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Tomohiro Osaki

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Tomohiro Osaki

Tomohiro Osaki is a staff writer in the Domestic News Division. A graduate of Sophia University in Tokyo, he likes to explore under-reported realities of Japanese youth, with a tendency toward the taboo.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Art

Feb 14, 2013

'Hina Matsuri Dolls From the Mitsui Family Collection'

After its cancelation two years ago due to the Great East Japan Earthquake, the annual "Hina Matsuri Dolls from the Mitsui Family Collection" returns this year to showcase a number of Girls Day Festival ornamental dolls.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Art

Feb 14, 2013

'JR: Could Art Change the World?'

A self-described "photograffeur," French artist JR's artwork is based on flyposting giant photographic images in public spaces to offer a form of social commentary. In "Portrait of a Generation" (2006), he brought attention to the community in Montfermeil, France, by flyposting portraits of teens and...

Japan Times

CULTURE / Art

Feb 14, 2013

'Nihonga Paintings: Kyoto — Cherished Images, Past and Present'

Japan's ancient capital of Kyoto has long been a popular theme for artists. This exhibition explores how Japanese painters from different eras have visualized and interpreted the city's unique allure. Created at different points in history, the images also portray social and environmental changes of...

Japan Times

Events / Events In Tokyo

Feb 8, 2013

Diary 2.0 work among pieces at art festival

Keeping a diary no longer needs to be a solitary activity. The popularity of social networking services, for example, has allowed people to post their thoughts for the world to see — which could be anything from gossip to fomenting revolution.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Art

Feb 8, 2013

The unexpected awaits at Media Arts Festival

When asked to describe his latest film in one word, director Shunichiro Miki repeated what most cinema critics worldwide had said after their own somewhat botched attempts to describe it: 'Indescribable.'

Japan Times

CULTURE / Art

Feb 7, 2013

'Great French Paintings from the Clark'

Located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute is known in the United States for its wide range of European masterpieces dating from the Renaissance to the late 19th century. Besides its famous collection of French Impressionist paintings, it houses all genres of...

Japan Times

CULTURE / Art

Feb 7, 2013

'Kabuki: Theaters during the Edo Period'

Since the Edo Period (1603-1867), kabuki has been an important source of national pride in Japan, and though it has undergone some key changes over the years, it remains a popular form of entertainment.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Art

Feb 7, 2013

'Hikarical Scape: Photo Exhibition of Herbie Yamaguchi'

During the early 1970s Herbie Yamaguchi moved to London, where he lived for 10 years taking photos of the city's vibrant music scene, and it was his book titled "London" that put his photography in the spotlight.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Art

Feb 7, 2013

'Hina Dolls and Their Accessories'

Hina Matsuri, Japan's annual girls day festival, became a particularly popular celebration during the Edo Period. As part of the festivities, girls are given a set of ornamental dolls, which are put on display from February through March 3 — a ritual believed to bring about good health for the...

Japan Times

Events / Events In Tokyo

Feb 1, 2013

Antonio Najarro offers flamenco with a twist of ballet

One of Spain's most prestigious dance troupes will perform in Japan for the first time in six years.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Art

Jan 31, 2013

'Motoju Miyosawa: Katazome Stencil Dyeing'

After meeting Muneyoshi Yanagi, a pioneer of the famous Mingei (folk arts) movement, artist Motoju Miyosawa (1909-2002) became a major advocate of the beauty of frugality, a quality that Mingei followers believed everyday objects possessed. During the 1960s, however, he chose to travel internationally...

Japan Times

CULTURE / Art

Jan 31, 2013

'A Masterpiece of Ancient Greece: A World of Men, Gods and Heroes'

Greek mythology is full of exciting stories of immense bravery and heroic characters, making it an ideal source of subject matter for artists. The ancient Greek vase painter Euphronios, for example, tended to depict mythological scenes, one of which — "Krater of Antaeus" a vase portraying the battle...

Japan Times

CULTURE / Art

Jan 31, 2013

'Beauties of the Late Edo and Meiji Periods'

Ukiyo-e "pictures of the Floating World" have traditionally included paintings and woodblock prints of landscapes, folk tales, kabuki actors and beautiful women. This exhibition focuses on women during the period following the fall of the Tokugawa shogunate in 1868.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Art

Jan 31, 2013

'BLACKS: Louise Nevelson, Ad Reinhardt, Hiroshi Sugimoto'

Sculptor Louise Nevelson (1899-1988), painter Ad Reinhardt (1913-1967) and photographer Hiroshi Sugimoto (1948-) are all known for the predominantly monochrome nature of their works. This exhibition explores the different approaches the artists have taken when experimenting with the use of black.

Japan Times

Events / Events In Tokyo

Jan 24, 2013

A monk's teenage angst can be monstrous

Monsters and runaways aren't usually the kinds of problems teenagers face, but a Tokyo-based theater troupe thinks these are the kinds of conundrums that await teenage monks.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Art

Jan 23, 2013

Today, advances in technology and globalization have left few artistic boundaries uncrossed, including that between reality and the imagination. Digital-imaging software and computer-generated graphics, for example, now allow artists to realize their visions for others to see.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Art

Jan 23, 2013

"Edward Steichen in High Fashion"

After years of prosperity following World War I, the U.S. economy began to rapidly decline before the stock-market crash in 1929 triggered the Great Depression.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Art

Jan 23, 2013

"Wang Xizhi: Master Calligrapher"

Wang Xizhi (303-361) is remembered for his major influence on Chinese calligraphic style. After his death, his works continued to be revered by emperors in China, including Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, who publicly proclaimed a fascination with the calligrapher.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Art

Jan 23, 2013

"Two Photographers: Robert Capa Centennial/ Gerda Taro Retrospective"

Robert Capa (born Endre Ernö Friedman) was a photojournalist known for his documentation of the brutal horrors of war. He often risked his life by taking action shots on the frontline, but he also focused on ordinary locals affected by the instabilities of war.

Japan Times

CULTURE

Jan 17, 2013

Fujiwara chases a scoop in news-themed thriller

There aren't many celebrities who would make good journalists, but something tells me Norika Fujiwara is one. She's well-traveled, socially active and not constrained by the mechanisms of public-relations strategies.

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.

Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Traditional folk rituals like Mizudome-no-mai (dance to stop the rain) provide a sense of agency to a population that feels largely powerless in the face of the climate crisis.

As climate extremes intensify, Japan embraces ancient weather rituals

By Alex K.T. Martin

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