Category: Report

The National Museum of Western Art

The National Museum of Western Art, Ueno, Tokyo, from June 11, 2019 (Tuesday) to September 23, Mon.
"The 60th Anniversary Matsukata Collection Exhibition of the National Museum of Western Art"
Is being held.

Since the press preview of the exhibition was held, we will deliver the report this time.

What is the Matsukata Collection?

Kojiro Matsukata (1866-1950), the businessman who laid the foundation for the collection of the National Museum of Western Art.
Matsukata, who led the Kawasaki Shipyard (now Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd.) in Kobe, expanded a large number of works of art in London and Paris around 1916-1927, expanding business against the backdrop of ship demand from World War I. I was buying it. Collection items at that time were about 3,000 pieces from Monet, Gogan, Gogh's paintings, modern works such as Rodin's sculptures, medieval board drawings and tapestry.

"I want to make an art museum for Japanese people"

The works collected from such thoughts are the Matsukata collection.

This exhibition traces the process of formation and dissipation of the Matsukata Collection and the establishment of the National Museum of Western Art with about 160 valuable works of art and historical materials. The ten chapters from prologue to epilogue will convey to us the thoughts of Matsukata, who bet life for collection.

Highlights of the Matsukata Collection

The highlights of this exhibition are roughly divided into three.

The first one is the display of a collection of masterpieces of the former Matsukata, which has been scattered around the world, including Vincent van Gogh's Bedroom in Arles (1889).

The second is that Matsukata purchased directly in the atelier in Monet, and for the first time it will be unveiled after rehabilitating the long-lived masterpiece, “The reflection of water lily and willow” (1916).

The third is that when the Matsukata Collection was kept in the old chapel of the Rodin Museum, 16 of the 365 glass plates photographed by the French photographer Pierre Schmoff were unveiled as historical material It is

"Water lily, reflection of willow" work hard work restoration and future prospects

Among the three highlights, the most eye-catching piece is Claude Monet's Water Lilies and Willow Reflections .
This is a very large-scale work that uses a decorative technique that is reminiscent of a Japanese maple picture, showing that a willow tree is reflected upside down on the water surface of a water lily pond. It is rare that the work before repair is so damaged.

Naomi Kashiwagi, a researcher at the National Museum of Western Art, said, "While during the World War II, fleeing the search for the Nazis and evacuating the works to the farmers, they were placed upside down and stored upside down. It was guessed "?"

In the case of this work, originally it took three to four years to repair, but because the restoration period is as short as one year, it is said that the restoration is limited to the minimum. It is heavy because it is a very large work, and just turning over the work required a large number of seven people and it was hard work.

In addition, Mr. Tochigi concluded that "I would like to work on repairing Monet works in the long run while comparing and examining other Monet's water lily series in the future" .

Introduction of exhibited works

Vincent van Gogh < rose>

1889 oil on canvas, 33 x 41.3 cm National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo

A work in which Gogh, who suffered from mental illness, drew nearby roses while hospitalized at the Saint-Remy Psychiatric Hospital. Vibrant, lively roses are drawn with intense brush strokes.

Not only the texture of the rose, but also the smell seems to be felt.

Camille Pissarro < harvest>

1882 Glossy Tempera, Canvas 70.3 × 126 cm National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo (Konjiro Matsukata, donated by the bereaved family)

This work is a work that became a milestone of Pissarro, which challenged the material of glue tempera and shifted from a traditional landscape painter to a portrait painter. People who have only been drawn as companions will now be drawn on the front. You will be fascinated by the spacious countryside, where you can see the houses beyond.

I can hear the texture of the wheat flowing by the wind and the breath of people who work.

Edvard Munch < workers in the snow>

1910 oil on canvas, 223.5 x 162 cm private collection, Tokyo (deposited at the National Museum of Western Art)

It is a painting drawn by the late-year Munch. Workers working in harsh conditions under deep snow. Three men who carry scoops on their shoulders and stabs in the snow on their fronts, and who look at this with a proud look. Behind them, people who work silently are vividly depicted.

There is no darkness in each figure, but rather, even brightness can be felt.

Charles-François Daubigny < Villareville coast, sunset>

1870 oil on canvas 100 × 197 cm Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, Tokyo

The work of the late-year work of the landscape painter Barbison.

The sound of the waves flowing quietly in the big ocean and the sunset sky. The scenery and the figures of the people walking on the beach are impressive. People can only look small, but what kind of expression is it? Do you have a bright face after work?

I can stir my imagination.

The Matsukata collection, which has been lost due to the Great Kanto Earthquake and the Showa Financial Crisis, and has been pursuing a strange fate.
The captions of the exhibitions in this exhibition carefully describe when and where the works were purchased, and are designed so that you can know the history of the transition.

Matsujiro Kojiro's dream of "I want to create an art museum for Japan" that has come to fruition after decades of age.
Why don't you come to the venue and try to touch one end of that feeling?

Outline of the event

Article Provided by：Kokosil Ueno

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Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum

From April 23 (Tuesday) to July 10 (Wednesday), 2019, "Klimt Exhibition Vienna and Japan 1900" will be held at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum. Prior to the opening, the press preview was held on April 22 and we will tell about the situation.

Gorgeous decorativeness using many gilts. End-of-the-century sensuality that also senses death, eros, and the chain of life. At the end of the 19th century Vienna, the lovely female statues and landscapes created by painter Gustav Klimt (1862-1918) are still overwhelmingly popular.

This exhibition, which is held to commemorate 100 years after his death, from the early naturalistic works to the style of the age of the "Golden Age" that everyone knows, women's paintings and landscape paintings, Klimt's oil paintings have been past in Japan The largest collection of more than 25 works. Furthermore, the works of painters who were active in the same period, Japanese art objects influenced by Klimt, etc. will be introduced together, and the whole picture of Klimt's painting business will be approached.

Exhibition scenery

This exhibition has eight chapters.

I Klimt and his family
II Training period and theater decoration
III Private life
IV Vienna and Japan 1990
V Vienna separatist
VI landscape painting
VII Portrait
VIII Linkage of life

Klimt did not talk much in life, saying , "If you want to know about me, you should observe my pictures carefully."
It is just the "life" itself that is transmitted from his picture so as to support the words. The composition of the exhibit is also organized to follow Klimt's painting work from the beginning.

Klimt is a gorgeous golden style, but its style was born after trial and error. Klimt initially worked on orthodox classical paintings through the management of the atelier "artist company", but his co-owner, his younger brother, quickly turned to the "Viennese separatist" in 1897. Klimt became its first president and took off an academic and conservative style, and brought out a unique world view.

In addition, this exhibition will introduce you to the style of the moving Klimt, but chapter 4 can not be overlooked.
Klimt was fond of collecting Japanese art objects such as Ukiyo-e and Kai, but he exhibited works that showed his research results, such as “17-year-old Emilylier Frege” . I will interpret and interpret the painting world in the context of "Japan and Klimt".

Introduction of exhibited works

Gustav Klimt "Judit I" 1901

Judith I, known as Klimt's masterpiece.

"This work has all the elements that make Klimt a famous painter today," said Marks Ferringer, the curator of the Austrian Art Museum Belvedere, who described the exhibition.

The subject is a scene of the Old Testament Foreign Scripture. A young widow, Judith, has seduced Holofernes, who has encircled the Jewish town of Bethuria, and cut off his neck.
Stylized compositions, decorative patterns, eroticism of widows exposing nakedness. And above all, real gold leaf is used, and it is a symbolic work that has truly become the "end of the golden age".

Although Judito's expression of looking at this with his hollow eyes runs scared, at this time Klimt is obliged to support him by having two unextracted children, and such personal circumstances are reflected in his work It seems to have been done (!).

Gustav Klimt "Portrait of Eugenia Primafez" 1913 or 14

Portrait of a woman who is one of Klimt's most important supporters and wife of a wealthy banker.
On the screen are colorful flowers, and in the upper right corner are drawn porcelain, or a symbol that symbolizes good luck and longevity that may have been inspired by a cloisonne figurine.

Of note is the yellowness of the background. Klimt uses complementary colors in most of his later works, and in this work the background yellow color and the color of the eugenia dress and the floral decoration are contrasted.

Gustav Klimt "The Three Generations of Women" 1905

The eighth chapter, entitled “The Linkage of Life,” discusses the critically influenced theme of Klimt's pictorial world, the relationship between life and sex from reproduction to death.
This work is a work that directly deals with such themes, and has a very mysterious presence among the Klimt works exhibited in this exhibition.

Sleeping infants and young women full of vitality, colored by flowers. An old woman who sighs with a noddy posture behind it.
This is a masterpiece depicting the "three generations of women" on one screen, symbolically depicting the figures of women at each stage of their life.
The strangeness of the decoration, such as triangles, circles, and swirls that color them, is also impressive.

The Japanese artist Kijiro Ota, who saw the work in Rome between 1911 and 1913, pointed out that "the taste of Japanese painting" can be seen in this work, such as the depiction of Japanese paintings and the patterns of friends. . Klimt's work says that the composition, combination of colors, and patterns are unique to Japan. In this work, it seems that the lives of Japanese paintings in Vienna and in Klimt paintings are inherited.

"All works, whether they are portraits or landscapes, are common to Gustav Klimt that the paintings were ornaments. It's not something that's drawn with an eye-catcher, as portraits are treated as decorative as well, and this is one of the characteristics of Klimt's paintings. "

Marks Ferringer emphasized "decorability" in Klimt's paintings in the exhibition commentary, and at the same time he said that "the most important being" in the context of the 19th century Vienna art world.

The universe of his thoughts that can be seen by turning around a number of venues in turn. And lifetime.
Please enjoy various expressions including innovation and eros, and "golden style" at the venue.

Outline of the event

Article Provided by：Kokosil Ueno

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Tokyo National Museum

In the Heisei-kan, a special exhibition “National Treasure Toji Temple-Kukai and Buddha Statue Manra” will be held from March 26 (Tuesday) to June 2 (Sun), 2019.

As we participated in the press conference held prior to the event, we will tell about the situation.

To-ji Temple (Koh Gokoku-ji Temple) was built along with West-ji Temple as a public temple for the protection of the Great Castle, along with Heian-Kei’s capital relocation. Kukai Kobo Daishi, who returned to learn the esoteric is a new Buddhism in Tang, look forward to Toji than Emperor Saga in 823 years, was the root dojo of Shingon esoteric Buddhism.

Kukai said, “Esotericism is so deep, it is difficult to describe in sentences. Instead, I draw a drawing and show it to something that I can not understand” (“Gyorai catalog”) , I emphasized it. From this point of view, there are still many excellent items in esoteric art.

In this exhibition, we introduce the full spectrum of cultural assets from Toji Temple, including many famous treasures related to Kukai.

On the next seven days, the way to go to school

Kukai says it is confidential to practice and practice in accordance with the scriptures. The most important of the various disciplines is the practice seven days after being held at Shingon-in, a secular shrine set up in the palace.

It is prayed for the health of the nation’s security and the emperor, and it has been held in Toji since the Meiji era.

It is not clear what kind of practice is being done, but for this exhibition, photography of the setting in the dojo during the ceremonies is permitted, and the situation is reproduced in the exhibition hall. This is a valuable opportunity to learn about the precious ceremonies!

Both worlds mandala

Mandala is a visual representation of the world view of Buddhist scriptures in a variety of ways. The “two world mandala”, which Kukai emphasized, is the “Jokura world mandala” that represents the world of the scriptures “Dai Nikkei” and “Kongo Shokai” and “ It refers to the Kongokai Mandara. Both world mandalas are also used in the 7 days later.

In this exhibition, we will replace and display 3 sets of both world mandalas (total 6) during the period.

It is here to be displayed from March 26 (Tuesday) to April 7 (Sunday). Kukai is the second transcript of the colored mandala (Nera Mandara) brought back from China and is designated as an Important Cultural Property.

Mandala is a way of showing deep secular teachings to anyone. The layout map of Mandala is also on display, so please try to decipher the world centered on Dainichi.

Three-dimensional mandala

In the auditorium of To-ji Temple, 21 groups of Buddha statues are said to have three-dimensionally represented the world view of “Kongo Zong”, a fundamental scripture of esoteric religion. These three-dimensional mandala was designed by Kukai. Among these, the 15 exhibitions that will be the largest exhibition ever made are on display.

Kukai says, “The Buddha of Mandala is neatly arranged like a tree in the forest, with various colors of red and blue .” It is considered to be a word conscious of the Kongo world mandala. Like the words, it is a masterpiece that 15 Buddha statues line up in a large exhibition hall.

You can also admire the statues of the famous Buddha statues of Buddha Buddha No. 1 handsome.

VR work “Kukai form of prayer”

At the same time as the main exhibition, the VR work “Kukai prayer form” is being screened on the first floor of the Tokyo National Museum.

In addition to following the locus of action construction from the arrival of Kukai, you can enjoy the image that reproduces the Buddha image of 21 three-dimensional mandala by VR technology. The 7-meter high “Dainichi Nyorai” placed in the center of the three-dimensional mandala is projected in full size, and it is a powerful score. Please enjoy it together with this exhibition!

Summary of the event

Article courtesy : Kokosil Ueno

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Taito Ward Asakura Engraving Museum

Asakura Sculptor’s Museum is located a 3-minute walk from Yanaka Ginza shopping district, leaving the atmosphere of the downtown area. The building which was the atelier and residence of the sculptor Fumio Asakura (1883-1964) is open to the public. Of course it is possible to appreciate the sculpture work by the hand of Asakura, but the building which Asakura himself designed was registered with the tangible cultural property of the country (2001), and the whole site is the country as “Former Asakura Fumio Garden”. Designated as a scenic spot in (2008). The Asakura Sculpture Museum, where you can enjoy works, buildings and gardens, has been attracting attention from overseas tourists in recent years.

This time, as it was interviewed at the Asakura Sculptor’s Hall at the exhibition held from August 8 (Fri) to June 5 (Wed), 2019, “The handsome guy selected by himself in the process of being selected ★ Oshimen” I will tell you.

Among the works held by the Asakura Sculptor’s Museum, the special feature in the permanent exhibition displays works that the staff members thought were handsome.

The front is a popular NO. 1 “pre-competition” from the staff. Small face, characterized by a firm and muscular body

Atelier which takes a big window and pours in natural light. Somewhat warm atmosphere while using concrete because curves are used a lot. It also seems that the shadows are soft. The ceiling height is 8.5m.

The work which made the police dog star number a model was chosen as a handsome. Not only the person but also the work modeled on the animal faithfully reproduces the real thing and sees the details. This is a sad but outrageous star.

Asakura’s masterpiece “Tombguard”. A work that captures the unspoiled appearance of a grave ward old man. The expression that life experience exudes is handsome

Continue from the atelier to the study.

About half of the huge books stored in built-in bookshelves are foreign books. Most of the foreign books were from Toru Iwamura, an assistant teacher at the time of Tokyo Art School (now Tokyo University of the Arts) in Asakura. After Iwamura’s death, Asakura put in debt and collected it all together so that his books would not dissipate. Asakura deeply respects Iwamura and learned a lot from him.

I found a handsome figure in the study. Futaba Statue

A bookend entitled “Two-handed cooperation”

It was made of concrete so far, but it will be wooden from the sitting room following the residence. Asakura with a good sense of beauty was good at harmonizing different elements. The atelier made of concrete and the wooden part made of Sukiya are adjacent without a sense of discomfort.

Many Chinese books are owned. Asakura prefers Chinese hobbies to life

It is a corridor garden that should be noted especially in the wooden part. All rooms are designed to have a view of the garden with plenty of water, and you can enjoy different views depending on where you look. Asakura, who is from Oita Prefecture, which is rich in water, seems to have put particular emphasis on this garden structure. Asakura will have lived a life that feels the change of the season with this residence.

It is said that Asakura has refrained from producing sculptures, as air conditioning is not effective and air conditioning is not effective because the atelier has a large ceiling and a large space. I was writing a manuscript in my room with a view of the garden in cold weather

Stairs leading to the second floor. It uses a lot of logs and bamboos, and has a distinctive design that combines roundness and straight lines

The boundary between the concrete architecture (right) and the wooden Sukiya (left) seen from the second floor. Different materials are admirably fused

On the third floor, we have a Japanese-style room to receive a guest called “For the Chaoyang”. It is a room where you can feel the commitment of Asakura using extravagant materials such as a ceiling lined with cedar bark of Kojiro cedar and a wall with a crushed agate.

There is no level difference between the floors, and the wall is rounded. The setting and taste of the sencha hobbies are a good summary of the whole. The table in the front is designed by Asakura and can be disassembled to the size of a closet

There is a garden on the roof of concrete architecture.

Asakura named this “Asakura sculpted 塾” and has received many disciples. As part of their education, they planted vegetables in the roof garden, and gave disciples the opportunity to touch the soil and observe the process of becoming vegetables from seeds. Asakura’s style is called naturalistic realism, but I was keen to observe the model in detail and faithfully reproduce it. In this way, there was a conviction that the technique was to touch the object with your own hands and be refined from where you feel.

Olive tree

Today, the roof garden is planted with agapanthus and roses, and it entertains visitors every season. In addition, vegetable garden is cultivated in part, and vegetables are cultivated.

Asakura, who loved Oriental Orchid, made a greenhouse on the second floor for the cultivation of orchids. Currently, cat sculptures are on display at the “Ranma”. Asakura loves cats and has left many works with cat motifs.

At the same time as this exhibition, “Taito Tosu” related project “Yohito Saito Photo Exhibition” is also held.

There are five works of Asakura Sculptural Museum, which photographer Yoto Saito took down for Taito Tosu, a cultural arts public relations magazine published by Taito Ward.

Asakura Sculptural Museum, including gardens and architecture, can all be said to have been created under the aesthetics of Asakura. Asakura’s commitment was felt in every corner, and the look was enough. The unique project exhibitions “Domestically selected handsome men” and “Taito Tosu” related projects “Yoshido Saito Photography Exhibition” will be held until June 5, 2019 (Wednesday). How about going by all means once at this opportunity?

Usage guide

※ Please prepare socks when entering the hall

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National Museum of Western Art

During the period from Tuesday, February 19, 2019 to May 19, 2019, at the National Museum of Western Art, the 60th anniversary of the opening of the National Museum of Western Art, Le Corbusier and the Age of Purism will be held . Since the exhibition was held on February 18, I will tell you how it is.

The National Museum of Western Art, which was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2016. This main building was designed by Le Corbusier who is known as the master of 20th century architecture.

Architecture, painting, sculpture, poetry …. Charles-Edouard Jeanure (the real name of Le Corbusier), an artist who had developed a variety of activities, is the end of 1918 after the conclusion of the First World War, the "Construction and Integration" corresponding to the progress of machine civilization I started the exercise of the artist Purismu . Giving great praise from the creation of Purrism and the exchange with the art world in Paris in the 1920s, Jeanuret is reborn as a flag hand of modern architecture "Le Corbusier".

This exhibition, which is held in commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the opening of the National Museum of Western Art, focused on young daily paintings in which Le Corbusier had been doing a new art movement in Paris, and his contemporary writer Picasso , About 100 works of art by Black, Leger and others, including a number of materials such as architectural models, publications and images. It is a very valuable opportunity to experience the spirit of Le Corbusie's era in the world in his building.

Exhibition landscape

Venue landscape. Overlooking the 19th century hall on the first floor from the second floor of the exhibition hall

The second floor exhibition room. The high ceiling and the low ceiling are combined, and the pillars line up rhythmically. Bright light arriving from the continuous window looks like a natural light

At the beginning there is a cover of the magazine "Esprit Nouveau" edited and published with his friend Ozanfan

Works of writers who had friends with Le Corbusier, such as scuba-cubist sculptors, line up deeply with the architectural space

It is one of the real thrills that you can enjoy the precise model of the architect designed by Le Corbusier. This is 1/30 model of "La Roche-Jeanulé House"

Paintings by Fernand Leger deeply friends with Le Corbusier through the Purism movement. Replacing what you see with simple surfaces and lines is a characteristic of Purismu paintings

The display composition is as follows.

Ⅰ The birth of Purismu
Ⅱ Confrontation with Cubism
Ⅲ Top and end of Purrism
Le Corbusier after Ⅳ purism

This exhibition will be held from the 19th century hall of the National Museum of Western Art, a space that became a corridor on the second floor. This is based on the concept "Leisure growing art museum" proposed by Le Corbusier, the building expands spirally out from the center.

Normally it is this space where the permanent exhibition is usually done, but the color of the wall is illuminated brighter than usual to hold the "Le Corbusier paintings to architecture – to the architecture – the era of Purrism", it has been born like a different space I was surprised.

"A space filled with light, this was the exhibition space originally intended by Le Corbusier, in which the painters of the era when he worked, the works of friends, and the appearance of le Corbusier's architecture talking I can feel it, I think that there is a big difference from the regular exhibition. "

That's why it was Hiroyuki Murakami, deputy director of the National Museum of Western Art.
In addition to watching pictures and sculptures, be sure to think about the relationship between the work and the architecture and see the corridor.

Exhibition work introduction

Charles-Edouard Jeanure (Le Corbusier) "A large still life exhibition at the independent exhibition" 1922 Stockholm Museum of Modern Art

Work that realized Purisumu's philosophy of "creating creative and universal art from ordinary reality subjects" in the most monumental way.

I think that it is very difficult to understand that guitar, bottle, carafe, etc on the table are perceived as perfect solid, and it is reconfiguring it as an orderly space · · ·, the important thing is "to write in real life It is not that " instead of " replacing objects with "simple lines and faces" . The stereoscopic effect felt from the Purisum paint painted in this way surely leads to Le Corbusier's architectural space.

It is interesting to compare with Ozan Fan 's "Still life with bottles" drawn in the same year (photo left). Ozanfan also composes the screen by combining the vertical line and the horizontal line again, but it gives a somewhat planar impression compared to the work of Jeanure (Le Corbusier). It seems that Jeanure 's work is more stereoscopic and three dimensional elements are strong.

Le Corbusier "Lunch by the lighthouse" 1928 Paris, Le Corbusier Foundation

Nature rich environment of Pique which had been vacation of summer every year since 1926. Based on the sketch during staying in the Piquet "lunch by the lighthouse", the still life on the table and the scenery of the bay with the lighthouse are tied in a way that is noticeable.

Round curve. Warm colors. It is quite different from Jeanure 's previous Purism painting. In the late 1920's, Le Corbusier aimed to pursue "geometric order" and added "landscape" and "person" as a new motif to his paintings with still life as the only subject. What he aimed for was "Harmony between man and nature." Along with the new theme, his style gradually changed.

But again, his belief that "geometric order is the essence of man and nature" seemed to have not shaken.

Le Corbusier "Savoie residence" 1928 – 31 years (Photo is 1/100 model Taisei Corporation)

1928 – Model of "Savoie residence", a mansion built in the suburbs of Paris in 1931. The Savoie House is filled with various ideas such as wide oblong windows and slopes, and it is called architecture which best describes the spirit of Purisumu. The exterior looks just like a Pyrism painting by Jeanure. His architectural image aiming for universality rooted in geometry is well expressed.

In 1928 when the design of Savoie residence began, it may have been a "turning point" for Le Corbusier. One thing was to introduce images of women and landscapes suppressed in the Purism time into paintings. Another thing is that paintings also came to sign "Le Corbusier", not real name "Jeanure". The Savoie residence is just a pioneer of modern architecture and it can be said that it was a monumental work for Le Corbusier.

"Through the design of the National Museum of Western Art, he hoped that this museum would be the base to spread the spirit of modern times.The" modern "he thinks is a clear, powerful, positive thing and that There is geometry at the root, please feel it in this space where his architecture and painting works reverberate. "

Mr. Murakami of the National Museum of Western Art, which was responsible for the exhibition commentary, said that way.

"Le Corbusier's origin" that you can enjoy in the world heritage building.
Why do not you visit us once.

Summary

Article Provided by: Kokosil Ueno

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Taito Ward Asakusa Public Hall

Since the opening in August 2018, "Edomachi-Taito Entertainment Festival" which has delivered a variety of entertainment and traditional culture, including traditional arts from the Edo period through various events. A closing event was held on Saturday, February 16, 2019.

The theme of the closing event – From Edo to Tokyo "The lively crowd of Edo living now" ~ . It was divided into the first part and the second part, and Taito Ward boasts a wide variety of performing arts that got together and was performed together. This time, I wrote about the first part so we will tell about it.

The bustle of Asakusa 6-ku

Before the opening of the first part, there was an announcement of the performers of the closing event at "Asakusa 6-ku" known as a sacred place for entertainment.

What appeared before the Asakusa entertainment hall was the 5th district of the Edo Fire Brigade Memorial Association, a general association formed to convey the tradition of "fire fighting" that was born as a fire brigade in the Edo period to future generations. Demonstrated powerful Edo's woodworking and clasping .

The next thing that appeared was a glittering Oiran (japanese old style courtesan). It is Mr. Kotaro Ryu who acts as a mass actor. From the Asakusa 6-ku street to the closing event venue · Asakusa public hall the procession of Oiran was entertained by many passers-by.

Closing event Part 1

Star's hand type honorific ceremony
Taito Ward, popular entertainment mecca, gave hands and signs from 1979 (Showa 54) as a "star" in front of the Asakusa public hall in order to honor the accomplishments of entertainers who contributed to the promotion of popular performing arts, It is set up in the "Plaza". This year, a honorary ceremony was held for six people with hand shapes installed.

Former Takarazuka boys top star and actress Amami Yuki "I am from Taito Ward, but it is a feeling of lack of ability to put a hand on this place that I have been familiar with since my childhood, my mother is also very pleased I was able to do filial piety.I would like to continue to do my best to make Taito Ward lively. "

Singer / Mr. Otsuki Miyako "I came to the singer for the first time in 55 years, but now I am happiest the most.We would like to select the hand of the star this time and I hope that you will have a wonderful Japanese popular song from tomorrow I think that you got a fight when delivering it, thanks to everyone who listens to the song. Thank you very much. "

Kabuki actor Nakamura Kankuro "I am very pleased to be able to enter among the great seniors who have left the hands of the star up to now. Among those seniors are two grandparents, my father and my aunt as well This Asakusa public hall is a New Year Asakusa Kabuki which is said to be a gateway for young Kabuki actors.I also appeared in this place for many years from the age of 18. From now on I would like to be a good actor to love and love people in Asakusa. "

Kankuro's younger brother Nakamura Shichinosuke "I have been indebted to this Asakusa public hall since I was 16. Although there are so many customers today, only about five customers in my first performance There was no one, I will beat up from the ground in this place, I am very pleased that you have chosen to be a star's hand like this. "

Although Azuma Takahiro of the talent was also elected, attendance to the festival ceremony did not come true, Tomohiro Higashi Tomohiro as a younger brother attended on behalf of Mr. Takahiro Mr. Tomohiro was read aloud. "My father, Azuma hachiro also leaves hand shapes 38 years ago from now, there is a memory that I felt even more greatly to my father who I respected as a junior high school student at that time, my father is 49 years old At the time I left his hands, I am also 49 years old, I was able to leave my hands in the same year, I will continue to devote myself to ashamed of this honor from now on. "

Unfortunately, Takagawa Yumi, an actress, was absent from the awards ceremony, and the managing director of the office that he belonged to was read by his comments. "We have selected it as a hand type at the end of Heisei and it is full of appreciation.The entertainment life has also entered in the 46th year, so we will continue to devote ourselves with new feelings encouraging you to choose this time."

Kabuki dance "Tongue-picking Sanjo"
Nakamura Kankuro is succeeding Nakamura Kanzaburo who is the founder of Edo Kabuki, Nakamura Kankuro performed Sanjo, and Shichinosuke was playing a thousand years. The venue was crowded with a comical movement of Sanjo.

Edo TaiKagura music
The origins of tTaikagura are the &quot Sangaku " transmitted to the shrine in the Heian era. It was developed as an acrobatics in the Edo period and gained popularity. Okinaya Wasuke and Okinaya Kohana will show off his umbrella, etc., and the crowd gets a lot of fun with skillful technique.

Rcitation “Thirteen nights”
A Story tellar Kumazawa Nansui that appeared on a dark stage. Moistly and sometimes intensely, She talked about Higuchi Ichiyo's "Thirteen nights ". Higuchi Ichiyo is a writer who is familiar with this place, such as writing masterpiece "Takekurabe　" set in Ryusen, Taito-ku.

Historical narrative "Shinmon Tatsugoro "
From Edo to the Meiji / Taisho era, Historical narrative which was a representative of people's entertainment. Kanda Kurenai told the lifetime of Shinmon Tatsugoro who was active as a firefight in Edo in Edo. It was the first time she ever tells this story. The audience was fascinated by the delightful enthusiasm that was full of presence, and it was drawn into the world of the Historical narrative.

Kappore dance
"Kappore" is a dance spreading all over the country by the petitioner afterwards, based on "Sumiyoshi dance" dedicated to Sumiyoshi Shrine in Osaka in hopes of rich a good harvest and becoming called by this name in the Edo period. Sakura gawa iri hune shachu venue was excited with the dance that matched the "Kappore" calling by the company .

"Edomachi-Taito Entertainment Festival", which has grown up in Taito-ku with performing arts and traditional culture for about half a year, has closed the curtain here. Even in the closing event, we offered a wide variety of performances not caught in the genre to the audience, and it was a great success as a "festival where you can enjoy the power of the shoulder" that anyone can participate.

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Ichiyo Memorial Museum at Taito Ward

Ichiyo Memorial Museum at Taito Ward is located in a place where female writers, Ichiyo Higuchi in the Meiji era once opened roughs and sweets shops.

Ichiyo is said to have obtained the idea of masterpiece "Takekurabe" in about 10 months spent in this place.

Ichiyo moved to Shimotani Ryusenji Town 125 years ago.

In commemoration of this, at the Ichiyo Memorial Museum, during the period from Saturday, November 10, 2018 to January 27 (Sunday) 2019, the Moved to Shimotani Ryusenji Town 125 year anniversary special exhibition "Shimotani Ryusenji Town Higuchi Ichiyo " is held.

The exhibition room is divided into two, the first exhibition room introduces the life of Ichiyo before coming to Shimotani Ryusenji Town, and the life in this place.

Shimotani Ryusenji Town

Ichiyo who lost his father at the age of 17 was responsible for the lives of her mother and sister as the main pillar of the family.

Although she was publishing a novel and getting drafts, her life was so hard to go on and moved to Shimotani Ryusenji Town to start a new business.

The fact that the borrowing letters and letters of exhibits were telling us that Ichiyo’s life at that time was strict. Also, as there are few pictures of the Shimotani Ryusenji Town at that time, you can see this area’s situation in paintings.

Children live in a neighbourhood and people who work in the Yoshiwara area came to the Ichiyo’s shop. Ichiyo observed people through such exchanges and later, The theme of her novel;Scoop up the little voices of people who live in one corner of societywas formed.

Ichiyo’s masterpiece “Takekurabe” is a boy and girl’s pale love of the downtown, which is set in the vicinity of Shimotani Ryusenji Town, and Sensoku Inari Shrine and Ootori Shrine appeared in the work.

Between the reality and the ambition

Ichiyo became good friends with a woman named Nonomiya Hisako when she lived in Shimotani Ryusenji Town. Autographed letters addressed to Ms. Nonomiya from Ichiyo are on display.

Before she came to this place, she learned Japanese poetry and classical literature at a school named "Hagi no sha", where she also learned the essence of the litgraghy.

A replica of the desk which Ichiyo used until died is also exhibited. It is a gorgeous one with ivory settled, it seems to have been bought from her father.

She spend wealthy life in her childhood. The real thing of the desk is kept in the Modern Japanese Literature Museum in Meguro-ku.

In the 2nd exhibition room, from 7 factors we could understand how Ichiyo’s life in Shimotani Ryuzenji Town affected "Takekurabe".

At first, Ichiyo wanted to be a japanese poetly’s teacher, not to be a novelist.

A lot of young ladies of the famous family passed through "Hagi no sha" where Ichiyo learned japanese poetly. Among them, it is thought that there was also a hard time for Ichiyo who had no title. One time she wore a cloth full of paches and visited "Hagi no sha".

A replica of the kimono is on exhibition. Ichiyo’sister, Kuni and this kimono with great difficulty so that it would not be able to see the patch if she wore a coat on it.

After living for about 10 months at Shimotani Ryusenji Town, Ichiba moved to to Hongou maruyama fukuyama Town.

And there, during 14 months untill she died, she wrote many works including "Takekurabe". This period is called "14 months of miracle".

Ichiyo came to Shimotani Ryusenji Town for business, but she gained inspiration that would be a source of later writing life from interaction with people she met here.

It would be clear how the life in here stimulated the creativity of Ichiyo by this special exhibition.

In the permanent exhibition, works after Ichiyo passed away were mainly introduced.

While Ichiyo alive, her works were published in a magazine, and no books such as novels were not sold.

This is the last book of Ichiyo and the only book published while she alive "Encyclopedia of Daily Usage 12th Edition Common Letters". An example sentence of a letter by Ichiyo.

Ichiyo’s younger sister Kuni was keen to preserve her work after the death of Ichiyo. Even she was evacuated with Ichoyo’s manuscripts under wartime.

It is largely owed to Kuni that we can now see Ichiyo’s manuscript etc in this way.

Kuni has contributed essays to the magazine "Women's World" as "a side of my older sister who did not have a wage."

It is very valuable material today to convey the figure of real Ichiyo seen from the close relatives.

"Nigorie" of the original one which was put into a stage by Mr. Yukio Ninagawa in 1984. A stage model handed down by Setsu Asakura herself who was in charge of the stage arts is displayed.

In the special exhibition, life in Shimotani Ryusenji Town, the foundation of creation of Ichiyo "Takekurabe", has been comprehensively introduced, so I thought that after viewing I could understand the work even more.

Shimotani Ryusenji Town The 125th anniversary commemorative special exhibition "Shimotani Ryusenji Town (town of the stature) Higuchi Ichiyo" is held until January 27, 2019. When you come to the memorial hall, why not try walking around and thinking about the world of "Takekurabe"?

Outline of the exhibition

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This building is standing side by side with the Tokyo National Museum, across from Ueno Park.

It used to be the Keisei Electric Railway Former Hakubutsukan-Dōbutsuen Station which has been used as the nearest station of the Tokyo Imperial Museum (now the Tokyo National Museum) and the Imperial Ueno Zoo.

Along with the decrease in users, it had been suspended business in 1997. In April 2018, as a building with a historically important landscape value, it was the first railway facility which is selected as Tokyo Metropolitan Selected History Building.

Renovation work was carried out on this machine, furthermore, Tokyo National University of the Arts, Department of Art Department manager, UENOYES * A comprehensive producer, Mr. Katsuhiko Hibino, designed the door.

* Art project with the theme of social inclusion. With the aim of new social participation of people from the beginning of culture, regardless of disability, with various people from races and countries, from children to adults, develop various programs throughout the year, from Ueno We are disseminating it to the world.

On November 23, 2018, a part of Keisei Electric Railway old museum zoo station building will be opened to the public. At the same time, within the station building, a limited-time installation work Wandering into the Rabbit Hole will be displayed as a Historical Cultural Resource Utilization Program that is part of the UENOYES project.

I participated in a press tour that was held prior to that, so I will tell you the situation.

Let’s open the new door and go inside.

When you open the door, there is a huge rabbit!

Because the ticket gate of the old museum zoo station is in the basement, this work have a motif of a rabbit who has habits of digging soil and creating a nest.

The story that Ms.Shiratama Hitsujiya written down on Ueno's research was written by Ms. Akiko Sakata of art and was supported by the technical scientist of Mr. Kento Mori, a scientific museum · support researcher at the National Science Museum · Animal Research Division Exhibition.

Both Ms.Hitsujiya and Ms.Sakata say that this station building is a "space inspired by artists".

Mr. Mori says that he usually creates skeletal specimens by 3D scan and printer and has thought that it would be great if he chould show his works to the public. When Ms.Hitsujiya talkes about this project, he accepted immediately. It was in 1997 that the old museum zoo station stopped operating, but due to the idea of ​​Mr. Mori, the genuine exhibition of the skull of Huang Huan of the giant panda who died the same year came true.

In this way the installation work “Wandering into the Rabbit Hole” . There is a unique world view that draws in what you see from the moment you open the door.

You can actually touch the entrance rabbit or book, the skull replica, and you can do graffiti on the glass.

Even those who have never used the old museum zoo station, you will be able to enjoy the work with a thought on the history of the station building.

Since it will be a limited-time exhibition until February 24, 2019, how about going to the old museum zoo station on this occasion?

Publication and exhibition of Former Hakubutsukan-Dōbutsuen Station “Wandering into the Rabbit Hole” Summary

Related events will also be held. Please check the official website for details.
 
This article provided by kokosil Ueno

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