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Princess Akiko of Mikasa Appreciates Exhibition about Shoso-in Imperial Treasures in Osaka
Princess Akiko of Mikasa Appreciates Exhibition about Shoso-in Imperial Treasures in Osaka

Yomiuri Shimbun

time2 days ago

  • Entertainment
  • Yomiuri Shimbun

Princess Akiko of Mikasa Appreciates Exhibition about Shoso-in Imperial Treasures in Osaka

OSAKA — Princess Akiko of Mikasa viewed an exhibition displaying the splendor of the Shoso-in Imperial treasures at the Osaka Museum of History in Osaka on Monday. Princess Akiko spent about an hour appreciating artistic ultra-high-resolution 3D images of the treasures projected onto a screen at 'Shosoin THE SHOW – Japanese Imperial Treasures / Experience the history and the miracle!' after being received by a group including Takehiko Iida, head of the Office of the Shosoin Treasure House at the Imperial Household Agency, and Takayuki Tanaka, president of The Yomiuri Shimbun, Osaka. She also observed faithfully reconstructed replicas of some of the treasures, including that of the five-stringed biwa lute of red sandalwood with mother-of-pearl inlay. According to Iida, who guided Princess Akiko, when she visited a corner where visitors could smell the recreated scent of Ojukuko, also known as Ranjatai, — a piece of incense wood said to be the finest in the world — she said it was soft and befitting the name of Ojukuko, which literally means 'ripe yellow incense.' Organized by The Yomiuri Shimbun and others, the exhibition will run through Aug. 24.

Princess Akiko Calls for Elevating Traditional Japanese Culture; World Forum on Japanese Culture Kicks Off
Princess Akiko Calls for Elevating Traditional Japanese Culture; World Forum on Japanese Culture Kicks Off

Yomiuri Shimbun

time09-06-2025

  • Entertainment
  • Yomiuri Shimbun

Princess Akiko Calls for Elevating Traditional Japanese Culture; World Forum on Japanese Culture Kicks Off

Yomiuri Shimbun photos Princess Akiko delivers a speech during the inaugural session of the World Forum on Japanese Culture at the MOA Museum of Art in Atami, Shizuoka Prefecture, on May 31. ATAMI, Shizuoka — Princess Akiko has stressed the importance of cultivating fertile soil for traditional Japanese culture to live on without the need for protection, during a recent event that kicked off the World Forum on Japanese Culture. The forum, which was established to convey to the world the distinctive characteristics of Japanese culture, held its inaugural sessions at the MOA Museum of Art in Atami, Shizuoka Prefecture, on May 31, with about 500 people in attendance. In the first session, Princess Akiko delivered a speech titled 'The essence of Japanese aesthetics,' in which she said that traditional Japanese culture will become 'a thing of the past' unless it is incorporated into modern society and people make use of it. 'Culture should come alive in our everyday lives,' she said. 'Japanese culture is supposed to be closely connected to our everyday lives, not something merely appreciated.' From left, Harvard University Prof. Yukio Lippit; Masatomo Kawai, a professor emeritus at Keio University; lacquer artist Kazumi Murose; and Tokugo Uchida, director of the MOA museum, participate in a discussion at the forum on May 31 The princess of Mikasa said she realized how little she knew about Japanese culture when people often asked her about it while she was studying at Oxford University. That realization led her to study Japanese art and eventually launch 'Shinyusha,' an initiative that provides children with opportunities to experience authentic Japanese culture through workshops, such as on making Japanese tea in a traditional manner and wearing kimono — practices that are no longer common in everyday Japanese life. The princess said that the goal of the initiative is to plant 'seeds of memories.' She said she hopes that the children will have pleasant memories of the workshops and that they will recall those memories in the future, thereby building a feeling of affinity toward traditional culture. Masatomo Kawai, a professor emeritus at Keio University, gives a keynote speech during the second session of the forum on May 31. She called for a 'bottom-up style' of cultural preservation, in which each person naturally strives to protect their culture, rather than a 'top-down style,' in which authorities chooses what to keep and protect. 'If you don't know why something is important, you don't care to protect it,' she said. 'What we can do now is use our own efforts to build a future for preserving our precious Japanese culture.' In the second session held on the same day, Masatomo Kawai, a professor emeritus at Keio University, gave a keynote speech on the uniqueness of Japanese culture. He said Japanese culture has been nurtured through finding harmony between nature and people, while in the West, culture and science have developed through efforts to overcome nature. A similar point was addressed in the discussion that followed involving four experts: Kawai; Kazumi Murose, a lacquer artist designated as a living national treasure; Harvard University Prof. Yukio Lippit; and Tokugo Uchida, director of the MOA museum. Members of the audience listen to Princess Akiko's speech on May 31. During the discussion, they affirmed the importance of seeking 'coexistence between nature and society' in the 21st century amid global challenges such as division, conflict and environmental issues. Murose said that Japan, through its long history, has incorporated aspects of overseas cultures into its own to create new values and traditions to pass on to the next generation. Lippit said culture is not something each country should discuss independently, and that common values are important for getting even people overseas to feel like they want to carry on Japanese cultural heritage. World Forum on Japanese Culture Organized by Harvard University′s department of History of Art + Architecture, the MOA Museum of Art, the Japan Arts Council and the Cultural Affairs Agency, the forum aims to elevate the appreciation of Japanese cultural values globally. Leading figures in traditional arts, traditional crafts, science and other fields are invited to speak, providing various perspectives on Japanese culture. Recordings of the forum's lectures and discussions will be made open to the public in multiple languages: English, French, Spanish, Chinese and Thai. The recordings are planned to be made available online through about 20 institutions in 10 countries, such as the Reischauer Institute of Japanese Studies at Harvard University. The third session is scheduled to be held in August and will feature Ryoji Noyori, a Nobel laureate in chemistry, and Seiichi Kondo, a former director general of the Cultural Affairs Agency, as speakers.

#SHOWBIZ: Tengku Ampuan Pahang visits Akiko Okumura's grave
#SHOWBIZ: Tengku Ampuan Pahang visits Akiko Okumura's grave

New Straits Times

time30-05-2025

  • Entertainment
  • New Straits Times

#SHOWBIZ: Tengku Ampuan Pahang visits Akiko Okumura's grave

KUALA LUMPUR: The Tengku Ampuan of Pahang, Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah, recently paid her last respects to the late Akiko Okumura, also known as Aisyah Abdullah, by visiting her final resting place. In a video shared on social media by Akiko's widower, entrepreneur and social media influencer Abd Ridzuan Abdul Mutalib (better known as Ridzuan Ridzokumura), Tunku Azizah is seen visiting Akiko's grave in Subang Jaya, Selangor. Ridzuan expressed his gratitude in the caption, writing: "Thank you very much to Tengku Ampuan Pahang, Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah, who is willing to visit the grave of Aisyah Abdullah @ Akiko Okumura." In the comment section, netizens fondly recalled how Tunku Azizah used to leave comments during the couple's live TikTok sessions when Akiko was alive. One netizen commented, "If I'm not mistaken, Tunku Azizah used to comment when Akiko would prepare food for her family. She's lucky that, while people may not know her personally, many people still remember her, including a beloved Sultan's consort." Another added, "Maybe Tunku also feels sad like all of us. Al-Fatihah for a good person, the late Akiko." Akiko was confirmed to have died after falling from the fourth floor of a condominium in Subang Jaya on Feb 28. She married Ridzuan in February 2009, and they have a 13-year-old son, Sky Taizo Okumura.

World Forum on Japanese Culture Set to Kick Off; 1st Session to Feature Speech by Princess Akiko
World Forum on Japanese Culture Set to Kick Off; 1st Session to Feature Speech by Princess Akiko

Yomiuri Shimbun

time23-05-2025

  • Entertainment
  • Yomiuri Shimbun

World Forum on Japanese Culture Set to Kick Off; 1st Session to Feature Speech by Princess Akiko

Yomiuri Shimbun file photo The Cultural Affairs Agency The World Forum on Japanese Culture is set to kick off at the MOA Museum of Art in Atami, Shizuoka Prefecture, on May 31. The number of applications from people wishing to attend the inaugural day has already reached the venue's seating capacity. However, recordings from the day will be viewable on the museum's website and other places at a later date. The Cultural Affairs Agency and other entities established the forum to convey to the world the distinctive characteristics of Japanese culture. Among those characteristics is the value that Japanese culture places on finding harmony between nature and human society, which will feature in the forum amid the divisions and conflicts currently faced by the international community. Leading figures in traditional arts, traditional crafts, fine arts, science and other fields have been invited to speak, providing a variety of perspectives on Japanese culture. Their lectures and discussions will be open to the public and recorded, and the recordings will be made public with multilingual subtitles included. The forum is also expected to cooperate with overseas universities and museums to enable the recordings to be used in classes at those institutions. In the first session on the day, Princess Akiko of Mikasa will give a special lecture titled 'The essence of Japanese aesthetics.' In the second session, a discussion will be held with four participants: Masatomo Kawai, a professor emeritus at Keio University; Kazumi Murose, a lacquer artist designated as a living national treasure; Harvard University Prof. Yukio Lippit; and Tokugo Uchida, director of the MOA Museum of Art. Both sessions will be recorded.

‘I Still Want To Do It With My Wife': Hapless husband's self-pity wears thin
‘I Still Want To Do It With My Wife': Hapless husband's self-pity wears thin

Japan Times

time21-05-2025

  • Entertainment
  • Japan Times

‘I Still Want To Do It With My Wife': Hapless husband's self-pity wears thin

Behind every starving artist, there tends to be someone else who's paying the bills. That was certainly true for filmmaker Shin Adachi, who spent years as an unsuccessful screenwriter before finally breaking out with '100 Yen Love' in 2014. As he has revealed in two autobiographical novels and their respective screen adaptations, he wouldn't have made it this far without the help of his spouse, Akiko. But in Adachi's fictionalized retelling, his better half is a far cry from the 'devoted wife' archetype beloved of NHK morning dramas. In 'I Still Want To Do It With My Wife,' Chika (played by the single-named Megumi) subjects her husband to a near-constant invective — and you can hardly blame her. Work-shy and out of work, Gota (Shunsuke Kazama) is a hopeless case. He didn't even make ¥100,000 the previous year, yet when he does finally land a gig, he's so out of his depth with the material that he has to get his missus to write it for him. Not only is Chika the main breadwinner, she also seems to be the more effective parent to their son, Taro (Tetta Shimada), who has a developmental disorder. So when Gota approaches her at the end of a long day with a suggestive look on his face, it's understandable that she tells him to get lost. Gota's only confidantes are the neighborhood moms, but they scoff at his complaints that he doesn't get enough credit for doing the cooking and housework. Welcome to being a homemaker, pal. These battle lines will be familiar to anyone who saw Adachi's 'A Beloved Wife' (2020), in which his sex-starved alter ego was played by Gaku Hamada. (Even the names of the lead characters are the same, although this doesn't appear to be a direct sequel.) Kazama, an equally cuddly screen presence, somehow manages to be even more irritating than his predecessor. Adapted from the director's 2019 novel, 'I Still Want To Do It With My Wife' started as a 12-episode drama that aired on TV Osaka earlier this year. Adachi says he'd always envisioned it as a standalone film, which explains why the theatrical cut — edited from the show, with a few extra scenes added — doesn't feel like a digest version. All the same, it frequently betrays its TV origins, both in the rough-around-the-edges aesthetic and the episodic plot. Like many married couples, Gota and Chika are constantly revisiting the same arguments. Although there are a few big moments (a bust-up at a funeral, an emotional meltdown on a busy street), much of the film keeps going round in circles. Adachi's candor is refreshing, but it's still subject to the law of diminishing returns. Much like the character she plays, Megumi ends up having to do most of the work. After spending much of the film's first half in the bathtub — a more onerous acting assignment than you'd think — she's called on to deliver the emotional fireworks later on, too. Shimada, best known to international audiences from Koji Fukada's 'Love Life' (2022), is equally winning as the couple's high-maintenance son. Taking verisimilitude to the extreme, Adachi filmed the domestic scenes in the family's apartment, using long takes and handheld camerawork to heighten the pressure-cooker atmosphere. It gives an extra touch of authenticity to a fitfully engaging film. Adachi can do better than this, but his wife has probably told him that already.

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