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July 16, 2025
 

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Marius Gombrich
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art / ART BRIEF
Jun 11, 2010
'Alessandro Papetti: Dynamic Space'
Istituto Italiano di Cultura, Tokyo
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
May 21, 2010
Enjoy the company of Ryoichi Yamazaki's reluctant 'hoodies'
The typical white cube gallery is not unlike a sumo ring. Both are bare, sanctified spaces, where we can stare intently at the participants' strenous efforts to impress. While the dohyo is purified by salt, the antiseptic agents in the case of the white cube gallery are white paint, light and an attitude...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art / ART BRIEF
May 14, 2010
'Maurice Utrillo: Un peintre solitaire qui aimait Paris'
Sompo Japan Museum of Art
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
May 7, 2010
Crime scene investigation: Edo
The original U.S. TV series "CSI (Crime Scene Investigation)," set in Las Vegas, has been so successful that it has almost grown into a franchise, with "CSI: Miami," "CSI: NY," and "CSI: Triology." After visiting the "Ryoma Den" exhibition at the Edo-Tokyo Museum, which looks at the life of the 19th-century...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Apr 30, 2010
Rising from the ashes of Pompeii
In the Christian era that succeeded the pagan one, the destruction of the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD was always thought of in apocalyptic terms, much like the Biblical destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah by "fire and brimstone." It was felt that the...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Apr 9, 2010
The blond ambition of Tamara de Lempicka
I'm not sure what Lady Gaga — who arrives in Japan shortly — has in her art collection, but given time (and the millions produced by her phenomenal success) I think it is highly likely that a lady of her strong aesthetic drives will get round to emulating her model Madonna by acquiring paintings...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Apr 2, 2010
Getting round the censors can make art even more creative
There are two main arguments to support censorship. One is that it protects the tender sensibilities of a weak-minded public prone to be led astray into immorality and depravity. The other is that it actually stirs the creative powers of artists to new heights by placing obstacles in their way. While...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Mar 12, 2010
Painting the spirit that built great empires
As I write, the British pound is in sharp decline against a wide range of currencies, including even the Zimbabwean dollar! No, there hasn't been an editorial mishap and this is not the financial section of The Japan Times. I just mention these facts of economic decline to add some perspective to the...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Mar 5, 2010
Rebel artist restored to glory
The Tokyo National Museum in Ueno isn't merely a convenient place for old folks to while away an afternoon, or a safe venue to take parties of schoolchildren to on excursions. It's also a very symbolic and ritualistic space, where the final seal is set on the nation's cultural and historical image of...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art / ART BRIEF
Feb 26, 2010
Yumeji Takahisa and Taisho Era Romance
Yumeji Takehisa Museum Closes on March 28
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art / ART BRIEF
Feb 26, 2010
Hirazaki Eiho 130th Anniversary Exhibition
Yayoi Museum Closes on March 28
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Feb 12, 2010
Impressionist originality challenged by Italian 'patch' painters
Artistic reputations are very important to some countries. In the case of France and Italy, a large proportion of their GNP is dependent on their perceived image as centers of aesthetic excellence — something that pays dividends in terms of income from tourism and demand for designer goods. This is...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Jan 15, 2010
East, West split by the lens
When the Leica was introduced in 1925, a new era in photography began. The compact camera, by being much lighter and more versatile than previous models, gave photographers unprecedented freedom in choosing the subject, angle and moment for their snaps.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Jan 8, 2010
Aesthetics of paring down to the outline
In the distant past, the ratio of manufactured goods to people was extremely low, so the tendency was for such products to be highly decorated and embellished. Since then the ratio has altered considerably in favor of the material objects. Now, most of us are inundated with a multitude of gadgets, gizmos,...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Dec 18, 2009
Looking for personal definition
Art is always a collaboration between the artist and the viewer. Whatever the artist paints, sculpts or photographs is just so much dead matter until it comes alive in the mind of the viewer.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art / ART BRIEF
Dec 11, 2009
'Bless You'
SCAI Bathhouse
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Dec 4, 2009
Beyond the cliches you will find Lautrec
The most noticeable thing about the paintings of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec is not their often lurid colors or the ukiyo-e-influenced compositions. Nor is it their renowned subject matter: the lively, sordid, effervescent world of fin-de-siecle Paris.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Nov 13, 2009
"A Visit to Luis Barraga'n's House"
The Watari Museum of Contemporary ArtCloses Jan. 14
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Nov 6, 2009
Cultivating a way for egoless art
Perhaps the strangest experience I've had at an exhibition this year was being led into a small room by a polite museum attendant, shown to a desk with a sheet of paper and some colored pencils, and being asked to draw — just as soon as the lights were switched off!
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Oct 30, 2009
Beneath a city of chaos lies a dark psychological realm
At times, Tokyoites appear to be some of the most poker-faced people on the planet. But what exactly is going on behind those apparently emotionless expressions? The art of Mikiko Kumazawa suggests maybe quite a lot.
Students in Japan struggle with Japanese language and math sections on national exam
The correct answer rate for the Japanese language section on a national test dropped to 67.0% from 67.8% the previous year among elementary school sixth-graders.
Japan team finds ancient ocean full of squids
The ancient ocean was full of squids, whose population exceeded that of fish or ammonites, a Japanese research team mainly from Hokkaido University has found through a new method using technology.
Japan researchers identify gut bacteria strain that boosts anticancer drugs
Researchers at the National Cancer Center Japan say a new type of gut bacteria named YB328 could help unlock the potential of cancer immunotherapy.
Tourists in Japan have telemedicine options before calling 119
Foreign tourists at Tsukiji Outer Market in Tokyo. More than 1 million international visitors have a medical issue in Japan every year.
How remote work is rewriting the migrant experience in Japan
After pandemic-era border regulations eased, Indian migrants began returning to Japan. Their population now stands at more than 50,000 across the country.
Japanese scientists discover clue to why women burn more fat than men
Scientists say a recently-published study could help explain why women are typically less prone to weight-related conditions and may lead to new therapies that target calorie-burning mechanisms.
Music idol and anime fandom merch is big business
Businesses who cater to fandoms gathered at Tokyo Lifestyle Week for the second annual Oshikatsu — Merch Collection Expo, a trade show devoted to fandom goods.
U.S. urges clarity on Japan’s role in potential war over Taiwan, report says
A Ground Self-Defense Force member conducts a military drill with an anti-ship missiles unit, at the GSDF's base on Miyako Island in Okinawa Prefecture in April 2022.
Tourists in Japan have telemedicine options before calling 119
Foreign tourists at Tsukiji Outer Market in Tokyo. More than 1 million international visitors have a medical issue in Japan every year.
Is Japanese skin really ‘too smooth’ for Hideo Kojima’s games?
Hideo Kojima, the leading auteur in Japanese video games, has skirted controversy in the wake of the release of Death Stranding 2: On the Beach

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

After pandemic-era border regulations eased, Indian migrants began returning to Japan. Their population now stands at more than 50,000 across the country.
How remote work is rewriting the migrant experience in Japan
By Megha Wadhwa

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