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National Museum of Nature and Science

Birds are the most numerous terrestrial vertebrates, with approximately 11,000 species, and thrive in a variety of environments around the world, from the sky and land to the water and polar regions. In Japan, bird classification is based on the Catalogue of Japanese Birds published by the Ornithological Society of Japan, but in recent years, the classification was revised for the first time in 12 years in September this year, taking into account the evolutionary history and lineages that have been revealed by the rapid progress of genome analysis.

The special exhibition "Birds: New bird lineages revealed by genome analysis" (until February 24, 2025) currently being held at the National Museum of Nature and Science in Ueno, Tokyo, explains the diverse charms of birds around the world, including their amazing ecology, based on the latest genome lineage classification. With over 600 bird specimens on display, it is the largest scale in the history of the National Museum of Nature and Science, and can be enjoyed by a wide range of people, from beginners to bird enthusiasts and avid bird watchers.

Nishiumi Isao (Chief Researcher in the Zoological Research Department at the National Museum of Nature and Science), who served as the overall supervisor of this exhibition, spoke about the significance of holding this exhibition at a press preview held prior to its opening as follows:

"Birds play a variety of roles in the ecological pyramid. For example, nectar-eating birds are involved in pollination, while seed-eating birds are involved in seed dispersal. Woodpeckers, who can dig nest holes, provide habitats for a variety of creatures that cannot make their own nest holes, such as flying squirrels and owls, and thus enrich biodiversity. Many of these birds have been declining in number in recent years, and some are on the verge of extinction. We believe that holding the 'Birds' exhibition, getting to know birds better and becoming familiar with them, is extremely important in considering the global environment."

According to Nishiumi, birds are particularly susceptible to environmental influences among animals. It is conservatively estimated that 1,430 species have become extinct due to human activity, which means that 12% of all species have become extinct. As a prologue to this exhibition, a corner on the theme of "extinction" is set up, and you can feel the strong desire of the curators to "above all else, let people know about the current situation surrounding birds."

One of the highlights of this exhibition is the life-size reconstructed model of Pelagornis sandersi, the largest flying bird in history with a wingspan of up to 7m, which lived approximately 26 million years ago.

Takanobu Taibichi (Chief Researcher in the Department of Earth Sciences, National Museum of Nature and Science), who supervised this model, commented, "As far as we know, this is the largest flying bird in history. We attempted this restoration because we wanted to explore the potential of birds, or how large a bird needs to be to fly given its body structure, and to explore the diversity of shapes known from fossils, as well as the limits of shape."

The greatest attraction of this exhibition is undoubtedly the volume of specimens .

According to Nishiumi, he carefully selected the best-looking specimens from the approximately 3,000 in the National Museum of Nature and Science's collection. With the cooperation of the Abiko Bird Museum, the only bird museum in Japan, and Himeji Museum, the exhibition features over 600 bird specimens from all over the world and throughout history, which is truly impressive. "See all the birds you'll ever see in your lifetime!?" is the exhibition's catchphrase, but as a rough guide, if you can observe more than 400 species of birds, you're considered a very experienced birdwatcher.

Cute birds, unique birds, rare birds… With such a wide variety, no matter what kind of bird you're looking for, you're sure to enjoy it.

The venue is laid out according to taxonomic orders, and one area to pay particular attention to is the "Penguin Gathering" corner, which displays the order Sphenisciformes.

There are 15 specimens of 11 of the 18 extant species of penguins on display. Some specimens have unique poses, such as an emperor penguin watching over its chicks, while others have a sense of story in their arrangement, such as a group of African penguins and a group of Magellanic penguins staring in the same direction as if intrigued by something. The specimens come together as a single scene, creating an atmosphere almost like that of a zoo.

It's interesting to see the great auks, which look similar to penguins but are from a completely different family, casually mixed in like a game of spot the difference. Penguins are limited to the Southern Hemisphere, but it is said that flightless birds like the great auks have evolved convergently (※) in the Arctic as well.

(*)…When organisms from very different lineages are placed in the same environment, such as a fish shark and a mammal dolphin, or a bird's wing and a mammal's bat's wing, they acquire similar traits and functions.

If you look up into the sky above the "Penguin Gathering" area, you'll see a South Polar skua, a predator that preys on penguin eggs and chicks, spreading its wings and appearing to be targeting the penguins. It's easy to miss the hanging exhibits, so we recommend taking a 360-degree look around the venue.

The exhibition is based on phylogenetic research using genome analysis, and one of its symbolic results is the establishment of the order Falconidae. In the traditional classification, which was based mainly on morphological differences, falcons were classified as part of the Falconidae family, and this had hardly been questioned until now. However, it has been discovered that they are actually closer to the parrots and passerines in terms of their lineage than to hawks.

There are 44 orders, from Strigiformes to Passeriformes. However, while there are over 6,700 species of Passeriformes that are distributed almost worldwide, there is only one species of Hoatzin, the black-spotted hoatzin, that is endemic to the Amazon basin; there is a wide range in the number of species and their distribution ranges.

This rare bird, one species in a single order, is arboreal, has low flying ability, and is the only bird that has a unique ecology in that it mainly eats leaves. It has an image that is the polar opposite of carnivorous birds of prey that fly powerfully through the sky to hunt prey, but it is suggested that phylogenetically, birds of prey such as hawks and owls may have arisen through the Hoatzins.

Generally, bird "orders" branch off at roughly the same time, with the groups that branched off between 66 million years ago, when the mass extinction of the dinosaurs occurred due to an asteroid impact, and around 50 million years ago. The Hoatzinidae order did not branch off for over 50 million years, and it is unclear whether they survived as a single species or whether they became extinct with only one species remaining, making them a rather mysterious species.

The "Secrets of Birds" section, which features contributions from Watari Numagasa , a popular creator known for his illustrated animal illustrations, is also a must-see.

The corner has 23 themes, such as "Do cuckoos' egg-laying parasitism lead to the death of their hosts?" and "Bird dialects and words" , and introduces the latest research findings in the form of trivia. Numagasa Watari's illustrations help visitors understand the exhibit with their humorous, chuckle-inducing illustrations.

One of the curators, Shoji Hamao (Chief Researcher in the Zoological Research Department at the National Museum of Nature and Science), said, "In this exhibition, we wanted to emphasize the differences in how birds and people see the world," referring to the exhibit in the same corner, "What pigeons can teach us about the 'minds' of birds."

The results of an experiment were presented in which pigeons, trained to distinguish between Japanese and Western paintings, were shown scrambled images in which the original painting was divided into 1,024 parts and rearranged randomly. While it is difficult for humans to determine whether the original painting is Japanese or Western, pigeons were able to easily distinguish between the two, even when seeing the painting for the first time.

"Humans are good at looking at the whole picture and picking out features, but pigeons are very honest about the small details, and they look at each and every detail and remember it. That's how they perceive things. In other words, they perceive the world differently. This story doesn't mean that pigeons are smart or not, but it shows that Homo sapiens and birds perceive things differently, and see the world in different ways," says Hamao.

Hamao also mentioned an exhibit on the surprising pairing relationships between male and female birds. As the term "lovebirds" suggests, some people may imagine that birds form monogamous pairs and raise children together in harmony. However, for example, when a male pheasant has a baby with a female in his pairing, he abandons nest-building, incubation, raising the eggs, and the bond with his partner, and instead courts other females one after another, which is why he is said to be polygamous (or promiscuous).

From a human perspective, this behavior would make one frown, thinking, "How can they move from one woman to another without raising their young?" But in reality, the chicks mature quickly, and one bird is enough to raise the young. Hamao says that this is the result of each individual bird evolving to leave as many young as possible in the harsh natural environment.

"The image we have of birds, that humans think birds must think this way because we think this way, is surprisingly not accurate. Birds have acquired all sorts of characteristics to leave more offspring under the harsh selective pressure of evolution. So we shouldn't think of this in terms of humans. We create exhibits like this with the idea that we need to know what birds really look like, admire them, and think about conservation." (Hamao)

Genome analysis has revealed a different image of birds than we had previously. What ecological characteristics do they have, what kind of lifestyles do they lead, and what role do they play in the ecosystem? Now that we know this, what kind of charm will we find in them? This exhibition will be the perfect opportunity to update our image of birds in the genomic era.

Summary of the special exhibition "Birds: New bird lineages revealed by genome analysis"

Dates	November 2, 2024 (Sat) – February 24, 2025 (Monday/Closed)
venue	National Museum of Nature and Science (Ueno Park, Tokyo)
Opening hours	9:00-17:00 (entrance until 16:30)
Closed Days	Mondays, November 5th (Tuesday), December 28th (Saturday) – January 1st (Wednesday), January 14th (Tuesday) *However, the museum will be open on November 4th (Monday, holiday), December 23rd (Monday), January 13th (Monday, holiday), February 17th (Monday), and February 24th (Monday, holiday). *The session and other details are subject to change.
Admission fee (tax included)	Adults and university students: 2,100 yen; elementary, middle and high school students: 600 yen *Free for preschool children. * Free for those with a disability certificate and one caregiver. *If you have a student ID or any other certificate, please present it upon entry.
Organizer	National Museum of Nature and Science, Nihon Keizai Shimbun, BS TV Tokyo
inquiry	050-5541-8600 (Hello Dial)
Exhibition official website	https://toriten.exhn.jp/

*The contents of this article are current as of the date of coverage. Please check the official exhibition website for the latest information.

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Tokyo National Museum

The national treasure “Haniwa Warrior with Armored Arms,” which is said to be the greatest masterpiece among the many different types of haniwa made during the Kofun period, has celebrated its 50th anniversary since being designated a national treasure, and a special exhibition commemorating this occasion, “Haniwa,” has opened at the Tokyo National Museum (hereinafter referred to as “Tokyo National Museum”). The exhibition will run until December 8, 2024.

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Haniwa, which were actively produced from the 3rd to 6th centuries during the Kofun period, are unglazed sculptures that were lined up in burial mounds, the tombs of kings and other powerful people. Early on, they were simple cylindrical shapes, but as time went on, they developed into more and more unique pieces, including human figures, adorable animal figures such as horses and birds, and pictographs of elaborate weapons and houses. They are valuable materials that convey the lives and customs of ancient people to the present day.

This exhibition will bring together about 120 carefully selected treasures from around Japan, including haniwa and grave goods excavated from ancient tombs. This will be the first large-scale haniwa exhibition held at the Tokyo National Museum in about half a century.

Welcoming visitors at the entrance to the first venue is the adorable Haniwa Dancing People, with their playful expressions, which has now become a recognized icon of Haniwa. Haniwa, which emerged and developed uniquely in the Japanese archipelago, are characterized by simplified and rounded expressions in the clothing, faces, and gestures, but this representative work is filled with that unique “looseness .” It is said to depict people dancing in a ritual, and is also the model for the Tokyo National Museum’s mascot character, “Tohaku-kun.”

When it was excavated from the Nohara Tomb in Kumagaya, Saitama Prefecture in 1930, it was immediately repaired and restored, but in recent years it has deteriorated so much that it is no longer possible to lend it out. Therefore, the Tokyo National Museum and the Cultural Properties Utilization Center are raising donations through crowdfunding and other means, and will begin dismantling and repairing it in October 2022. Repairs are scheduled to be completed in March 2024, and this exhibition will be the first opportunity for the statue to be shown since its repairs.

There have been several changes since the restoration, but the biggest change is probably the intensity of the reddish color. During cleaning, it was discovered that the work had a stronger yellowish color than it actually was, due to dirt that had accumulated while it was buried and dirt in the air that had accumulated over the years of display. Old excavated items are often left with no effort to remove dirt, in order to show their history, but in this restoration, they decided to remove as much dirt as possible in order to allow the viewer to imagine how it was when it was first made. The original color that emerged is said to be a reddish burnt color that is rich in iron and contains volcanic minerals, a color that is often seen in northern Kanto.

Regarding the Haniwa Dancing People, according to Tokyo National Museum researcher Yamamoto Ryo, a recent theory that has gained popularity is that “rather than dancing, the figures are actually pulling a horse.”

Haniwa figures with one hand raised were often originally excavated together with horses. Also, it is possible that the twisted cord hanging from the waist of the shorter haniwa represents reins, and the sickle on its back represents an object used to cut grass for the horse. If it was a horse-puller, it would be a little disappointing, considering that we have been familiar with the “dancing people” for so many years…

“On the other hand, it is common for the meaning of the original haniwa to change as it develops. In this exhibition, we call them group figures of haniwa, but there are some that combine different types of haniwa to express various stories, such as a hunting scene using a hunter haniwa with a deer or boar haniwa. Therefore, depending on the combination of haniwa, there is still the possibility that they could have expressed a dancing scene, as has been said until now,” said Yamamoto. Further research is expected.

The next exhibition corner, titled “The Appearance of the King,” is a luxurious space where all the exhibits are national treasures.

In ancient tombs, luxurious grave goods are sometimes found along with the haniwa. For example, in the early Kofun period (3rd to 4th centuries), kings played a priestly role like Himiko, and many bronze mirrors and bracelet-type treasures made from precious stones have been excavated.

The exhibition will introduce the National Treasure “Gold Inlaid Sword,” a sword with an unparalleled decorative pommel that was excavated from the Todaijiyama Tomb, built in the late 4th century. This sword, known as the oldest inscribed sword excavated in Japan, is said by some researchers to have been inherited by Himiko from the Chinese dynasty.

In the middle of the Kofun period (5th century), when the kings took on a more warrior-like nature in the wake of a period of upheaval on the Korean Peninsula, weapons and equipment became prominent. In the late Kofun period (6th century), when the centralized nature of the Yamato kingship strengthened and the custom of horse riding became more widespread, gilt bronze accessories began to appear, adorning the kings and their horses in splendid ways and showing their authority.

In this way, the grave goods changed in tandem with the changes in the king’s role, so by examining them, we can get a glimpse of how the culture and customs of the time when the haniwa were made were changing.

The custom of erecting haniwa in kofun burial mounds has spread throughout the Japanese archipelago, from the Kinki region, the center of kofun culture, to Iwate Prefecture in the north and Kagoshima Prefecture in the south, centering on the Yamato royal authority. As these haniwa developed, their individuality emerged in their expressions, depending on the differences in customs in each region, the proficiency of the craftsmen, and the strength of the relationship with the great king, from elaborate ones that are comparable to those in the tombs of the great kings to unique ones that are full of regional color. The “Haniwa Forms” exhibition corner focuses on the development of these diverse forms.

For example, the horse-shaped clay figure excavated from the Ishiyakushi East Burial Mounds in Suzuka City, Mie Prefecture, is unique in its straight mane or headgear, making it a rare specimen that is unseen anywhere else in Japan. The beard-bearded boy clay figure, said to have been excavated in Ibaraki Prefecture, resembles a fairy from a picture book with its curly hair and pointed hat. These clay figures with long beards are known as examples of highly regional styles from the 6th century.

What was secretly catching the visitors’ attention were the “Cylindrical Haniwa with Faces,” cylindrical haniwa that for some reason had facial features added to them.

The roots of cylindrical haniwa lie in earthenware called special vessel stands, which were used as ritual vessels in the Kibi region (present-day Okayama Prefecture) during the Yayoi period as stands to hold vases, and there is no reason for them to have faces. Cylindrical haniwa remained mainstream from the birth of haniwa until their disappearance, but there are only a few examples of cylindrical haniwa with faces excavated, mainly in northern Kanto, such as Shimogo Tenjinzuka Tomb in Tamamura Town, Gunma Prefecture, and Gyokidaira Sancho Tomb in Ashikaga City, Tochigi Prefecture. Perhaps it was the playfulness of a haniwa craftsman who thought, “A plain cylindrical shape is boring”?

As you enter the second venue, you will come to the highlight of the exhibition: the display corner for “National Treasure: Warriors Wielding Armor and Their Companions.”

The Haniwa Warrior in Armor , owned by the Tokyo National Museum, was excavated in Ota City, Gunma Prefecture, and is the first Haniwa to be designated a National Treasure. There are four other similar warrior Haniwa figures thought to have been produced in the same workshop as this one, which have been restored in perfect condition, but this exhibition will be the first time that all five of these “brothers” have been exhibited together in one place . One of these figures is currently in the possession of the Seattle Art Museum in the United States, making this a rare opportunity to compare the two.

The Tokyo National Museum’s collection is three-dimensional and elaborately crafted down to the smallest detail, and shows the figure covered in armor from head to toe, holding a bow in the left hand, a sword in the right hand, and a quiver (arrow holder) on his back. By the way, the armor on the upper body is made of small iron plates sewn together.

“There are no other examples of haniwa figures clad in such heavy armor,” said Masanori Kono, a researcher at the Tokyo National Museum.

“These ‘Warriors in Armor’ were made in the second half of the 6th century. Until the first half of the 6th century, the Kinki region, which was the cultural center of the time, led the way in haniwa making, and other regions followed suit. With the introduction of Buddhism, values changed, and the creation of keyhole-shaped tumuli and haniwa making gradually declined in the Kinki region. However, even in the second half of the 6th century, this influence had not yet reached Gunma, and haniwa were still being made enthusiastically. Gunma was extraordinarily enthusiastic about making haniwa, mastering extremely skilled techniques and leaving behind many haniwa that are representative of Japan.”

The five “Warriors in Armor” have very similar appearances, including their facial expressions, but on closer inspection there are some differences, such as the arrow holder they are carrying on their backs not a quiver but a koraku, which appeared later than the quiver, and hakama rather than protective gear worn on the lower half of their bodies.It is also worth noting that there has been a gradual omission of small details from the oldest specimen in the Tokyo National Museum’s collection, the Aikawa Archaeological Museum in Gunma, to the newest specimen in the Tenri Reference Museum attached to Tenri University in Nara.

Regarding this exhibition, Researcher Kono said, “I don’t want this to be just an exhibition of masterpieces. I have a strong desire to convey the latest research results to everyone in an easy-to-understand way, so I thought about the composition of the exhibition in light of the research results,” and cited the display of the color restoration of the museum’s collection of “Warriors with Armored Arms” as a prime example. Scientific analysis and detailed naked eye observation revealed that the entire piece was painted in three colors: white, red, and gray. This completely overturned the conventional image.

Towards the end of the exhibition, in the “Haniwa that tell stories” section, the focus is on the aforementioned “Haniwa Group Statues,” which combine multiple haniwa figures, including people and animals, to express various stories. The section introduces the role each haniwa played in the story, such as the “kneeling boy,” which represents a formal bow scene to praise the morality of the deceased king and pledge loyalty to the new king, and the sumo wrestler who stomps his feet to ward off evil spirits from the land on which the burial mound is built.

There is also a large collection of adorable animal haniwa here. The most commonly made animal haniwa is the horse, which was a symbol of power, but other figures such as roosters that herald the dawn, and deer, wild boars, and dogs that depict hunting scenes were also made in connection with royal ceremonies. On the other hand, some waterfowl and fish are thought to be faithful copies of animals in nature, and you can feel the natural creative consciousness of ancient peoples.

This large-scale haniwa exhibition was miraculously realized after about five years of preparation, in order to gather the top masterpieces from each collection. Why not take this opportunity to experience the profound depth of the world of haniwa once again?

 

*Photography is permitted in the exhibition rooms of this exhibition, with the exception of some works.

Summary of the special exhibition “Haniwa” commemorating the 50th anniversary of the designation of the “Keiko Warrior” as a national treasure

*The contents of this article are current as of the time of coverage. Please check the official exhibition website for the latest information.

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National Museum of Western Art

The exhibition “Monet: Water Lilies” has opened at the National Museum of Western Art in Ueno, Tokyo, focusing on the late works of Claude Monet, a representative Impressionist painter, and the changes in his expression. The exhibition will run until February 11, 2025.

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Claude Monet (1840-1926) is also known for establishing the technique of “series painting,” in which he observes the same motif in different seasons and weather conditions, and captures the ever-changing impressions and movement of light on multiple canvases. In 1890, at the age of 50, Monet purchased land and a house in the small village of Giverny, France, and spent several years creating a “water garden” with a water lily pond. The surface of this water lily pond, where the surrounding trees, sky, and light are reflected together, became Monet’s greatest creative source in his later years.

This exhibition will introduce Monet’s artistic expression from his later years, which constitutes the culmination of his career, focusing on his Water Lilies series, from his earliest and precious Water Lilies to large-scale Water Lilies created during the process of creating the “large decorative paintings” that occupied his mind until the end.

The exhibition will bring 48 paintings, including 7 that will be shown in Japan for the first time, from the Musée Marmottan Monet in Paris, which boasts one of the world’s largest collections of Monet paintings. A total of 66 works will be on display, including masterpieces from the Matsukata Collection at the National Museum of Western Art and other collections in Japan.

A large blown-up photograph at the entrance to the venue shows Monet’s hatted head reflected in a water lily pond. Sylvie Carlier, head of collections and chief curator of cultural properties at the Marmottan Monet Museum, who attended the press preview of the exhibition, said, “The photograph visually conveys the overall intention of the exhibition, which is to move together with Monet through the waterscape and the plants that live near it, through Monet’s perspective.”

This exhibition is composed of four chapters and an epilogue. Chapter 1, “From the Seine to the Water Lilies,” introduces works depicting London and the Seine, which were Monet’s main creative sources in the late 1890s before he began working on Water Lilies. It shows how Monet became interested in the motif of water and the effects of light and reflections on the water’s surface.

In addition, it is said that Monet first painted “Water Lilies” in 1897, and Chapter 1 also exhibits valuable examples that are believed to be the earliest “Water Lilies” .

In contrast to his later series, he focuses on the water lilies themselves rather than the water surface reflecting the trees and sky. The forms of the objects are depicted with meticulous brushwork while retaining realistic elements, allowing for comparison with his later increasingly abstract works.

Decorative arts flourished in France at the end of the 19th century like never before, and Monet also began to create full-scale decorative paintings during the Impressionist period of the 1870s. In the 1890s, while pursuing the effect of exhibiting a series of works, he came up with the idea of “Grande Décoration,” a series of decorative paintings that would fill the exhibition space with a single theme: water lilies. Despite suffering from cataracts, he began working on this energetically from 1914, and it eventually came to fruition in the form of eight huge decorative panels that covered the entire exhibition room of the Musée de l’Orangerie in Paris.

Although the final motif was water, water lilies, and willow trees, Monet’s original plan was to incorporate a wide variety of flowers planted around the pond, as he was a great horticulture enthusiast . Chapter 2, “Decoration of Water and Flowers,” features works that were an important part of the concept, such as the wisteria creeping on the arched bridge over the pond and the agapanthus blooming on the shore.

Irises were one of Monet’s favorite flowers, and of the flower studies he created after 1914, he painted irises in the most number of works, second only to water lilies, totaling 20. At first glance, Yellow Irises seems to be a composition looking up at the irises from the perspective of an insect or fish, but in fact it combines two different perspectives: the irises captured from the side, and a viewer looking down at the surface of the pond on which the sky is reflected. Monet was intent on exploring pictorial spaces that would shake up the viewer’s perceptions.

Chapter 3, “The Path to Large Decorative Paintings,” displays nine large works that are particularly related to the finished form of the “Water Lilies” created during the production process of the large decorative paintings. This is the highlight of the exhibition, where you can be surrounded by “Water Lilies” in an elliptical exhibition space inspired by the exhibition room of the Musée de l’Orangerie, and become one with the world of meditative colors that stretches out endlessly. In addition, photography is also allowed in this area.

In two of the nine works, the reflection of clouds, which became an important motif in his work after 1914, is prominent. In the other, white clouds tinted faintly orange are at the center, creating a clear contrast with the blue sky. Water lilies and weeping willows painted with free-spirited brushstrokes stretch out above, below, left and right of the picture, giving a lively impression.

One view is that Monet began to place importance on the reflection of clouds because he wanted to strengthen the sense that heaven and earth are one on the surface of the pond, by combining them with elements connected to the earth, such as poplars and willow trees.

The production of these huge decorative panels was based on studies that Monet had painted outdoors in his newly constructed, vast studio. Through the process of internalizing the memory of impressions of nature and reconstructing them on canvas, Monet’s art became detached from the reality reflected on the retina and transformed into more internal images.

Chapter 4, “Symphonic Colors,” introduces a series of small works that were created in parallel with the large decorative paintings that he continued until his death. The motifs include a Japanese-style drum bridge over a water lily pond and a path with a rose arch in the “Flower Garden” adjacent to the “Water Garden.”

Perhaps due to his deteriorating eyesight caused by his progressive cataracts, his works gradually lost their sense of perspective and began to take on a flat expanse. His color vision also became distorted; at times yellow and green dominated his world, and at other times all other colors seemed bluish, with reds in particular appearing muddy. After undergoing three surgeries from 1923, his eyesight recovered to some extent, but the “Japanese Bridges” series, which he painted during that time, show a tangle of colors so tangled that the motifs are indistinguishable, the outlines melt, and the brushstrokes are densely intertwined.

Looking back at the delicate expressions seen in Chapter 1, you will be surprised at the clear difference. The way he persistently applies color, slamming his brush down, seems to imprint the reality of the motif, but it also feels like an expression of his fear of the disabilities that could be fatal to a painter, such as declining eyesight and a lack of color.

However, Monet actually kept these series of paintings from his final years, which at first glance could be seen as the product of a period of uncertainty, until the very end. Considering that he was a perfectionist who ruthlessly discarded anything he didn’t like, we can see them as the fruit of a rich experimental spirit based on the sense of color he had cultivated through his experiences.

The epilogue, “An Upside-Down World,” concludes the exhibition with two works depicting weeping willows, created as studies for large decorative paintings. In the last years of Monet’s life, when he faced many hardships, including the death of his beloved family and the First World War, these weeping willows are also interpreted as motifs symbolizing sadness and mourning, as they appear to be shedding tears.

In conceiving his large decorative paintings, Monet aimed to create a space where the viewer could be enveloped in an infinite expanse of water with no beginning or end, and could meditate peacefully. In this Water Lilies , the boundary between the real and virtual images of the weeping willows that occupy the left half of the painting is extremely ambiguous, giving the viewer the impression of a tranquil and eternal world.

In his later years, Monet overturned the worldview based on the traditional perspective of Western painting with a new way of perceiving space. Don’t miss the exhibition “Monet: The Time of Water Lilies,” where you can experience the rich development of his artistic career, which went beyond Impressionism with his unabated creative impulse.

Overview of “Monet’s Water Lilies”

*The contents of this article are current as of the time of coverage. Please check the official exhibition website for the latest information.

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Taito City Asakura Museum of Sculpture

Fumio Asakura is a leading sculptor in the world of modern Japanese sculpture, and is also known as a cat lover. A special exhibition commemorating the 60th anniversary of his death, “Wonderful Cat Life: Fumio Asakura, Cats, and Sometimes Dogs,” is being held at the Taito City Asakura Museum of Sculpture, featuring a collection of his cat-themed sculptures. The exhibition will run until Tuesday, December 24, 2024.

*All works introduced are from the Asakura Museum of Sculpture.

Sculptor Asakura Fumio (1883-1964) produced masterpieces of portrait sculpture such as Grave Guardian and Portrait of Okuma Shigenobu, from his thorough pursuit of “naturalistic realism” that captures the subject as it is, and in 1948 he became the first sculptor to receive the Order of Culture. In addition to his creative endeavors, he taught at the Tokyo School of Fine Arts (now the Faculty of Fine Arts, Tokyo University of the Arts), from which he graduated at the top of his class, and also devoted himself to nurturing the next generation of artists, presiding over the “Asakura Sculpture School” at the Asakura Museum of Sculpture, which was his studio and residence.

Asakura was also known as an avid cat lover, and at one time he kept as many as 19 cats in his mansion. He created cat sculptures almost throughout his life, sometimes using his pet cats as models. In 1964, to commemorate his 60th year as a sculptor and the Tokyo Olympics, he organized the “Cat in All Forms” exhibition, capturing the various poses of cats.

However, in April just before the Olympics, he passed away from illness at the age of 81, and the “Cat in All Forms” exhibition never came to fruition. The dream was carried on by those involved, and was realized as a special exhibition in 1994 and 2017 at the Asakura Museum of Sculpture, his final residence.

This special exhibition, “Wonderful Cat Life: Asakura Fumio and Cats, and Sometimes Dogs,” also focuses on cat-related works, just like the “Cats in All Forms” exhibition, but what differs from past exhibitions is the way it is displayed.

“Rather than just displaying our cat works, we took into consideration how Asakura spent his time here (at the Asakura Museum of Sculpture) with the cats and what their lives were like,” says Yasuko Tobari, chief researcher at the Asakura Museum of Sculpture.

Although it is not widely known, Asakura not only had cats but also dogs. Although there are no works that use his beloved dogs as models, he did create a small number of dog-themed works, and by including these works, he aimed to make the exhibition more lively and easy to imagine what life was like in the past.

The exhibition will feature 53 works, including bronze statues of cats, as well as sketches of cats and handwritten haiku about cats. Photography, which was an important creative tool for Asakura, will also be on display.

As visitors enter the studio, the main exhibition space, the first thing that greets them is Hanging Cat (1909), the earliest cat work recorded to have been exhibited.

This work, which was exhibited at the 3rd Bunten Exhibition, had a novel composition for the time, and the highlight is the contrast between the strong arms that are pinching the cat’s neck and the cat’s relaxed, dangling body. The expression of the cat, which seems to want to say something, makes you smile. If you look closely, you can see that the cat’s hind legs are slightly tense, and you can feel the sharp observational eye and outstanding expressiveness that the young Asakura, who had just graduated from the Tokyo School of Fine Arts, already possessed.

According to Tobari, there is an anecdote in which Takamura Kotaro, a sculptor and outspoken art critic who was a friend of Asakura, praised the fact that Asakura had exhibited a small piece like this one, which depicts an ordinary day, at the Bunten exhibition.

“Up until then, Bunten exhibitions had often featured works that pursued the beauty of the human body or concrete human bodies expressing abstract themes, which were often exhibited as larger-than-life-size works. In this context, Takamura praised Asakura for treating the cat as just a cat. I think Takamura’s words gave Asakura confidence that even small pieces that capture everyday scenes like this could be considered works of art. This may be why Asakura continued to create cat artworks throughout his life,” says Tobari .

On the other hand, Takamura reportedly pointed out the stiffness of the expression of the arms in this work. Asakura took Takamura’s criticism seriously and created Arms (c. 1909), which was probably created in the same year, as a practice piece, since there is no record of it having been exhibited at any exhibitions.

In addition to Arm, the exhibition also features Hand (1918), created 10 years later by Kotaro Takamura. Asakura, who was collecting funds to study abroad, asked Takamura to create freely without revealing his identity, using words that echo his earlier criticism, such as “one hand, one leg.” Perhaps this alone struck a chord with Takamura, as he eventually realized that the request had come from Asakura. The exhibition gives a glimpse into the relationship between the two sculptors.

Moving our gaze to his later work, A Good Catch (1946), created about 40 years after Hanging Cat, we are astonished at the refinement of his technique. The stiffness of the muscles around the cat’s neck at the moment it bites the mouse, its ferocious expression, and the sense of balance of its front legs as it prepares for the mouse’s resisting movement. The realism of the work, which makes it easy to imagine the cat jumping down afterwards, is as if it were a mold of the cat at that exact moment.

Asakura, who loved everything about cats, including their whimsical movements and temperament, was also very interested in the skeleton that creates the unique, graceful movements of cats. Of course, he studied skeletal specimens, but Tobari said, “Asakura’s daughter said that Asakura always put cats on his lap and stroked them, not just to pet them, but to explore and confirm the structure of their skeletons and muscles.” This is an episode that is full of Asakura’s unique style, who pursued strict realism.

Even in the same sleeping pose, cats can be depicted with their heads buried in their front paws or with different ears and tail shapes. There is also a wide variety of cat poses, such as stretching, feeding kittens, and kittens snuggling up to each other.

At first glance, the work Postpartum Cat (1911) appears to be simply sitting, but it depicts the scene when Asakura returns home after an inspection tour of the South Seas and is greeted by his pet cat, who had just given birth two days earlier. The cat is looking tired and bowed.

Asakura was inspired to create this work by her beloved cat, who was clinging to her lap as if to express her fatigue from childbirth and the joy of the birth of her kitten. When asked why there are more detailed deformations in this work compared to her other cat works, Tobari said , “I think I was trying to capture the cat’s emotions, its tiredness and joy, rather than the cat’s appearance.”

On the other hand, in His later years’ work My Cat is Sick (1958), which depicts his beloved cat, emaciated, with sagging skin and lustrous fur, raising his bottom and enduring the pain, the work lacks the softness seen in his other works and conveys the determination and sadness of an artist who was facing head-on illness and death that would make one want to look away.

For Asakura, cat artworks are different from portrait sculptures that are created under certain constraints upon request; he creates them freely and with a relaxed attitude, following his own creative impulses. Perhaps the reason he chooses to create sculptures of cats, which are not easy to handle as subjects, is due to his honest desire as a cat lover to leave behind precious memories like photographs or diaries. This attitude is also the source of the appeal of Asakura’s cat artworks.

In addition, the venue also screens a 17-minute video introducing the production process of Asakura’s bronze works, known as gas mold casting. It’s easy to explain in a few words: first, create the work from clay, then mold it in plaster to create a prototype, and then turn it into bronze using that. However, the actual work is truly a work of art. It shows how the exhibited works are completed through a mind-bogglingly detailed process, so it’s a must-see for those who have difficulty imagining the casting process.

Regarding what prompted him to hold this exhibition, Tobari said , “More and more people are not familiar with Asakura, so I planned this exhibition to help people become more familiar with Asakura and his works.”

This exhibition, which allows you to fully experience Asakura’s excellent shaping ability, observational skills, and deep love for cats, is the perfect introduction to Asakura’s charm. If you are a cat lover, why not take a look at the lively and heartwarming poses of the cats?

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The venue, the Asakura Museum of Sculpture, is a very attractive building, so we would like to introduce some of its highlights.

In 1907, at the age of 24, Asakura graduated from Tokyo School of Fine Arts and established his own studio and residence in Yanaka, which he had designed himself. With the help of top craftsmen, the site was expanded and remodeled repeatedly, and the current Asakura Museum of Sculpture building was completed in 1935. In 2001, the building was registered as a national tangible cultural property, and in 2008, the entire site was designated a national place of scenic beauty as the “Former Asakura Fumio Garden.” The studio building is made of reinforced concrete, and the residence is made of wood in the sukiya-style style, giving it a unique structure, but Asakura’s excellent aesthetic sense allowed the different materials to blend seamlessly together.

The atelier where the artist usually exhibits his works has a ceiling height of 8.5 meters, and the first thing you will notice when you step inside is the open feeling. On the west side of the floor is the 3.78m-tall Statue of Komura Jutaro (1938), but it doesn’t feel oppressive at all.

In theory, an artist’s studio has windows facing the north, but the Asakura Museum of Sculpture’s studio has windows on three sides – north, east, and south – making it extremely bright. The aim is to allow natural light in from all angles to study how sculptures, which are often placed outdoors, look, and the amount of light was adjusted with curtains when the artist was creating the work. The large window at the top of the north side also has a gentle curve to allow light to spread throughout the space without creating strong shadows. The walls are made of warm silk floss, and the sculptor’s attention to detail is evident everywhere.

The study adjacent to the studio also has an open ceiling, making it seem like a movie set. Many of the books stored in the bookshelves with glass doors on three sides that reach the ceiling were Western books that belonged to Toru Iwamura, an art critic and Asakura’s teacher during his time at the Tokyo School of Fine Arts. After Iwamura’s death, these valuable materials had been scattered among used bookstores, but Asakura mortgaged his house to raise funds to buy them back.

The large hall on the third floor, “Choyo no Ma,” where guests were entertained, is the most prestigious room in the Asakura Museum of Sculpture, and as its name suggests, the morning sun shines in through the windows on the east side. The luxurious Japanese-style furnishings and elegantly shining red walls are made of expensive red agate that has been crushed by hand and applied to the walls. The small amount of obsidian mixed in creates a unique color.

The ceiling is made of Jindai cedar, excavated from the ground in Izu Amagi, with a cedar bark lining. The tokonoma alcove is made of a single piece of pine, and the transom is made of a single piece of paulownia wood, both of which were valuable materials even at the time. There is a sense of playfulness in the deliberate lack of uniformity, and the space exudes Asakura’s aesthetics.

The courtyard, Goten no Ike, is made up of water, huge rocks, and trees. It is a corridor-style structure surrounded by buildings on all four sides, and the beautiful scenery can be enjoyed from any room, making use of the sculptor’s perspective. Asakura used this place for self-reflection, and when he was lost in his way of life or found it difficult to discern the true essence of things, he would look at the clear water to purify his mind and body, and then devote himself to further creation.

The roof of the atelier building has a garden with olive trees, which is said to be an early example of rooftop greening.

In the past, horticulture training was conducted here as a required subject at the Asakura School of Sculpture. As both gardening and sculpture involve nurturing life in the soil, the purpose of the training was to familiarize the students with the soil through gardening and to develop an eye for objects. Currently, a vegetable garden has been recreated in part, and it has become a place of relaxation where you can enjoy flowers of all seasons.

The male statue “Cannon Put” (1924), placed on the west side of the garden, looks out over the town of Yanaka under a wide sky. You can see the front of the work by looking up from the gate before entering the building, so be sure to look up at the rooftop when you visit.

Summary of the special exhibition “Wonderful Cat Life: Fumio Asakura, Cats, and Sometimes Dogs” commemorating 60 years since his death

*The contents of this article are from the time of coverage. They may differ from the latest information, so please check the official website for details.

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Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum

After being called a “child prodigy” during his childhood, Tanaka Isson devoted himself to painting the nature of Amami in his later years.

The “Tanaka Isson Exhibition: Light of Amami, Paintings of Soul” looks back on the life and works of Isson, a man who devoted his whole body and soul to the act of “painting.”

This article reports on the press preview held the day before the event.

Tanaka Isson, the trajectory of indomitable passion

Born in Tochigi-cho (now Tochigi City) in 1908, Tanaka Isson showed exceptional artistic talent from an early age and was known as a child prodigy.
He was given the artistic name Beison by his father, a sculptor, and enrolled in the Japanese painting department of the Tokyo School of Fine Arts (now Tokyo University of the Arts), but dropped out after two months.
In 1947, he changed his artist name to Isson Yanagi, and although his work White Flowers was selected for the Seiryu Exhibition, he continued to produce works with only a few supporters. In his later years, he moved to Amami Oshima alone and devoted himself to painting the nature of Amami, but passed away at the age of 69.

After his death in 1979, a group of volunteers organized an exhibition of his posthumous works in Amami, which attracted an unprecedented 3,000 visitors. The media reported on the exhibition, which led to a frenzy and knowledge of his life and works being shared across the country.

“Tanaka Isson: Light and Soul” will feature his representative works that he painted in Amami, including “Kuwazuimo (Sweet Potato) and Soil” and “Pandanus Beach” , as well as unfinished masterpieces. With a focus on paintings, the exhibition will cover Isson’s entire artistic career with over 250 works, including sketches, crafts, and documents.

The largest retrospective exhibition

This exhibition is divided into three chapters: Chapter 1 “Young Southern Painter Tanaka Beison: His Tokyo Period , ” Chapter 2 “The Birth of Isson in the Chiba Period,” and Chapter 3 “His Own Path to Amami.” By displaying Tanaka Isson’s works in chronological order, it is possible to closely trace the almost seamless transition of his artistic career.

Ichimura started painting as a boy from the age of 6 or 7, and a considerable number of his works remain in various locations around the country. Many of the works on display at this exhibition are new and recent, with many even being shown for the first time. There are over 250 pieces on display, making this the largest retrospective exhibition of his kind to date.

Tanaka Isson’s career as an artist was not always smooth. He was praised as a “child prodigy” from an early age, and was active as a budding Nanga painter, but he never held a solo exhibition in his lifetime and ended his life alone in the land of Amami, still unknown.
Chapter 3 displays a number of works that Ichimura painted with all his heart and soul after traveling to Amami with unshakable determination and scraping together the money to live. Through these works, visitors can experience the state of his artistic career that Ichimura reached in his “place of death.”

Exhibited Works

Here we will introduce some selected works from the exhibition.

A masterpiece that completely changed the image of a village during the “hiatus”

In a letter later in life, Isson wrote that “when I was 23, the new style of painting that I believed to be my true path was not approved by my supporters, so I was abandoned,” and this period was traditionally considered a “blank period” in which he produced few works. However, in recent years, powerful works painted during this period have been discovered, and this view is beginning to change.
This work is a gorgeous gold folding screen that completely changed the image of Isson’s activities in the early Showa period.
At the time, Isson was 24 years old, and you can sense his passion and energy as he sought new horizons.

Tanaka Isson’s only selected work.

This work was first selected for the 19th Seiryu Exhibition, organized by Kawabata Ryushi, in 1947, and ultimately became the only work to be selected for a public exhibition.
The exhibition catalogue states “White Flowers: Yanagi Isson,” and it is clear that Yanagi changed his artist name from “Yonemura” to “Yanagi Isson,” making this an ambitious postwar work that marked a fresh start.
The sophisticated style of the painting, with a sense of freedom, is impressive.

A belief that he stuck to even when he turned his back on glory.

In 1948, the year after his first successful entry, Isson submitted two works to the 20th Seiryu Exhibition. Although Isson considered Clear Autumn to be his most confident work, he was disappointed that only his reference work Waves was selected, and so he declined the offer.

This work depicts the trees in bold black silhouettes on a gold folding screen. The trees towering against the backlight effect, and the texture of the branches and bark are depicted in minute detail, making this a work of great soul.
What was it that Ichimura wanted to protect, even turning his back on the glory of his life? Please watch this film and feel it for yourself.

What the light of Amami brought to one village

In a letter dated January 1974 (when he was 66 years old), Isson wrote that the works he put his heart and soul into were “Souvenirs for King Enma,” namely Pandanus Beach and Uneaten Sweet Potato and Sago Palm . These works are the highlights of this exhibition.

This work, which expresses the artist’s pride in having completed the project without any regrets, is based on the Pandanus arborescens, a plant that he has been planning since he first came to the island. The Pandanus arborescens is painted in shades of green and blue using a variety of pigments. In the middle ground, ripples are drawn with delicate lines, and the golden glow beyond the clouds gives the entire painting a sublime quality.
The exhibition also features a number of Isson’s paintings of Kannon and Arhat statues, and it is no exaggeration to say that this work expresses the religious feelings that he came to experience at the end of his life.

Please come and see this masterpiece by Isson Hisei at the venue.

Exhibition ambassador Koizumi Kotaro will also be in attendance!

At the press preview and opening ceremony, actor Koizumi Kotaro, who serves as the exhibition ambassador and audio guide navigator, appeared wearing a one-of-a-kind Oshima Tsumugi kimono with the motif of The Uneaten Sweet Potato and Soybean Currant.

“I felt a very mysterious connection and fate with Tanaka Isson, and put my heart into providing the audio guide,” said Kotaro Koizumi. His great-grandfather, Matajiro Koizumi (grandfather of Kotaro’s father, former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi), who served as Minister of Communications and other positions, served as the chairman of Tanaka Isson’s supporters’ group, and so he had been hearing about the painter Tanaka Isson since he was a child.

Nearly a century has passed since then, and now that he, who was born into the Koizumi family, is involved in the Tanaka Isson exhibition, he said, “I was truly surprised, and felt honored to have been given this job, so I put my heart into recording my voice,” as he reflected on the mysterious encounter that took place through the exhibition.

“I had seen Tanaka Isson’s paintings from his later years since I was a child, but this exhibition showed me his earlier works first. Personally, my parents’ house had cycad trees planted, so I was captivated by the paintings depicting the ocean, papayas, and cycads of the natural scenery of Amami.”

Looking back on his impressions of the exhibition,

“In addition to the paintings, there are also precious photographs, handwritten postcards, and rare receipts left behind by Tanaka Isson, so I think this is a wonderful exhibition that allows you to fully experience what kind of achievements Tanaka Isson made and what kind of person he was. I hope that many people will be able to experience the charm of Tanaka Isson and learn about what kind of life he lived in Chiba Prefecture in his early days, and what kind of hard work he put in.

He addressed the audience with a smile.

Tanaka Isson once said, “I want to hold a solo exhibition in Tokyo and finally settle my paintings.” This exhibition, “Tanaka Isson: Light and Soul,” could be said to be Isson’s final wish, unexpectedly fulfilled.

The event will run until Sunday, December 1st, 2024.
Please come to the exhibition to see the works of Ichimura, who left social success behind and devoted his whole heart and soul to “drawing.”

Event Outline

*The contents of this article are from the time of coverage. It may differ from the latest information, so please check the official exhibition website for details. In addition, the works featured in this article may have already finished their exhibition.

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