Bonsai world's 'black sheep' aims to inject 'cool' into traditional art form
For one man, upholding the Japanese bonsai tradition dating back over a thousand years in this rapidly advancing world is a task that should suit the times. That is why budding bonsai craftsman Masashi Hirao readily accepts his role as the black sheep bringing something ...
Performing arts poised to bloom at ETAT 2015
The sixth Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale is set to start July 26 in Tokamachi City and Tsunan Town in Niigata Prefecture, north-central Honshu. Though this mountainous region is known for picturesque wintry snowscapes and lush green summer rice fields, it is beset with the socio-economic effects ...
Architecture and art of a Setouchi summer
In 1988, Soichiro Fukutake, then president and representative director of Fukutake Publishing (now Benesse Corporation), approached architect Tadao Ando and told him that he wanted to create a "utopia" in Japan.
Film, music and Moomins: events at Setouchi Triennale 2013
Though Setouchi is often referred to as an "art festival," there are plenty of other events taking place across the islands, including lectures, theater performances and concerts.
Recommendations for Setouchi Triennale island hoppers
This year more than 150 new artworks are being introduced at the Setouchi Triennale, making a total of around 200 pieces in the islands' collection.
Hall of fame: Toyo Ito, Sou Fujimoto, Setouchi, OMA
With Toyo Ito winning this year’s Pritzker Prize last month — “architecture’s Nobel” — Japan’s architects continue to bestride the international architectural world as colossi.
Unearthing the Seto Inland Sea's social landscapes
Whenever traveling directly from one island in the Seto Inland Sea to another, I sense threads holding each one to the other. Perhaps this is a vestige of the trade routes that traversed the 700-plus islands in this scenic region between Hiroshima and Osaka. ...
