Author: nakano

Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum

At the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum in Ueno Park, Tokyo, “Van Gogh Exhibition: Resonating Souls Helene and Fincent” is being held from Saturday, September 18, 2021.

The museum’s special exhibitions (most recently, “Hiroshi Yoshida Exhibition 70 Years After Death” and “Isamu Noguchi’s Discovery Road”), which introduce domestic and foreign masterpieces, are very popular every time, but this “Van Gogh Exhibition” ] Is crowded with many visitors as usual.

We want people in wheelchairs and people with various disabilities such as visual and hearing disabilities to appreciate the special exhibition with peace of mind. With that in mind, every time during the special exhibition, “people with disabilities” A special appreciation event for wheelchairs is being held, and the “Van Gogh Exhibition” was also held on October 11th (Monday), which is a closed day.

* A separate article details the venue and exhibited works of “Van Gogh Exhibition: Resonating Souls Helene and Fincent”. ⇒ https://www.culture.city.taito.lg.jp/ja/reports/22665

Art communicators who support “special appreciation for people with disabilities”

The “Special Appreciation Party for Persons with Disabilities” (hereinafter referred to as “Special Appreciation Party”) is a program that started in 1999. Since 2012, an art communicator (nicknamed “Tobira”), who is active in the “Tobira Project” in collaboration with the museum, Tokyo University of the Arts, and citizens, has been involved from the preparatory stage, helping with the day’s appreciation and speaking out. I am doing.

 

 

About 40 people from Tobira, who are active for a three-year term, are recruited every year, and currently about 140 people of different ages and backgrounds, such as office workers, freelancers, housewives, retired people, and college students, are active. It seems that it has been done.

The activity is voluntary, but not a supporter given a role by the museum. He is an active player who proactively launches and realizes projects at museum sites while deepening his learning as an art communicator during his term. Until now, “Tobikan Yakan Kaikan Tour” where you can enjoy the charm of the architecture of the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum at night, and “Graduation Exhibition Tour” where you can talk with the artist about the graduation exhibition of Tokyo University of the Arts. Various programs utilizing the museum were carried out from a unique perspective.

The “special appreciation party” is also evolving into a better form while incorporating the ideas of “Tobira”. This time around 100 people, including “Tobira” and former “Tobira” who are active as independent art communicators in their respective communities after their term of office, welcomed the participants.

(* Hereafter, the situation on the day will be collectively referred to as “art communicator” because “Tobira” and former “Tobira” are involved in the “special appreciation party” as a whole.)

Time for people with disabilities to face the work without hesitation

About 400 people with disabilities and about 320 caregivers who have disability certificates, etc. participated in the “special appreciation event”.

The art communicators seemed to have been preparing for the “special appreciation party” many days before the event. For example, there are three types of pre-registration methods for the “Special Appreciation Party”: WEB form, email, and postcard. The participation certificate envelope sent by mail to those who applied for the postcard has the theme of the exhibition as a motif. I heard that he is pushing a handmade eraser stamp.

This is also an initiative devised by an art communicator with the desire to “make it a nice participation certificate.” I showed you the real thing, but it was a waste of quality to be used only here.

From the entrance to the reception, you will hear greetings to the participants such as “Hello” and “Please enjoy”.

Mr. Kumagai, a curator, said, “Is it okay to go? Maybe it will cause trouble?”

“It is important to create a welcome atmosphere that conveys the feeling of hospitality to the participants so that they will feel that the museum is a place where they can go.”

Wheelchairs for rent were prepared at the reception. I was wondering, “Isn’t the person who needs a wheelchair riding from the beginning?”, But there are many people with bad legs who want to use a wheelchair only when looking at the exhibition. I was surprised to see that a large number of wheelchairs were actually rented out in a blink of an eye.

As Mr. Kumagai said, such people may find it difficult to go to the usual exhibitions in consideration of their surroundings. Of course, it seems that wheelchairs are rented even on normal opening days, but if they are prepared in front of the entrance of the exhibition room like this, everyone seems to be comfortable and easy to use.

Here, I felt that I could get a glimpse of the reason why the repeat rate of the “special appreciation party” was so high.

Not only the exhibition room of the special exhibition, but also the entrance, escalators, elevators, etc., the art communicators will entertain you almost everywhere the participants pass. We kept in touch with each other in each position and saw them working closely together.

An unfamiliar sight is that a large elevator for luggage was in operation.

If many people in wheelchairs try to use the normal elevator for visitors at the same timing, the waiting time will inevitably occur. With the desire to enjoy the “special appreciation party” without stress, the art communicators at the site made suggestions for improvement, such as “If there are multiple wheelchairs, we will guide you to a large elevator.” It is impressive that we were discussing.

Since it is a viewing party that requires advance reservations, a very relaxing time will flow in the exhibition room. It seemed that all the participants were able to appreciate the work.

This is also in front of the main feature of this exhibition, “Country Road in Provence at Night”. At the time of normal opening, the front of popular works is often crowded, and wheelchair users tend to watch from behind. I could see that he was enjoying the time of one-on-one dialogue.

In the exhibition room, there is also an art communicator carrying a magnetic writing board for the hearing impaired. This is an initiative that started from this “special appreciation event” and is an attempt to create an environment where people with hearing impairments can easily talk to them when they have a problem in the exhibition room. While talking using the written conversation board, it is possible to have a sign language interpreter called from the reception if necessary.

 

I couldn’t see it at the time of the interview, but before the epidemic of the new coronavirus infection, the participants and the art communicator exchanged their impressions and opinions while watching the work, and each of them shared a good time.

Based on the idea of an art communicator, those who have difficulty seeing the work, such as those with low vision or wheelchairs, can see the work image at hand. He also carried out activities such as creating character display support so that the content can be conveyed to people with hearing impairments in the “One Point Talk” that explains the highlights of the meeting.

When asked about these various initiatives, Mr. Kumagai emphasized, “Art communicators are creating a community through art based in museums.” I will do something for people with disabilities. I am not in the place of this “special appreciation party” in the relationship between the supporter and the recipient. “

“What kind of place do you want to be in this space where people with and without disabilities spend time together? What kind of place do you want to be? Think about it, and communicate and act as necessary for that. Therefore, art communication There is no manual that summarizes what to do in Ta, “he said, which is often misunderstood as an art communicator.

 

Unfortunately, many efforts to avoid contact and closeness are not feasible nowadays. But it became painful feelings in the expression of the Art communicator lament the “I’m in great pains same space, is lonely not able to talk with everyone of the participants”, communication and way not to conversation, and even more real He is looking for a way to complement the dialogue outside of the space .

“Special appreciation party” under such circumstances. Participants who enjoyed Van Gogh’s world to their heart’s content for an hour or two left the museum with a very satisfying expression.

“I’m always looking forward to the next appreciation party.”

We also talked to the people who participated in the “special appreciation party”. What surprised me was that everyone I talked to had participated in the “special appreciation party” many times.

A woman in a wheelchair said, “This appreciation party is helpful because the number of people is limited. Normally, people are double, triple, or quadruple, but here you can see it in the forefront. I’m happy, “he smiled.

Another participant, who said he had been away from the museum he had visited because of his illness, said, “I’m always looking forward to the next event.” He shines his eyes and talks about his expectations.

A visually impaired woman participated at the timing when she read Maha Harada’s novel and was eager to see Van Gogh’s work, and she seemed to be happy. It seems that he watched the work while having a caregiving explain it.

“I think the audio guide was well done. I understood that Mr. Helene (* the collector of Van Gogh’s work featured in this exhibition) was such a person,” he said with satisfaction. While following the changes in his style, he was deeply moved, saying, “This is how Van Gogh arrived at <Sunflower>.”

“In an ordinary exhibition, even if a caregiving person walks with me, I get hit or kicked. On the contrary, even if I interrupt in front of a person, I feel sorry because I do not notice it. I’m grateful that you can see it with confidence if it’s so vacant. ”

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Originally, the museum should be an open place for people with and without disabilities. Unfortunately, many people now hesitate to go to museums.

There may be more ingenuity in the “special appreciation event for people with disabilities”. However, I realized that the existence of such an appreciation party is a significant attempt to surely lower the hurdles for people with disabilities to go to the museum.

We will continue to pay attention to the movements of art communicators on how to create communication opportunities that have diminished in the Corona disaster.

 

In addition, in the special exhibition “Vermeer and 17th Century Dutch Painting Exhibition in the Dresden National Classical Painting Museum” to be held from January 22nd (Sat) to April 3rd (Sun), 2022 at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, “Obstacles” “Special viewing party for those who have” will be held.

400 people and their caregivers (up to 1 person) who have various notebooks such as the certificate of the physically disabled can apply. If there are many applications, it will be a lottery.
The application period is from January 5, 2022 (Wednesday) to January 24, 2022 (Monday).

If you are interested, please check the details. ⇒ https://www.tobikan.jp/learn/accessprogram.html

“Van Gogh Exhibition — Resonating Souls Helene and Vincent” Outline

Session	September 18th (Sat) -December 12th (Sun), 2021
venue	Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum Planning Exhibition Room
Opening hours	9: 30-17: 30 Fridays 9: 30-20: 00 (Admission is 30 minutes before closing)
Closed days	Monday * However, the room will be open on November 8th (Monday), November 22nd (Monday), and November 29th (Monday).
Admission fee	General 2,000 yen, university / vocational school students 1,300 yen, 65 years old and over 1,200 yen * Reservation required by date and time. * Free for high school students and younger. (Reservation with specified date and time is required) Click here for other details ⇒ https://gogh-2021.jp/ticket.html
Organizer	Tokyo Metropolitan Foundation for History and Culture Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Art, Tokyo Shimbun, TBS
inquiry	050-5541-8600 (Hello dial)
Exhibition official website	https://gogh-2021.jp

 

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Posted on 2021年10月22日2021年10月25日

[National Science Museum] “British Museum Mummy Exhibition: Six Stories of Ancient Egypt” Venue Report

Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum

On Saturday, September 18, 2021, “Van Gogh Exhibition-Resonating Souls Helene and Fincent” opened at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum in Ueno, Tokyo. The session is until December 12th (Sun).

An exhibition that highlights the collection of Helene Kröller-Muller (1869-1939), the largest individual collector of Van Gogh’s works. We will report on the venue where popular works such as “Country Road in Provence at Night” and “Yellow House (Street)” are lined up.

Van Gogh’s popular driving force Helene Kröller-Muller

Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890), who has fans all over the world and is one of the most beloved painters here in Japan.

It is said that he aspired to be a painter at the age of 27 and left about 2,000 works in the 10 years until his life ended at the age of 37. In my lifetime, I couldn’t get fame.

However, he is now positioned as a master of modern art, and his works can be priced in the hundreds of millions or billions. Behind this was the passion of those who recognized the value of his work, preserved it, and worked hard to preserve it for posterity.

One of the key players who played an important role was Helene Kröller-Muller, who was spotlighted in this “Van Gogh Exhibition-The Resonating Souls Helene and Fincent”.

Helene, one of the leading Dutch wealthy men, has built a huge collection of over 11,000 pieces with her husband Anton, focusing on the works of French and Dutch artists from the 19th to 20th centuries. She felt deep humanity and spirituality in Van Gogh’s work, and collected more than 90 oil paintings and about 180 drawings and prints from the beginning of the 20th century, when Van Gogh was not yet widely evaluated.

This exhibition introduces 48 selected works from Van Gogh’s early to late years’ paintings from the precious art collection of the Kroller-Muller Museum in the Netherlands (opened in 1938), where Helene was the first director. is.

Helene relied on Van Gogh, but Helene himself did not leave a clear word as to why she was so attracted. Mr. Ohashi, the curator in charge of this exhibition, said, “I can’t say for sure, but I felt a very high spirituality in Van Gogh’s art. Also, Van Gogh was born as the son of a minister, but he was on the path to becoming a priest. I think the main reason is the common background that Helene was suffering because she was frustrated and was not accustomed to Christian culture. ”

In addition to Van Gogh’s works, 20 modern Western paintings from the mid-19th century to the 1920s, such as Millet, Renoir, Surah, and Mondrian, which Helene collected particularly enthusiastically, are also exhibited in this exhibition. ..

From realism to impressionism, neo-impressionism, symbolism, and abstractionism. Not only does Van Gogh’s work follow the flow of modern painting, which has changed 180 degrees from the realism that depicts it as it is to the focus on the human spirit and emotions, but Van Gogh’s work is a bridge between the changes. It is an exhibition that you can see in.

From these Helene collections, in order to share the excitement she got with people, she systematically built a collection so that she could overlook the outline of Western art, with her lifelong mission to establish a museum from the early stages of collection activities. You can see that.

Visited Japan for the first time in 16 years! Masterpiece of the Itosugi series “Country road in Provence at night”

One of the highlights of this exhibition is “Country Road in Provence at Night”, which is the first time in 16 years to visit Japan.

Van Gogh’s masterpiece is a series of sunflowers, but for Van Gogh, who was fascinated by the dark green color and beauty of the cypresses standing in the sunny scenery of the Provence region of Southern France, the cypresses are ” I want to make it a work like <Sunflower> “, and it was an important motif that made me enthusiastic.

Among the dozens of cypresses that he drew while struggling to express the deep green tones, “Country Road in Provence at Night”, which was probably produced at the end of his stay in Southern France, is often called a masterpiece.

The cypress, which stands in the background of the starry night that swells boldly like ripples, is like a burning black flame. Van Gogh himself likens the beauty of the shape of the cypresses to an Egyptian obelisk, but he is overwhelmed by the majestic presence of an obelisk that exudes awe of nature.

A dramatically changing style of painting. From what we know to “Van Gogh”.

I think that many people cite “vivid colors,” “swells,” and “extremely thick coating” as the characteristics of Van Gogh’s work, but all of these characteristics have been exhibited since he moved his base from his native Netherlands to France. Born in the latter half of the year. This exhibition introduces Van Gogh’s painting industry, whose style of painting has changed dramatically, in chronological order.

Van Gogh spent five years in the Netherlands since he began his career as a painter in 1880. In the early days, painters called “Hague School” who liked the lives of farmers and fishermen and the landscape of the countryside using dull colors such as gray and brown, and Jean-Francois Millet, who is known as a peasant painter. While being influenced, I hurried to master drawing and eventually made an oil painting.

Through the painting industry, I continued to have a keen interest in the cycle of harvesting and the transition of the four seasons, from sowing, which I thought was a symbol of nature, especially infinity and eternity. From the exhibition, we can see that they carefully picked up themes such as the appearance of workers working in rural areas while being closely related to nature, the facial expressions of their poverty, and sadness and grief.

In 1886, Van Gogh headed to Paris, France, and was shocked by the Impressionists, Neo-Impressionists, and Japanese ukiyo-e prints he met there, and his style changed dramatically.

Subsequent works will be rich in color and the screen will become brighter. Please note that we have begun to adopt the pointillism technique by brush stroke division to prevent color turbidity by arranging small touches without mixing paints.

In Arles, southern France, where he moved from 1888, he was fascinated by the bright blue of the sky and yellow as the color of the blazing sun, and enthusiastically repeated experiments on color effects with the combination of complementary colors of blue and yellow. From this area, you can see the process of creating a “Van Gogh-like” expressionist style of painting that many people know, with a sculptural and thick brush stroke that imitates the shape of the object with the touch of a paintbrush.

In 1889, while admitted to Saint-Remy’s sanatorium due to illness, he worked on typical Provencal motifs such as the garden of the sanatorium and the surrounding countryside, as well as cypress and olive groves, and devised the expression of “swell”. , Produced masterpieces such as “Country Road in Provence at Night” and the famous “Starry Night”. After moving to Auvers-sur-Oise in northern France in 1890, he continued to produce one piece a day, inspired by the beautiful scenery of the village and its surroundings. It seems that he was also exploring the possibility of a new style of brush strokes.

Van Gogh has been constantly learning from new places and new encounters, and has spent his life holding the brush even if no one understands the work. From Helene’s collection, I was able to witness his belief and passion, “I want to express something soothing like music in a painting.”

In addition to the works in the Kroller-Muller Museum, this exhibition introduces another great museum in the Netherlands, including four fans from the Van Gogh Museum collection, such as “The Yellow House (Street)”.・ Van Gogh’s works are exhibited.

These works are permanently lent by the Vincent van Gogh Foundation, which was established by his wife Yo after the death of his younger brother Theo, who supported Van Gogh financially and mentally, to prevent the works from being dissipated. .. She was also one of the people who devoted her life to spreading Van Gogh’s art to the world.

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The exhibition “Van Gogh Exhibition-The Resonating Souls Helene and Vincent” will be held until December 12, 2021 (Sun).

By all means at this exhibition, while thinking about the fact that many people today have made efforts to preserve and inherit the works of art in the past, we can evaluate and exchange opinions with each other. Immerse yourself in the charm of a rare collection.

“Van Gogh Exhibition — Resonating Souls Helene and Vincent” Outline

Session	September 18th (Sat) -December 12th (Sun), 2021
venue	Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum Planning Exhibition Room
Opening hours	9: 30-17: 30 (Enter until 30 minutes before closing)
closing day	Monday * However, the room will be open on November 8th (Monday), November 22nd (Monday), and November 29th (Monday).
Admission fee	General 2,000 yen, university / vocational school students 1,300 yen, 65 years old and over 1,200 yen * Reservation required by date and time. * Free for high school students and younger. (Reservation with specified date and time is required) Click here for other details ⇒ https://gogh-2021.jp/ticket.html
Organizer	Tokyo Metropolitan Foundation for History and Culture Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Art, Tokyo Shimbun, TBS
inquiry	050-5541-8600 (Hello dial)
Exhibition official website	https://gogh-2021.jp

 

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Posted on 2021年9月19日2021年9月27日

Nogizaka girls resonate with Japanese art. [Tokyo National Museum Hyokeikan] “Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter / Four Seasons Nogizaka46” (~ 11/28) Preview Report

National Science Museum

From Saturday, July 10th to Monday, September 20th, 2021, a special exhibition “Friends Supporting the Plant Earth” is being held at the National Science Museum in Ueno, Tokyo.

It’s a plant, but it’s active or ferocious, too big or too small. This exhibition is full of mysteries and surprises, where you can experience the unknown world of plants. We will report on the venue and highlights.

“Plants that support the earth” full of unique plants

Based on the latest scientific research results, this exhibition will be held all over the world from primitive to modern times from various viewpoints such as the way of life, living environment, shape and evolution of plants, which are indispensable for life on earth. This is a large-scale exhibition that introduces plants .

Not only can you see exhibits such as specimens, models, videos, and installations, but you can also comprehensively learn about the ecology of more than 200 types of plants while stimulating your sense of hearing and smell with music and scents.

Astonished by the non-standard scale!

One of the highlights of the exhibition, be on the watch visitors in the area entitled “○○○ too plant us”, it would be the exhibition of the plant we too large.

The first thing that catches the eye is the full-scale model of the “Titan arum”, which grows naturally in the lowland rainforest of Sumatra, Indonesia, and has the world’s largest inflorescence (a collection of flowers). The height is 2.72M, which is a little in the fantasy area …! I was surprised that it reached 3.1M in the Guinness World Records.

It is a mysterious ecology that heats up to about 38 degrees when it blooms and emits steam, and at that time it seems to evaporate the odor to attract insects, but there was a booth in the venue where you can smell the reproduced odor. Please experience the intense stench that the author, who was careless, unexpectedly warped.

In addition, the appearance of “Rafflesia”, which is familiar as the largest flower in the world. The full-scale model on display is a type called “Rafflesia Arnoldi” distributed on the island of Sumatra, with a diameter of 80CM.

Most people think of red flowers when they hear “Rafflesia,” but do you know what the leaves and stems are like? Actually, the members of the genus “Rafflesia” are parasites that parasitize the woody vines of the vine family and absorb nutrients, so only the flower part exists. The effronterie (?) That makes it famous as the best flower in the world from the standpoint of parasitism is interesting.

In addition, the “Mexico cypress”, which is the “tree of Thule” that exists in the village of Thule in Oaxaca, Mexico, has a root circumference of 57.9M and a trunk circumference of 36.2M, and is certified as the thickest tree in the world by the Guinness World Records. It is also a must-see to reproduce the hugeness around the trunk with a tapestry by making good use of the space on the ceiling of the venue. Please experience the scale feeling that is unbelievable and laughable.

In addition, many high-impact plant objects such as “Hanefukube Seed” with too large wings, “Jackfruit” with too large fruit, and “Jackfruit” with too large pine cones were exhibited.

From ancient fossils to genetically modified plants

From the birth of plants to landing, the birth of forests, the birth and diversification of gymnosperms and flowers … In the area that introduces the history of the dynamic evolution of plants, a number of precious plant fossils are lined up.

Along with the restored illustrations, the world’s first large-scale plant fossil “Cooksonia Balandy”, fossils of cladoxylons, the first plant to make a large body over 10M, and the main composition of a huge marsh forest in the Carboniferous period The fossils of Lepidodendron, which became an element, tell us what the earth looked like long before humans appeared.

On the other hand, it also covers modern plant circumstances such as “blue rose” and “blue chrysanthemum” that did not exist in the natural world and were born by genetic recombination technology.

Looking at the beauty of the yellow-green fluorescence emitted by “shining torenia” created by introducing the gene of the fluorescent protein of marine plankton with the aim of imparting a new trait of “shining”, this technology will be in the future. It makes me excited to see how it develops.

Really scary plants

Cunning carnivorous plants and ferocious fruits that make people who have the image of “quiet” and “healing” for plants are also present at the venue.

“Venus flytrap” that closes the leaves to prevent insects from escaping when the sensory hair is stimulated twice within 30 seconds, and “Drosera rotundifolia” that catches insects with sticky digestive juice and dissolves them to the core of the body in half a day Reproduces the dignity of its form, which is not limited to its properties, with a magnified model of about 100 times and about 200 times.

In the aquarium exhibition next to it, many of them are packed like a diorama with carnivorous plants that look pretty at first glance alive. I can’t help but imagine what would happen if I let go of insects in this lawless zone.

A typical example of a “ferocious” plant that attaches to animals with hook-shaped tips and thorns called “kaeshi” and sprays fruits is a lion that has adhered to the mouth and has become unable to open its mouth and starved to death. There is also an actual exhibition of fruits such as “Lion Goroshi”, which has an anecdote, and “Onibishi,” which looks exactly like Makibishi, which is famous for its ninja tools.

It is also interesting that they all have a gap in common that the flowers themselves are very beautiful.

Fun entertainment elements too!

There is also a participatory installation exhibition in the venue that children can enjoy.

The browser game “Photosynthesis FACTORY” for smartphones that allows you to learn the mechanism of photosynthesis is that the player becomes the factory manager of the photosynthesis factory and clears three missions. At the venue, you can experience Mission 1 with your body with up to 4 players. (Click here for smartphone games ⇒ https://kougousei-factory.com )

How much can you collect (photons) under light energy while cooperating with other players? The operation is as simple as moving your arm, but when you try it, it naturally becomes like a competition with other players, so even adults alone can get excited.

Speaking of having fun learning, there are explanations about the three genes “A gene”, “B gene”, and “C gene” that the shape of the flower is determined by the combination in the venue, but it is related to “Flower gene ABC”. The original song is playing. It’s a song to learn the functions of the three genes, but the lyrics and melody may be a little strange.

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In addition, at the special shop of this exhibition, original goods limited to the exhibition using designs drawn by 4 popular creators on the theme of “plants”, including cushions and pouches of quirky plants such as “Rafflesia”. , Collaboration products with the popular trading card game “Duel Masters” are on sale. If you want it, please come and visit us as soon as possible.

 

Outline of the special exhibition “Plant Exhibition Friends Supporting the Earth”

Session	July 10th (Sat) -September 20th (Monday / holiday), 2021 * The session is subject to change. Please check the official website for the latest information.
venue	National Science Museum
Opening hours	9:00 to 17:00 (admission is until 16:30)
closing day	July 12th (Monday), September 6th (Monday)
Admission fee	General / university students: 1,900 yen (tax included) Elementary / middle / high school students: 600 yen (tax included) * Online advance reservation (date and time specified) is required.
Organizer	National Science Museum, NHK, NHK Promotion, Asahi Shimbun
Exhibition official website	https://plants.exhibit.jp

 

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Tokyo National Museum

From July 13th (Tuesday) to September 5th (Sunday), 2021, Prince Shotoku's 1400 Memorial Special Exhibition "Prince Shotoku and Horyuji Temple" is being held at the Tokyo National Museum Heiseikan. A special preview for the media was held the day before the release, so this time we will tell you about it.

Horyuji Temple The beauty of prayer in 1400, all of which is here.

"Be precious with harmony" "I was very good at hearing and could hear many stories at once"

"Prince Shotoku" that every Japanese knows the anecdote even if he is not so familiar with Japanese history. It is also the "first great man" we meet in textbooks, and has long been revered as the object of worship of the Japanese people.

This year, Reiwazo (2021) is the 1400th anniversary of Prince Shotoku (574-622) . The special exhibition "Prince Shotoku and Horyuji Temple" to be held in this milestone year will showcase the portraits of the prince, treasures that are handed down as relics, and valuable cultural assets since the Asuka period, centering on the temple treasures that have been protected and handed down at Horyuji Temple. , The prince approaches the world of the prince and the prince worship.

Prince Shotoku and Horyuji Temple

Prince Shotoku is a person who assisted politics with Soga no Iruka during the time of Empress Suiko and promoted the nation-building by Buddhism.

Speaking of Prince Shotoku's achievements, the episode that made Sui, who was a great empire at that time, deliver the book "Tenko in the place of sunrise, the book to Tenshi in the place of sunset. This passage of "Tenko of the rising sun" is used as it is in the title of Ryoko Yamagishi's manga "Tenko of the rising sun".

Prince Shotoku built Horyuji Temple in 607, which is the oldest existing wooden structure in the world.
Although it was hit by a fire in 670, the Saiin Garan centered on the main hall and five-storied pagoda was rebuilt by the beginning of the 8th century. Buddhas from the Asuka period are enshrined in the main hall, and the Toin temple centered around the Yumeden, which was built around 739, became the center of the prince's worship.

At the venue, not only the works in the collection of the Tokyo National Museum, but also many temple treasures related to Prince Shotoku from Horyuji Temple are exhibited, and it is structured so that you can enjoy a wide range of masterpieces of Buddhist art such as sculpture, painting, crafts, dyeing and weaving.

Exhibition work introduction

<< National Treasure Yakushi Nyorai Sitting Statue >> Asuka period, 7th century Nara, Horyuji warehouse

The mystery fascinates people. A masterpiece of ancient Buddha sculpture.

A work that is said to be a masterpiece that shows the stylistic beauty of the Asuka period, such as the mysterious facial features with a smile on the mouth and the linear clothing expression, which is the principal image of the Kondo Higashi. According to the inscription on the back of the halo, it was built in 607, but since the casting technology is more advanced than the statue of Shakyamuni in the Kondo, which was completed in 623, the actual production date is considered to be after 623. Has been done.

You can feel the rounded softness of the cheeks, neck, and hands, and you can feel the outstanding skill of the Buddhist priest. It is one of the representative Buddhist statues of the Asuka period, but it seems that many mysteries remain, such as the inscription and pedestal as well as the production date.

《Den Tachibana's memorial Buddha kitchen》 Asuka period 7th-8th century Nara Horyuji warehouse

The highest peak of beautiful Hakuho art.

Amitabha triad statue with an impressive soft smile. Along with the delicate workmanship, the flowing curves seen on the fingertips and clothing are exceptionally beautiful, and it is considered to be the best masterpiece among the gold and bronze Buddhas created during the Hakuho period. The original kitchen with a canopy equipped with Mt. Meru, which enshrines the Amitabha triad statue. It is a work that conveys the ancient prayer space to the present.

《Seven Stars Bronze Sword》 Asuka period 7th century Nara Horyuji warehouse (former Horyuji dedication treasure)

If you are a sword fan, please click here.

This is what the sword-loving writer paid attention to. It is a beautiful copper sword that represents the Big Dipper on the blade. There are other swords designed with the Big Dipper as a motif, such as the "Big Dipper" in Shitennoji, Osaka, but it was believed that the Big Dipper had a strong power to defeat the enemy in ancient China. It seems that such swords have come to be made.

It seems that the blade was painted with lacquer and pressed with gold leaf, and gold color still remains everywhere. At that time, I was wondering how magnificent the sword was, but I was the only one …

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Speaking of Tokyo National Museum, it is also famous for its fulfilling product sales.
In addition to standard products such as T-shirts and pictorial records, there are also unique goods such as Prince Shotoku's dog "Yukimaru" goods and "Eshinkyo Tenugui Towel" that exploded the business spirit of Tohaku.

Also, at the Toyokan of the Tokyo National Museum, the museum theater "Horyuji National Treasure Kondo-Prince Shotoku's Heart" will be screened from Wednesday, July 14, 2021 to Sunday, October 10, 2021. Everything inside the Kondo of Horyuji Temple in Nara, which cannot be entered locally, is reproduced by virtual reality, and you can experience the Buddha statue and mural painting of the principal image up close!
For details, please see the official website of the Museum Theater.

Outline of the event

Exhibition name	Prince Shotoku 1400 Memorial Special Exhibition "Prince Shotoku and Horyuji Temple"
Legislative session	July 13th (Tuesday) -September 5th (Sunday), 2021 First term: July 13th (Tuesday) -August 9th (Monday / holiday), 2021 Late: August 11th (Wednesday) -September 5th (Sunday), 2021
Opening hours	9: 30-17: 00
closing day	Monday * However, the museum will be open on Monday, August 9th, and will be closed only for this exhibition on Tuesday, August 10th.
Admission fee	General 2,200 yen University student 1,400 yen High school student 1,000 yen * To alleviate congestion, this exhibition requires advance reservations (reserved-seat tickets). All customers are required to reserve a reserved-seat ticket for admission. Please check the exhibition official website for details on "advance reserved-seat tickets" and "same-day tickets".
Venue	Tokyo National Museum Heiseikan (Ueno Park)
Official site	https://tsumugu.yomiuri.co.jp/horyuji2021/index.html

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