Politics & Diplomacy
Hashimoto to retract sex suggestion for U.S. military
Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto aims to retract his remark that U.S. servicemen in Okinawa should use the local adult entertainment industry to avoid committing sex crimes.
Art Topics
Openings outside Tokyo Nov 1, 2012
"Denchu Hirakushi: A Retrospective"
Born in Okayama Prefecture, Denchu Hirakushi (1872-1979) developed his interest in figurative art when he was 17. He then moved to Osaka and Nara to practice his skills before finally setting his foot in Tokyo at the age of 25. Shortly after, he acquainted ...
Openings outside Tokyo Oct 25, 2012
"The Essence of Finnish Design and Culture"
by Tomohiro Osaki
Showcasing some of Finland’s most outstanding and well-known creations, such as original illustrations from the “Moomin” picture books by Tove Jansson, this exhibition puts forward Finnish design as a forerunner to much modern design and fashion. Also on display is a replica of “Luukku ...
Openings outside Tokyo Oct 25, 2012
"El Greco's Visual Poetics"
by Tomohiro Osaki
El Greco began his career in Greece as a Christian icon painter before moving to Italy to master Western painting techniques and then finally settling down in Spain. As a painter, he would often accentuate the effects of light and elongate his subjects. He ...
Openings outside Tokyo Oct 18, 2012
"The record of personal experiences of silk, by Mariano Fortuny: 2012 editions"
by Tomohiro Osaki
Silk, admired for its texture and functionality, has been revered as a luxury fabric since ancient times. It has captivated artists and fashion designers worldwide, one of the most famous being Mariano Fortuny (1871-1949). Fortuny’s innovative and versatile use of silk included Grecian influences ...
Openings outside Tokyo Oct 18, 2012
"France vs. Japan: Modern Paintings"
by Tomohiro Osaki
During the 1920s, many Japanese painters traveled to Paris for artistic education and inspiration, and they brought back with them techniques that influenced the development of modern Japanese art. The Otani Memorial Art Museum, Nishinomiya City, which opened in 1972, houses an impressive collection ...
Openings outside Tokyo Oct 11, 2012
"Ishiuchi Miyako: Silken Dreams"
by Tomohiro Osaki
Renowned Japanese photographer Miyako Ishiuchi became particularly well known in 2005, when she photographed the belongings of her deceased mother in a series titled “Mother’s.” After the phenomenal success of “Mother’s,” she worked on “Hiroshima” — photos of personal effects belonging to those killed ...
Openings outside Tokyo Oct 11, 2012
"Miyanaga Aiko: Nakasora : The Reason for Eternity"
by Tomohiro Osaki
Aiko Miyanaga’s work is characterized by its impermanence. In 2003, she created shoe-shaped sculptures using naphthalene, an organic compound that sublimes from a solid to gas at room temperature. “Cinderella,” for example, was a model of the fairy-tale heroine’s glass slipper, which deteriorated over ...
Openings outside Tokyo Oct 4, 2012
"Beppu Contemporary Art Festival 2012: Mixed Bathing World"
by Tomohiro Osaki
Beppu in Oita Prefecture is one of the most prosperous hot-spring areas in Japan. Nonetheless, it has been suffering a depopulation of youths and a decline in tourists. In response, a number of volunteers and NPO organizations have been working on reinvigorating local culture ...
Openings outside Tokyo Oct 4, 2012
"The Heart of the Chef's Hospitality: Tankumakita's Cuisine and Serving Ware"
by Tomohiro Osaki
Japan is well known for its hospitality to foreign visitors, a custom known as omotenashi. This practice has its roots in the Japanese belief of placing harmony with others above that of personal ego. One aspect of this is the way Japanese chefs strive ...
Openings outside Tokyo Sep 27, 2012
Kichizaemon X: Sound of Darkness and Light of Silence
by Tomohiro Osaki
Since his involvement in the establishment of Dumb Type, a collective on Kyoto-based artists, Shiro Takatani has spearheaded the group’s works, playing a vital role in design and aesthetics. Kichizaemon Raku, on the other hand, is the latest heir apparent to the prestigious Raku ...
Openings outside Tokyo Sep 27, 2012
"Hideo Nagai Solo Exhibition: Painkiller ..."
by Tomohiro Osaki
In 2001, Hideo Nagai surprised the world with a giant sculpture of a half-naked wrestler who was stretched out like a plank between two walls and appeared to be writhing in pain at his gravity-defying feat. The scale and visual impact of the sculpture ...
Openings outside Tokyo Sep 20, 2012
"Paintings by Poets"
by Tomohiro Osaki
Despite a lack of artistic training, there have been many writers, particularly poets, who have been able to use their critical thinking, aesthetic sense and imagination to create surprisingly ambitious and sensitive paintings. Visual art provided such writers with another medium that could embody ...