Economy | ANALYSIS
Households to take hit from tax hike
by Tomoko Otake
The consumption tax increase will hit every household in Japan hard, with many people’s financial future hanging on whether their wages rise enough to offset the hike's impact.
Openings in Tokyo Oct 2, 2013
'Turner from the Tate: The Makings of a Master'
by Jordan Sievers
British artist Joseph Mallord William Turner’s experimental style allowed him to become one of the most prominent artistic figures of 19th-century Romanticism. This exhibition reflects the diversity of Turner’s talents and offers a comprehensive overview of some of his most famous paintings. Special attention ...
Openings in Tokyo Oct 2, 2013
'Kyoto from Inside and Outside: Scenes on Panels and Folding Screens'
by Jordan Sievers
Kyoto, the old capital of Japan, has harbored a rich traditional culture that has remained strong for generations. Focusing on large-scale works that present depictions of town life as well as seasonal views of the city, this exhibition reveals a detailed glimpse into the ...
Openings in Tokyo Oct 2, 2013
'Masterpieces from the Collection of Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum, Tokyo 2013'
by Jordan Sievers
During the 19th and 20th centuries, Paris gained a reputation as a cultural hub of Europe. It attracted artists such as Auguste Renoir, Claude Monet, Paul Cézanne, Odilon Redon, Henri Toulouse-Lautrec and Felix Vallotton — all of whom inspired and influenced each other’s work. ...
National Sep 30, 2013
Art restorer uses science to resurrect paintings
by Shinichi Tokuda
For more than 40 years, Emile Yoshimura has brought more than 10,000 old damaged paintings back to life, including some by eminent artists dating back 200 to 300 years. Most of the paintings he deals with are oil paintings on canvas, which can crack ...
Art Sep 25, 2013
Kansetsu Hashimoto's Chinese rebellion
by Matthew Larking
From the end of the Edo Period (1603-1867), Japanese art began to shift its fundamental cultural orientation from China to Europe. Kansetsu Hashimoto, however, (1883-1945) initially abjured, and this had much to do with his upbringing Born in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture, his father was ...
Art Sep 18, 2013
Nihonga: without the hand over the eye
by C.B. Liddell
At its essential level, art is a battle between the eye and the hand; the first representing sensory input, the second artistic habit and convention. When the hand outweighs the eye, art can become over-stylized, clichéd, and eventually dead. Asian art has been particularly ...
Openings in Tokyo Sep 11, 2013
'Homage to Henri Rousseau: The World of Naive Painters and Outsiders'
by Jordan Sievers and Jordan C. Sievers
Tax collector-turned-Post-Impressionist artist, Henri Rousseau was a self-taught painter known for his Naive works. Though it took time for his style, which was often described as simplistic and childlike, to be accepted by art critics, he helped pave the way for other talented untrained ...
Openings outside Tokyo Sep 11, 2013
'Hashimoto Kansetsu Retrospective'
by Jordan Sievers and Jordan C. Sievers
In honor of the 130th anniversary of nihonga (Japanese-style painting) artist Kansetsu Hashimoto’s birth, the Hyogo Museum presents around 70 of his most famous works. As a scholar of Chinese culture and history, Hashimoto’s artistic style mirrors that of traditional Chinese folklore, featuring elegantly ...
Openings in Tokyo Aug 7, 2013
'Hayami Gyoshu and the Elite of the Japan Art Institute'
by Natasha Vik
Celebrating the 100th anniversary of the re-establishment of the Japan Fine Arts Institute (Inten) the Yamatane Museum of Art’s new exhibition showcases the work of Hayami Gyoshu and and other important nihnonga (Japanese-style) painters. Through the work of a number of prominent Inten artists, ...
Openings in Tokyo Aug 7, 2013
'Léonard Foujita from the Collection of the Pola Museum of Art'
by Natasha Vik
A central figure in Paris during its eponymous School of Paris era, Léonard Foujita (Tsuguharu Fujita, 1886-1968) found early success with portraiture and painting. While the female nude was often the subject of earlier works, after World War II, he changed his focus to ...
National Jul 3, 2013
Kumamoto shows Foujita painting of UNESCO Fuji site
A museum in the city of Kumamoto opened an exhibition Tuesday showcasing nearly 120 works by Leonard Tsuguharu Foujita (1886-1968), including two oil paintings discovered last year. One of the two, measuring 23 cm by 32.5 cm, depicts the Miho-no-Matsubara pine grove that was ...
Openings outside Tokyo Jun 13, 2013
'Matsuda Shohei: A Centennial Retrospective'
by Alisa Yamasaki
Shohei Matsuda (1913-2004), the 2002 winner of the Commissioner for Cultural Affairs Award, was a late bloomer when it came to critical acclaim. It was not until he was in his 50s that people truly began to appreciate his artistic skills. This exhibition not ...