii, 'ARCHITECTURE Two Thousand Twenty' (2020)" width="257" height="343" class="imgcaption floatl" /><img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Navin-Rawanchaikul-22A-Letter-to-Inocchi22-2020-detail.jpg" alt="Navin Rawanchaikul, 'A Letter to Inocchi' (2020) (detail)" width="257" height="343" class="imgcaption floatl" /> 
<a href="http://www.city.hirosaki.aomori.jp/gaiyou/shisetsu/2015-0223-1129-41.html">Hirosaki City Dashi Display Museum</a> 
Hirosaki also has folk art to enjoy. The Hirosaki City Dashi Display Museum is a small hidden gem displaying dashi festival floats that have been locally made since 1682. Animals, yokai, folklore heroes, and even a giant radish appear as icons that have been paraded down the streets. It is easy to imagine their lively processions through Aomori villages as people hoped for good harvests and peaceful, prosperous seasons. 
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Dashi-2.jpg" alt="'Dashi' float at Hirosaki City Dashi Display Museum" width="518" height="389" class="imgcaption" />
<a href="http://neputamura.com/en/">Neputa Village</a> 
Neputa are another kind of festival float that you can see in Hirosaki. Neputa Village pays year-round tribute to the famous Neputa Matsuri festivals, which feature giant paper constructions of warriors and other popular characters. Neputa Village also lets visitors appreciate Hirosaki handicrafts like wooden kokeshi dolls. Roam through the displays and stalls and stop by the Japanese teahouse and garden. 
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Neputa-Village-2.jpg" alt="'Neputa' float at Neputa Village" width="518" height="389" class="imgcaption" />
Towada 
<a href="https://towadaartcenter.com/en/">Towada Art Center</a> 
Celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2020, Towada Art Center was built as part of a project to reinvigorate the city of Towada through contemporary art. Its collection of 38 works was made exclusively for the site by leading artists including Yayoi Kusama and Jim Lambie. Through the spring of 2022, the museum is holding a three-part commemorative exhibition called “Inter + Play.” Intended to “connect the art, the city, and the community,” it features new works by another group of top creators. Yasuhiro Suzuki has installed a sculpture referencing Aomori’s culture of apple farming – a stack of apples extends skyward, rising out of “water” in the shape of Towada City, with ten ripples symbolizing the museum’s first decade.
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Towada-Yasuhiro-Suzuki.jpg" alt="Towada Art Center, September 2020, with Yasuhiro Suzuki's 'Quantum Apples' (2020)" width="518" height="388" class="imgcaption" /> 
Created for Part 1 of “Inter + Play” (through August 29, 2021), ‘Truth/Freedom’ is a site-specific installation by Megumi Matsubara. It was inspired by the color of Lake Towada’s red rocks, said in legend to come from the blood of a dragon. A sound recording embodies the delicate voices of “red,” changing pitch according to time of day. Shin Morikita’s “Flying Man and Hunter” sculpture, part of the permanent collection, is made up of two figures perched in a space between buildings. These characters dotted with holes appear frozen in action when we gaze up at them. The work makes us think about their relationship and the use of interval spaces.
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Towada-Megumi-Matsubara.jpg" alt="Megumi Matsubara, 'Truth/Freedom' (2020)" width="257" height="343" class="imgcaption floatl" /><img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Towada-Hunter.jpg" alt="Shin Morikita, 'Flying Man and Hunter' (2010) Towada Art Center" width="257" height="343" class="imgcaption floatl" /> 
Michiko Tsuda experiments with perceptions of time and space with this installation of mirrors, frames, and video screens. As you enter, a reflection of yourself appears somewhere you don’t expect. Tsuda recreated this work for “Inter + Play.”
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Towada-Michiko-Tsuda.jpg" alt="Michiko Tsuda, 'You would come back there to see me again the following day.' (2016/2020)" width="518" height="389" class="imgcaption" /> 
A trio of works by Yoko Ono: a bell from the Kyoto temple Daikaku-ji, a path of cobblestones, and an apple tree onto which visitors can tie strips of paper written with their wishes. The paper strips are delivered to Ono once a year and kept in Imagine Peace Tower, a monument for world peace in Reykjavik, Iceland. 
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Towada-Yoko-Ono.jpg" alt="Yoko Ono, 'Bell of Peace,' 'Riverbed,' and 'Wish Tree for Towada'" width="518" height="389" class="imgcaption" /> 
Special events like outdoor markets at Towada Art Center bring the community together. Ignes Idee’s ‘Ghost & Unknown Mass’ looks on. 
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Towada-Marche.jpg" alt="Towada Art Center grounds" width="518" height="389" class="imgcaption" />
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Grandma-Towada.jpg" alt="Ron Mueck, 'Standing Woman' (2008) at Towada Art Center" width="257" height="343" class="imgcaption floatl" /><img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Flat-Dogu-Sannai-Maruyama.jpg" alt="Jomon 'dogu' figurine of a woman at Sannai Maruyama" width="257" height="343" class="imgcaption floatl" /> 
Hachinohe 
<a href="https://www.korekawa-jomon.jp/english-toppage/">Korekawa Archaeological Institution</a> 
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Korekawa-Exterior.jpg" alt="The Korekawa Jomonkan museum at Korekawa Archeological Institution" width="518" height="389" class="imgcaption" />Returning to the Jomon era, Korekawa Archeological Institution in Hachinohe is another destination for appreciating ancient art and culture. It features a top-notch museum on a former hub of Jomon civilization, where excavation began roughly a century ago and research is ongoing. Pit dwellings, burial mounds, and artifacts such as lacquerware and hunting tools have all been unearthed from this National Historic Site. Items from here include those marked by elaborate formative art and sophisticated decoration. Nearly 1,000 of the artifacts have been designated Important Cultural Properties. 
Several of the doki pots at the Korekawa museum display contrasts of patterned and unmarked designs (surikeshi), an advanced form of artistry from the Late Jomon period. The clay figurines here are fascinating, too. Believed to have been created and modeled after women, these intricately decorated dogu are thought to have been created with prayers for good fortune and health before being ceremonially broken, perhaps to “return them to the earth.” Most of the dogu, like the head of the one below, show intentional breakage.
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Korekawa-doki-1.jpg" alt="Pottery/Deep bowl, Late Jomon period, Kazahari 1 site, Korekawa Archaeological Institution" width="257" height="343" class="imgcaption floatl" /><img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Korekawa-dogu-1.jpg" alt="'Dogu' figurine, Final Jomon period, Korekawa-Nakai site, Korekawa Archaeological Institution" width="257" height="343" class="imgcaption floatl" /> 
The Korekawa collection is also known for its rare Jomon lacquerware. Objects for both everyday life and special rituals are painted with this vivid red and deep black gloss. The difficulty of lacquering speaks not only to the beauty sought by Jomon artists, but also to the importance that this art form must have held in their society.
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Korekawa-lacquer-combs-1.jpg" alt="Lacquered combs, Final Jomon period, Korekawa-Nakai site, Korekawa Archaeological Institution" width="518" height="360" class="imgcaption" />
The crown jewel of the Korekawa Archeological Institute is the Gassyo Dogu, a National Treasure remarkable among clay figurines for its three-dimensional seated pose with clasped hands. Some researchers interpret this posture to be praying, others to be giving birth. Unlike most dogu, it was discovered in a pit dwelling and seems to have been repaired with tar, demonstrating its great significance to its civilization.
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Gassyo-Dogu-1.jpg" alt="'Gassyo Dogu' Clay figurine with clasping hands, Late Jomon period, Kazahari 1 site" width="257" height="343" class="imgcaption floatl" /><img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Gassyo-Dogu-2.jpg" alt="" width="257" height="343" class="imgcaption floatl" /> 
In Conclusion 
Aomori Prefecture offers art lovers wonderful juxtapositions of the ancient and the contemporary. Its roots as a creative culture run deep and continue to flourish today. No visit would be complete without experiencing both its pre-modern and modern sides, so whether its to an archeological site, a vibrant festival, or a contemporary art museum, make the most of its journeys back in time and to the cutting edge of creation.
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Komakino-Sign.jpg" alt="Komakino Site and 'Stone Circle' sign with QR code for additional information" width="257" height="343" class="imgcaption floatl" /><img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/IMG_2652.jpg" alt="Jaume Plensa, 'Even Shetia' (2010) at Towada Art Center. In Hebrew, 'Even Shetia' means: foundation stone, rock of the origin of the world." width="257" height="343" class="imgcaption floatl" />

article_20719

Aomori Art and Archeology

How has the COVID-19 crisis affected your life?
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/aidamakoto-1.png" alt="Makoto Aida" title="Courtesy of Mizuma Art Gallery" width="518" height="390" class="imgcaption" />
I read the news every day stunned. Like with 3/11, I’m looking at the bigger picture of what people are doing (this time on a worldwide scale). I won’t talk about it like I know more than I do. I give myself over to the uncertainty of the era. 
Makoto Aida is a 1991 graduate of Tokyo University of the Arts Graduate School. His works include painting, photography, video, sculpture, performance, installations, novels, and manga. Notable exhibitions include “Aida Makoto: Monument for Nothing” (2012–13, Mori Art Museum) and Ground No Plan (2018, Aoyama Crystal Building). His second novel Geisai comes out in the summer of 2020.
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/goat5.5.png" alt="Aya Momose, 'To Cuddle a Goat, a Poor Grammar Exercise' (2016)" title="Single channel video, 13 min. 50 sec." width="518" height="290" class="imgcaption" />
My studio is at home, so on the surface my daily life as an artist probably hasn’t changed very much. I hang out the laundry as I check emails, make lunch from what’s in the fridge in between editing projects. I make art when I’m not doing remote work for my part-time job. I put on a mask and go shopping for dinner. (I always feel a bit nervous when leaving the house). 
However, my current life of relatively low risk is only possible because of others – people like supermarket employees and Amazon delivery drivers. I sense a link between living my “ordinary life” and being complicit in something. It feels like what happened with the nuclear accident after 3.11, only more complicated. 
My encounters with others changed instantaneously. I feel a physical surge of nervousness when I brush past someone who’s not wearing a mask in the supermarket. It puts me on edge. I’ve never had this kind of social aversion before – or if I did, maybe I pretended not to notice? It’s come as a pretty big shock. The mask has started to act as a barrier that superficially cuts us off from the gazes of others. I wonder, when a world where we don’t use masks arrives, will this barrier also disappear? 
Aya Momose was born in Tokyo in 1988. Using a self-referential approach that reconsiders the medium of video art, Momose explores the relationship between photographer and subject. Her most recent exhibition is “I.C.A.N.S.E.E.Y.O.U” at EFAG EastFactoryArtGallery (2020). She participated in the 2016 Roppongi Art Crossing exhibition “My Body, Your Voice” and worked in New York on an Asian Cultural Council scholarship in 2016. In 2019, she screened “Exchange Diary” with Im Heugsoon at Tokyo’s Image Forum and Seoul Art Cinema. 
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Houxo-Que.png" alt="Houxo Que" title="Photo: Miyu Terasawa" width="518" height="399" class="imgcaption" />
The exhibitions and work I had scheduled for 2020 have been postponed or cancelled, so right now my plans are a blank slate. I didn’t go out so much before anyway, though, so there hasn’t been much of a change to my lifestyle since the call to stay in was made. It’s worrying that I currently have no prospects for income, but my life was unstable to begin with. That’s an anxiety I’ve always had.
Ironically, because many people around the world are now in the same situation as me, I’ve noticed a degree of “social distancing” – a distance from society – that was built into my life as it’s been until now. It’s not me that’s changed since COVID-19, it’s society. 
Houxo Que was born in Tokyo in 1984. His practice has expanded from street art into contemporary art. Known for his practice of painting directly onto LED screens, he is among the next generation of painters. Major exhibitions include “Proxy” at Gallery Out of Place Tokio (2020) and “Tokyo 2021 Art Exhibition ‘Un/real Engine – Engineering of Mourning’” at Toda Building (2019). 
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/IMGP2060.jpg" alt="Yoichi Umetsu" width="518" height="343" class="imgcaption" />
I am an artist. In addition to my own work I direct the art collective Parplume. I guess you could call me a freelancer. I don’t have any work on the side, so to be honest, the impact of the coronavirus crisis has been big for me. My income has fallen and I’m struggling to make ends meet. 
Before I worked at a care home for four years. Or, it’d be more accurate to say, I lived at the home for half the week. It was in a renovated old house and I’d nap on a futon next to the residents. It had the closeness of a family in that way. I was the only staff member there at night, so I did all of the work myself. In addition to care work, I did cleaning, administration, and sometimes something close to medical services. At the time I thought it was like living in temporary housing in the disaster zone after the earthquake. 
Recently I keep hearing how sodium hypochlorite and disinfecting alcohol are essentials at care homes. How even slight colds can cost elderly people their lives. But at the same time, these items are not distributed by any organizations, so staff must buy them at drug stores. Looking at the current situation, caregiving looks quite tough. Wages are very low and services depend excessively on goodwill. 
I think my experience as a caregiver has had a large impact on my activities with Parplume, which also seems like a kind of pseudo-family in some ways. Saki Wakimoto, a student in the fifth session of Parplume School, lost her part-time job when her late-night shift at a family restaurant was eliminated due to the crisis. (It doesn’t look like the shift will return once the crisis settles down). All of the Parplume members helped her look for a new job and she got through an interview, to our relief. That said, it’s customer service, so we can’t help but be a bit concerned about the future. None of the Parplume members have the luxury of waiting out the crisis at home. 
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/umetsu.jpg" alt="Parprism in Parple Town Exhibition (2018), Installation view" title="Photo: Fuyumi Murata" width="518" height="346" class="imgcaption" />
Of course, it is concerning when I think about my individual work and the cost of maintaining Parplume. But in its seven years Parplume has somehow gotten by without needing to ask for public funds. This time, too, we’ll just have to figure something out. 
With no end in sight, we can’t just postpone our activities indefinitely. Society can’t run on remote work alone. Also, the number of people who can work remotely is limited.
Personally, I’m a bit skittish, so I carry a tube of alcohol gel with me when I go to the supermarket. I’m not sure how effective it is, but I’m also sanitizing my doorknobs and table every day. It’s like when there was a norovirus outbreak. We have to keep up that kind of caution. It’s not all bad, though. I don’t go out nearly as often and I’m spending much more time in my studio. I think the quality of my work has improved recently. Also, I hardly think about COVID-19 at all when I’m working. 
Yoichi Umetsu was born in Yamagata in 1982. He graduated from the painting department at Tokyo Zokei University. His works include self-portraits created in the spirit of paintings from Japan’s golden age of Western-style modern painting. He is the director of Parplume Gallery and Parplume School, which he operates with five students in their twenties from his home. Parplume’s work has been featured at the Watari Museum of Contemporary Art, the Setouchi Triennale, and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo.
Translated from the Japanese by Jennifer Pastore
<a href="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/2020/05/on-the-artists-minds-now-part-2.html">Part 2</a> with Mai Endo, Mizuki Kin, Dan Isomura, and Akira Takayama

article_20319

On the Artists’ Minds Now: Part 1

<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Eye-of-Shinjuku.jpeg" alt="Yoshiko Miyashita, 'Eye of Shinjuku' (1969)" width="518" height="389" class="imgcaption" />
Why is this artwork an eye shape? Artist Yoshiko Miyashita has said the reason is that “Shinjuku is a monster that includes the youthfulness and strength of modern Japan. To express these ideas, an eye that looks at everything in the modern world, such as the flow of time and the movement of thought, is the best.”
This public work in Shinjuku Station is called “Eye of Shinjuku” and was created by Miyashita in 1969. Miyashita is from Kagoshima Prefecture but was born in China. She is a sculptor, but does not belong to a group and is active in various places. Having lived in Paris for 17 years since 1977, she is active not only in Japan, but also overseas in places including Italy as well as France. In addition to sculptures, she produces paintings and reliefs. She also produces a lot of public art, but her best known artwork in Japan is the “Eye of Shinjuku.”
This artwork is installed on a wall of the Shinjuku Station West Exit Underground Plaza. Since it was produced in 1969, it has gained attention as an immutable symbol and appeared in many movies and in the media. It is an eye-shaped acrylic object that stands three meters high and ten meters wide. It is illuminated from behind the pupil and inside inner corner of the eye, and it shines in various colors while rotating slowly. On the whole, it is colorful, with the white of the eye shining yellow and the central pupil shining blue or green. In addition, the central pupil has a wave-like pattern. The inner corner of the eye is also expressed, and from that position it is probably the right eye. When I saw this artwork for the first time, I was reminded of a kaleidoscope. In particular, the color changes while the pupil slowly rotates, so I felt it was similar to how a kaleidoscope pattern changes.
This artwork has both positive and negative points. The positive points are that the shape is unique and it is not an unpleasant shape or color scheme. Also, I think that it is good that there is movement and that it leaves an impression on viewers, which might lead people to become interested in art. The negative point is that this artwork is a subject of urban legends due to its slightly creepy look. 
As mentioned above, “Eye of Shinjuku” has appeared in various media due to its visual impact. For example, Daijiro Morohoshi’s Dreaming Machine. In this manga, the “Eye of Shinjuku” is the entrance to a secret organization. This was the basis of an urban legend rumoring that there is a mysterious door near the “Eye of Shinjuku” which leads to a secret room. Also, Shinjuku’s underground passages are in fact quite complicated, so I think this added credibility to the legend. In June 2019, an incident occurred where a man broke part of the cornea of the Eye. His motivation was not clear. However, some say that it was a crime by a person who believed in urban legends. I think this incident is an example of how the artwork has had an adverse effect on people’s hearts. I think that the impact on us is greatly influenced not only by the appearance of the artwork but also by the environment in which it is placed. I feel that this artwork was intended to be a witness, looking at all the events of Shinjuku in the past and present and the history of people.
Location: Shinjuku Station West Exit Underground Plaza 
Access Details: 
① Exit the Shinjuku Station West Exit ticket gate. 
② There is a signboard for the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and Chuo Park. Walk toward it. 
③ If you walk for about 2 minutes, you can see “Eye of Shinjuku” on a wall on the right.
Kotomi Numazawa is a student of Joshibi University of Art and Design. She is studying in the concentration of Art and Culture.

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The Eye of Shinjuku

<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Hotchi-Nerima-1.jpg" alt="Nerima Bijutsu no Mori Ryokuchi Park" title="Photo: Kotoori Hotchi" width="518" height="389" class="imgcaption" />
Nerima Bijutsu no Mori Ryokuchi Park lies in front of Nerima Art Museum and Nerima City Nukui Library. It is located about a three-minute walk from Nakamurabashi station. The park is like a zoo, with 32 animal sculptures of 20 kinds: bears, giraffes, lizards, and others. 
You can see Junichi Kurakake’s artworks there. He directed the making of the park and produced 15 of the sculptures. He is a Japanese artist, and his artwork was exhibited in Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale in 2006. That work’s title was “Shedding House.” He and students reinvented an old empty house as an artwork. They carved all over the rooms on the walls, floors, pillars, beams, stairs, and ceilings, making spaces that matched the site. Kurakake loves the city of Nerima, where he has lived since the age of 18. He graduated from Nerima’s Nihon University and now works there as a professor.
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Hotchi-Nerima-2.jpg" alt="" title="Photo: Kotoori Hotchi" width="518" height="389" class="imgcaption" />
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Hotchi-Nerima-3.jpg" alt="" title="Photo: Kotoori Hotchi" width="518" height="389" class="imgcaption" />
Kurakake’s wish was for this park to be accessible for everyone to enjoy. Some of its animals have colorful bodies. For example, seven colors were used in the giraffe. The body is 3.6 meters long and looks real. Also, the color black is not used in the animal eyes, because it was the artist’s hope to avoid such “stereotypes.” The materials of the sculptures are strong enough to allow children to ride and touch. Bronze, stainless steel, and reinforced plastic are used.
The artist also wants you to feel differences in texture, and natural grass and rubber chips are laid on the ground for safety. There is a bear with a sign at the front entrance. There are other big elephants and lions, cute penguins, and frogs, and there is the Nerima character called “Neriby.” 
There is only one sculpture that is not an animal. Its title is “What is Reflected.” The metal surface reflects the viewer. After looking at a lot of animals, this work shows that it is we who are reflected at the end. It is a very philosophical message. 
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Hotchi-Nerima-4.jpg" alt="" title="Photo: Kotoori Hotchi" width="518" height="389" class="imgcaption" />
<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Hotchi-Nerima-5.jpg" alt="" title="Photo: Kotoori Hotchi" width="518" height="389" class="imgcaption" />
Some people are attracted to the liveliness of this public art and so visit the museum. It is also an opportunity for children to get close to art. I always smile when I go to the museum, because the park has public art that keeps kids playing and laughing. Seeing this seems to make the area brighter.
I believe that the nature of public art is different from art in museums. For example, public art can become more connected with a place over time and become a symbol of a place. In addition, by there being sculptures in public places, opportunities for everyone to encounter art are created. Then if people are interested in art, they can also go to visit museums, such as the Nerima Art Museum nearby.
<a href="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Hotchi-Nerima-6a.jpg"><img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Hotchi-Nerima-6a.jpg" alt="Neriby" title="Photo: Kotoori Hotchi" width="257" height="343" class="imgcaption floatl" /><img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Hotchi-Nerima-6b.jpg" alt="'What is Reflected'" title="Photo: Kotoori Hotchi" width="257" height="343" class="imgcaption floatl" /> 
Kotoori Hotchi  is a student of Joshibi University of Art and Design. She is studying in the concentration of Art and Culture.

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