A 250-year project to create a village of cherry trees as far as the eye can see

Let’s fill our hometown with 99,000 cherry trees and leave them to our children. An incredibly grand project is currently underway in Iwaki City. The project is called the ” Iwaki Mambonzakura Project. We visited the stage of the project, which has attracted the participation of world-renowned artists.

The “Iwaki Manbonzakura Project” was launched two months after the Great East Japan Earthquake, with the sincere wishes of the people of Iwaki gathered together. Mr. Tadashige Shiga plays a central role in the project. In the book “The Giant Who Walks in the Sky” by Kawauchi Ario, who won the Ken Kaiko Nonfiction Prize this year, he appears as “Iwaki’s amazing old man.

The place we were aiming for was on a hill overlooking rice paddies. The wooden corridor, 160 meters long, stretches upward like a dragon from there. The sign at the entrance read “Iwaki Corridor Art Museum. Hidetoshi Nakata, who was looking at the exhibits on the wall, stopped in front of a photo.
Is this another of Mr. Tsai’s works?” Mr. Shiga nodded yes.
It is a work called “Gift from Iwaki,” which has been exhibited around the world. For every exhibition, we, the Iwaki team, go there to help assemble it. Mr. Tsai may just want to play along, though.
With a mischievous smile, Mr. Shiga told us how he and his ally, Cai Guo-Qiang, created the museum here.

Cai Guo-Qiang is a contemporary artist from Fujian, China. He describes Iwaki as his second hometown, and is currently based in New York and continues his creative activities around the world. Thirty years ago. As a student at Tsukuba University and a fledgling artist, Cai had a chance to hold a solo exhibition at an art gallery in Iwaki. At that time, Mr. Shiga purchased a painting, and the two became friends. Their friendship continued even after Ms. Tsai left for the world.
When the earthquake struck seven years ago, Mr. Tsai immediately rushed to Iwaki. Hearing about the “10,000 Cherry Blossoms Project,” he suggested that we create an art museum

Painting the Cherry Blossom Landscape of the Future.

Before the earthquake, the original trees had to be cut down to plant cherry trees. Before the earthquake, thinned wood sold for 50,000-60,000 yen per hectare, but after the earthquake, the price collapsed. When I told them that we were in the red, they said, “Then let’s build with the timber. I told them it would be easy to maintain, so we decided on a corridor style.
Based on Mr. Tsai’s sketches, a total of 400 volunteers worked for six months to construct the building. Currently, four of Tsai’s works are on display on the site, surrounded by an outdoor stage, tree house, swings, and other structures built by Shiga and other volunteers. A café space, library, and other facilities are currently under construction.

They plant 400 to 500 cherry trees a year, and have reached a total of 4,000 trees to date. At this rate, it will take about 200 to 250 years to reach the goal, Shiga says with a laugh.
In the future,” he says with a laugh. In the future, I would like to fill the rice paddies in front of us with cherry trees.
Looking where Shiga-san is pointing, Nakata-san says, “It’s a great view.
It would be interesting to have a museum that is constantly evolving, and since so many people have put so much thought into this place, why don’t we come up with a system to make it known to even more people?”
The rice fields are beautiful here, so why not hold a harvest festival in the fall?
Their strategy meeting around the hearth continued until the sun went down.

Reference links

Iwaki Corridor Museum of Art
7 Sosaku, Taira Nakagamiyaji, Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture

Iwaki Manbonsakura Project
https://www.mansaku99.com/home

Iwaki Manbonzakura info (X: former twitter)
https://twitter.com/99000_sakura

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A world-class art museum in Atami

The large 4-meter-high door that greets visitors at the main entrance is already a work of art. The work was done by Kazumi Murose, a lacquer artist well known to Nakada and a living national treasure in the makie lacquer technique. The work was created using the Negoro technique, in which red lacquer is applied on top of a black lacquer undercoat, and the unique colors and luster of the lacquer work can be seen on a giant scale, reminding us of the beauty and potential of this representative Japanese material.

The MOA Museum of Art, located on a hill in Atami City, is a popular spot for its panoramic view of the Pacific Ocean. The museum opened in 1982, following the wishes of Mokichi Okada, founder of the Hakone Art Museum and the man who laid the foundation for the MOA Art Museum, who wished to build another world-class art museum in Atami and introduce Japan’s outstanding traditional culture to people around the world. The museum was renovated in 2017 by the New Materials Research Institute, led by contemporary artist Hiroshi Sugimoto and architect Michiyuki Sakakida. Despite its name, Shinsozai Kenkyusho is an architectural firm that works on modern reinterpretations and revivals of materials and techniques used in ancient, medieval, and early modern times. The new MOA Museum of Art also uses traditional Japanese materials and techniques such as Yaku cedar, gyosha cedar, black plaster, and tatami mats.

“The MOA Museum of Art” exhibition

Of course, the main attraction of the exhibition is the wealth of works on display. The collection of approximately 3,500 Japanese and Chinese works collected by Mokichi Okada ranges from national treasures such as Korin Ogata’s “Red and White Plum Blossoms,” “Hanbokjo” by Tegami, and Ninsei Nonomura’s “Tea Jar with Iroe and Fuji Flower Design,” to Buddhist statues, pottery, ancient documents, ancient Chinese and Korean ceramics, and paintings. The museum also houses many works designated as Important Cultural Properties and Important Art Objects for the purpose of protecting valuable Japanese cultural assets. The “Golden Tea Room” is based on the historical fact that Toyotomi Hideyoshi brought an assembled golden tea room to the Kyoto Imperial Palace to offer tea to Emperor Shojincho, and the restored house where Ogata Korin is said to have spent his last years and painted the “Red and White Plum Folding Screen.

The attention to detail in the display of the works is also excellent. The large exhibition space is divided by black plaster walls to prevent the works from being reflected in other exhibits, and the lighting is a little dimmer than in other museums, based on the concept of “viewing artworks in the light of the Muromachi period. The display cases are made of low-reflective, high-transparency glass, which prevents light and one’s own face from being reflected in the glass, giving the illusion that the works are right in front of you. It is said that many visitors often hit their heads against the glass as they become immersed in the work. Enjoying hot springs and gourmet food in Atami is fine, but it is also a good idea to sharpen your senses by experiencing the many works of art at the MOA Art Museum.

NIHONMONO – 「にほん」の「ほんも…

色彩と文様の天才·芹沢銈介に触れられる「静岡市立芹沢銈介美術館」／静岡県静岡市 – NIHONMONO 「静岡市立芹沢銈介美術館」 静岡市の登呂公園にある「静岡市立芹沢銈介美術館」は、染色工芸家で人間国宝の芹沢銈介

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Bamboo Crafts with Flexibility

It can be woven in a way that gives it a delicate, silky look or a rough, unspoiled natural look, and can be shaped at will, depending on how it is woven. It can be a useful utilitarian item such as a flower basket or basket bag, or it can be an abstract work of art. It is strong, flexible, and has antibacterial properties. Midoriya, a store specializing in bamboo crafts, is located a five-minute walk from JR Nippori Station, near the “Yuyake Dandan,” which is a symbol of Yanaka Ginza and still retains the atmosphere of the old downtown area. Nearby is a famous shaved ice shop that always has a line out the door on weekends, and the store is located at the entrance to a lively shopping street that is a popular tourist attraction. The owner of this 110-year-old store is Suiko Buseki, a bamboo craftsman who was born in 1958, learned from his grandfather and father, and has preserved the history of bamboo crafts in Tokyo.
Even now, I still learn a lot from bamboo,” he says. Each type of bamboo has its own characteristics, depending on the type and where it grows, and the color, luster, and expression of the bamboo changes depending on how it is modified. Bamboo gives the impression of being bendable, doesn’t it? But if you bend it forcibly, it hurts the bamboo. So even when I have an idea for a piece, it takes time to choose the right bamboo for it,” says Suiko Takeki.

In a gallery near Midoriya, Suiko’s works, created by listening to the voice of the bamboo, are on display. Many of Sui Tako’s works are beautifully and intricately braided flower baskets made of black or brown colored bamboo strips.
He said, “It is very intricately woven, but the shape is very simple. You can feel that the bamboo is not forced.

Bamboo Crafts Popular Overseas

He says that he often gets ideas for his works from nature.
He says, “When I take a walk at night and look at the moon, I want to draw its curves. Water, light, and air …… are the best teachers.
Japanese bamboo crafts are not well known to many people, but they are highly appreciated overseas, even more than in Japan. Suiko is one of Japan’s leading bamboo craftsmen whose works are in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the National Gallery of Scotland, and other museums and art galleries overseas.
When I go to museums overseas, I am surprised to see Japanese bamboo crafts from 150 years ago on display. Of course, I am very happy to see such things, but I would like more young Japanese people to be interested in bamboo crafts.
We recommend that you take a stroll and visit Midoriya to experience the depth of bamboo crafts.

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Shizuoka City Keisuke Serizawa Museum of Art

Located in Toro Park in Shizuoka City, the Keisuke Serizawa Museum of Art is an art museum where visitors can enjoy works donated by Keisuke Serizawa, a dyeing craftsman and living national treasure, to his hometown of Shizuoka City, as well as his collection of crafts from around the world.

Keisuke Serizawa’s works, with their distinctive characters and bold designs, still have many fans. Have you ever heard of Keisuke Serizawa, a dye craftsman who has many fans not only in Japan but also abroad? Even if you don’t know his name, you must have come across his designs at some point.

Serizawa was a central figure in the folk art movement of the Taisho and early Showa eras, along with Yanagi Muneyoshi and Hamada Shoji, and is known for a style that finds “utility beauty” in handcrafted everyday items used in everyday life, and that uses Japanese landscapes, flora and fauna, and characters as motifs, but also has a somewhat modern feel. He is known for his style, which is based on motifs of Japanese landscapes, flora, fauna, and characters, yet has a modern feel. Serizawa’s fresh colors and warm patterns, which are not bound by the conventional framework of dyeing, are loved by many people, and in 1956, he was recognized as a Living National Treasure for his katae-dyeing work.

The collection consists of about 800 Serizawa’s works and about 4,500 items from his collection. It is well known that he was influenced by Okinawan Bingata and Ainu culture, but he also looked around the world. I think he had a very sharp and strong eye,” said Seiichiro Shiratori, director of the museum.

An Art Museum Blended into Everyday Life

The works on display range from folding screens, kimonos, obi belts, noren (curtains), and other typical works of dyeing and craftsmanship, to matchboxes, calendars, wrapping paper, book bindings, sake labels, and more, and many visitors are surprised to discover that they were also his works.
The colors and compositions are fresh and dynamic. The colors and compositions are so fresh and dynamic, and I wonder what they would have looked like if he had designed something modern.
Looking at his wide range of works, it is clear that Serizawa was also active as a graphic designer in the modern sense of the word. His collection of crafts and folk art from around the world, which even Yanagi Muneyoshi admired, is also impressive. He called his collection “another creation,” and one cannot help but be impressed by how he was able to collect so many things from so many different countries at a time when it was not as easy to travel abroad as it is today. A visit to “Keisuke Serizawa’s House,” which was moved from Tokyo as an annex to the museum, offers a glimpse into the life of a dyeing artist in the past. This is where Keisuke Serizawa worked out his ideas for his works and carved patterns, and is also filled with his collection of furniture, woodwork, dye, ceramics, toys, and other artifacts from around the world.

Since the museum is located in a park, natural materials such as stone, wood, and water were chosen to blend in with the natural surroundings, creating a relaxing and rich atmosphere suitable for viewing his works. It is not a fancy tourist attraction, but it is an art museum that makes you want to visit again when the exhibits change or when events are held.

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Opened in 2013

Akita Museum of Art was opened in 2013 close to the center of Akita -City in the renovated area ”Area Nakaichi” as a symbol of the city. It opened in 2013 after collections were transferred from the former Akita Museum (Hirano Masayoshi Museum) which was adjacent to Chiaki Park, and also after a new building had been built.
Their main collections are from Akita businessman Masayoshi Hirano with focus on Tsuguharu Fujita (Leonard Foujita). Foujita is one of the most famous Japanese painters. Because Foujita and Masayoshi Hirano were friends, many of his paintings such as ”the Sleeping Woman” and ”5 Women” are displayed here.

Exhibition of Foujita’s Large Mural

There is a Foujita painting which is very specific to the Akita Museum of Art – ”Akita no Gyouji” (the events of Akita). It was painted after Foujita spent half a year researching ideas throughout Akita and thinking about the layout. The size is overwhelming, being 3.65 meters in height and 20.5 meters in width. It was completed in his client Masakichi Hirano’s rice warehouse, which he had set up as his private studio. This gigantic painting is displayed in the large Mural Gallery of the museum’s foyer.
Along with the Mural Gallery, there are other aspects of the museum to be enjoyed. The entrance hall has a spiral staircase with no pillars, and with a triangular wellhole, adding a totally different ambience to the building.

The Building itself is Art

The museum building was designed by Tadao Ando. And there are many unique features that symbolize his taste, one of them being the garden. It is on the second floor by the lounge where you have a full view of Chiaki Park. Beyond, you can see Kubota Castle of the Akita Satake clan. You can also see the former museum’s cute triangular roof. The panoramic view is spectacular, and will make you forget that you are looking through a window.
Since this is a museum, the star of the museum are of course the collections and exhibitions. However, you could also say that the building plays an important role. That is how much art you can feel by just ”visiting the museum” and ”enjoying the space the museum offers”.

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Ken Domon, Photographer

The technology for photography is said to have first reached Japan in the Edo era in Nagasaki. And it was in Yokohama, another place that symbolized the opening of the country to the world, where the first photo studio appeared. As the nation progressed from Taisho to Showa eras, domestic cameras started to appear. A lot of camera and related equipment appeared on the market, and many photographic expressions started to appear. Photography, which has become such an integral part of our lives today, is a culture that has grown rapidly in the modern era. One of the giants in that culture who cannot go unmentioned in Japanese history of photography is Ken Domon.
Ken Domon was born in 1909 in Sakata, Yamagata Prefecture and grew up in downtown Tokyo. He spent is younger days as an art enthusiast. In his late 20’s when he started is career in photography, his media range was newspapers and magazines, and he was mainly involved in journalism.
While photographing buddhist statues and portraits of people, he established the concept of ”social realism” through his photography of Hiroshima, poverty, and people in many different situations, and continued publishing his work. He is also highly regarded as an essayist for conveying his unique aesthetics and deep knowledge in words.

World’s first museum for an individual

The Ken Domon Museum of Photography opened in October 1983 as the world’s first museum of photography dedicated to an individual. When Domon was designated as Sakata’s first honorary citizen, he offered to donate all of his works to the city. The day we visited the museum, the exhibition ”Domon Museum 30th Anniversary Exhibition — Aesthetics of Ken Domon — The strong and beautiful” was being held. In the exhibit room, large sized prints were displayed. Kazuo Komatsubara, the head of secretariat. showed us around the the museum. ”The series of works in this exhibit are selected around the theme ”Domon Aesthetics” he said.
As he listened to Komatsubara, Nakata stopped in front of a photograph of Eihoji Temple , Kaizando Pavilion. ”This building is amazing, but perhaps the impression you get from it may be a little different from the photograph than when you actually see it. ” said Nakata. ”I agree” replied Komatsubara. ”Domon had a way to interact with his subject. He often shot close-ups. Sometimes the photograph made an impression so strong that you actually think that it was a big statue when the actual object was a very small one.” All the photographs on display, be it statues, nature, or buildings, one could tell that the objects were intensely observed and dynamically photographed. We were given special entry in to the storage room that day. ”The number of Domon’s work is enormous. We change our display about 5 times a year, but still it will take years to see all of them.” said Komatsubara.

“Experiencing works” only possible at the museum

There is actually another feature to note at the museum. The museum building, harmoniously overlooking Mount Chokai was designed by the architect Yoshio Taniguchi. And the garden is by Hiroshi Teshigawara, head of the Sogetsu School of Flower arrangement, and the sculptures and the bench by Isamu Noguchi, both friendsof Domon, who presented them. So the entire museum carries the aesthetics of the artistic heroes of the age.
”Rather than presenting his works in an exhibition format, Domon always thought about publishing his works as a photo book and having as many people look at the work. ” As Komatsubara explained, Domon published many photo books. ”Hiroshima”, ”The Children of Chikuho”, ”Pilgrimage of Old Temples (Koji Junrei) ” are some of the collections that are still available.
However, the real beauty of the museum is in the fact you can ”meet” the individual ”work” on its own, not as a part of a book. The works of Ken Domon, who kept on photographing Japan throughout his career, has an underlying current of beauty that every age can identify with. A recommended visit, even if you are not a photography fan in particular. (The visit was made in July 2013. Please check the Museum website for the latest information on exhibits. )

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Collection of valuable items

Tsuwano is the birthplace of the great writer from the Meiji period, Ogai Mori. Suitably, at Mori Ogai Memorial Museum in Tsuwano, the 60 year life of the great writer can be followed.
Ogai’s family were medical doctors for the Tsuwano clan. Ogai himself studied at the Medical Department of Tokyo Imperial University and became an army surgeon. He later pursued the two careers as a writer and an army surgeon, and created may great novels.
The memorial museum exhibits Ogai’s novels, items which belonged to him, and handwritten manuscripts, along with valuable records from his childhood which was spent in Tsuwano.
Next to the memorial museum, “Mori Ogai’s Former Residence” where Ogai spent his childhood is preserved. Rooms such as the four and a half ”tatami” sized study and dispensary can be viewed.

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