Latest news with #KitagawaUtamaro
Time Out
29-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
This display of traditional erotic art is one of Tokyo's most stimulating summer exhibitions
Traditional Japanese erotic art – shunga – flourished during the Edo period (1603–1867), along with the rise of ukiyo-e woodblock printing. Some of the greatest artists of the time, including Kitagawa Utamaro and Katsushika Hokusai, employed ukiyo-e to depict Edo's hedonistic 'floating world' of geisha, kabuki, sumo – and sex. Shunga was in great demand and widely available, despite an official ban, and developed into a highly sophisticated genre in which artists incorporated references to waka poetry and the Chinese classics while tiptoeing around taboos and government censorship. But once Japan opened itself up to the Western world after centuries of isolation, Shunga was deemed 'obscene' and purged from the culture – for nearly 150 years, it turned out. The first major contemporary display of Shunga wasn't held in Tokyo until 2013, but that landmark show cleared the way for similar exhibitions. And now, perhaps the most rousing (sorry) Shunga show to date has opened right here in the capital. On display until September 30, the Kabukicho Shunga Exhibition features around 150 pieces by the likes of Hokusai, Utamaro and Hishikawa Moronobu. Curated from the collection of Mitsuru Uragami, one of Japan's foremost Shunga connoisseurs, the exhibition takes place across two venues: the Shinjuku Kabukicho Noh Stage and a disused 'host club' nearby. The hallowed atmosphere of the Noh stage makes a curious setting for the works, which though undoubtedly erotic also contain a strong element of humour. In fact, Shunga were sometimes referred to as warai-e, or 'laughing pictures'. Making your way through the exhibition, you're bound to notice another unique Shunga element. Both partners are usually fully (well, almost fully) clothed. Unlike in the West, where bare flesh was seen as simultaneously tantalising and taboo, the men and women of Edo-era Japan saw each other in the nude regularly at mixed baths and the like. If anything, it was more appealing to see men and women in Shunga clothed, as it helped to identify the characters' walk of life – and to emphasise the parts that were exposed. In the host-club section of the show, floor-level neon lights lead visitors from one intricate and dainty artwork to the next. The understated decor and layout successfully evokes an era where attitudes about sex were freer and erotica was widely accepted as a prominent art form. A corner of the host club has been converted into a gift shop, where you can pick up Shunga-tastic merch like totes, socks, cushions, cookies and collectible cards, all at reasonable prices. All in all, there's a distinct Kabukicho flair to the Shunga Exhibition, as you'd expect from a show organised by the Smappa!Group. Running an array of bars, clubs and other businesses in the neighbourhood, Smappa is the brainchild of Maki Tezuka, a former top host who's taken it upon himself to combine his core business of after-dark entertainment with cultural initiatives. 'Kabukicho still has a shady reputation, and Shunga is treated as porn,' Tezuka says. 'But both with the neighbourhood and the art form, just scratching the surface reveals a different picture: humanity, humour, soul. I hope this exhibition will inspire people to discover both Kabukicho and Shunga with new eyes.' So keep an open mind, leave your prejudices at home, and make your way to Kabukicho by September 30. Provided you're over 18, that is. Tokyo is getting a Pokémon theme park in spring 2026
The Mainichi
10-07-2025
- General
- The Mainichi
Art museum in Osaka Pref. appoints int'l student ambassadors to boost visitors
IZUMI, Osaka -- An art museum in this west Japan city that houses about 6,000 ukiyo-e prints and two national treasures has appointed 10 international students and others as ambassadors to increase visitor numbers. With recent attendance lagging due to low name recognition, the Kuboso Memorial Museum of Arts, Izumi, hopes these ambassadors will promote the museum on social media and attract more inbound tourists. 13,000 items, but sluggish attendance The museum was established in 1982 after Kuboso, a company that had operated in the cotton industry for a century since the Meiji era (1868-1912), closed its business and donated its art collection, building, land and financial endowment to the Izumi Municipal Government. Among its holdings, the calligraphic work "Kasen Uta-awase" (A competition comparing coupled poems by poetic immortals) from the Heian period (794-1185) and the "'Bansei,' celadon vase with phoenix handles, Longquan ware" from China's Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279) are designated national treasures. Additionally, 29 works, including the artwork "Shrike in barren tree" by Miyamoto Musashi (1584-1645), are national important cultural properties. Of the approximately 13,000 items in the collection, about half are works by renowned ukiyo-e artists such as Kitagawa Utamaro (1753-1806), Toshusai Sharaku of the late Edo period (1603-1867) and Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849). However, after peaking at 47,321 visitors in its opening year, fiscal 1982, attendance has stagnated. Recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic has also been slow, with only 20,744 visitors in fiscal 2024 -- fewer than half the highest number. Aiming for 50,000 visitors To turn things around, the museum, in cooperation with Momoyama Gakuin University, which has a campus in Izumi, appointed three Japanese university students, five international students from Vietnam, Mongolia and India, as well as other individuals as ambassadors. In exchange for three years of free admission, ambassadors are expected to actively participate in museum events and promote the facility on social media. It has set a target of 50,000 visitors for fiscal 2025. Ha Thi Kim Nhien, 23, an international student from Vietnam, said, "The atmosphere is calm, and I want to bring my friends." Another ambassador, Kirari Takahashi, 18, commented, "This is my first visit. Even among the authentic works, there are pop elements that young people can enjoy. I want to share that the museum has genuine paintings." Two assistant language teachers from the United States also serve as ambassadors. One of them, Nguyen Amy Thien Anh, 29, said, "I was moved by the works. I want to introduce this wonderful museum to the world." Osaka Expo-driven initiatives Akira Fujiwara, president of the city's cultural promotion foundation, which operates the museum, said, "We hope to raise our profile overseas through Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, and increase inbound tourists. We expect the ambassadors to share the facility's charms from the perspective of young people." In conjunction with the Expo, the museum will hold five monitor tours for a total of 80 foreigners. Until Aug. 17, it is hosting the exhibition "Welcome to Osaka, Welcome to Nippon -- Noted Naniwa Spots and the Pictorial Record of Japanese Products," featuring ukiyo-e prints popular among foreign visitors.
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
Ukiyo-e Exhibits Bring Edo to Life at Tokyo Museum
The special exhibition Tsutaya Jūzaburō: Creative Visionary of Edo is currently running until June 15 at the Heiseikan building of Tokyo National Museum. The erekiteru , Japan's oldest electrostatic generator, now owned by the Postal Museum, Tokyo, was invented by Hiraga Gennai, a scientist and author who had connections to Tsutaya. (© ) Tsutaya Jūzaburō (1750–97) was a leading publisher in eighteenth-century Japan. Following the huge success of his Yoshiwara saiken , a series of guides providing information on the Yoshiwara pleasure quarters of Edo (now Tokyo), he began running a publishing company, and released many bestselling works featuring ukiyo-e woodblock prints. Illustrations for Shiohi no Tsuto (Ravicz Collection, Chiba City Museum of Art) (top) and Utamakura (owned by Uragami Sokyudō, Tokyo) by Kitagawa Utamaro. (© ) This exhibition showcases around 250 works, including publications by Tsutaya and art by cultural figures with whom he interacted, allowing visitors to relive the footsteps of Tsutaya, dubbed the 'king of Edo media' and to become immersed in the golden era of townspeople's culture. The biggest attractions are Kitagawa Utamaro's paintings of beauties and Tōshūsai Sharaku's actor portraits. Both artists were discovered by Tsutaya. Three Famous Beauties by Kitagawa Utamaro (Hiraki Ukiyo-e Foundation, Tokyo). (© ) Ōtani Oniji III as Edobei and Ichikawa Omezō I as Yakko Ippei by Tōshūsai Sharaku (both belonging to the Tokyo National Museum). (© ) A recreation of the Yoshiwara Main Gate in the entrance area of the museum. (© ) Video imagery and life-size sets give visitors an immersive experience into Edo life. (© ) The popular themed plush in the museum shop. (© ) Unique Collaborations Between Contemporary Artists and Ukiyo-e Masters The Tokyo National Museum is running an additional exhibition in the separate Hyōkeikan building. Titled Ukiyo-e in Play: Artists Re-Working the Traditions of Woodcut Prints , it brings together contemporary artists and creators in collaboration with carvers and printers of The Adachi Foundation for the Preservation of Woodcut Printing, who have inherited the artisanal skills of the ukiyo-e masters of the Edo period (1603–1868). Among the 85 artists participating are Kusama Yayoi, Yokoo Tadanori, Shiota Chiharu, Rokkaku Ayako, Kitano Takeshi, and Kurokawa Kishō. Not to be missed are contemporary ukiyo-e works created by famous manga artists including Mizuki Shigeru, Saitō Takao, Umezu Kazuo, Ishinomori Shōtarō, Chiba Tetsuya, Ikeda Riyoko, Satonaka Machiko, and Anno Moyoco. Kusama Yayoi's bold series of Mount Fuji prints. (© ) Works by multi-creator Yokoo Tadanori. (© ) Shiota Chiharu's spatial art uses countless threads to express being 'connected with the universe.' (© ) Rokkaku Ayako's distinct technique of using her fingertips as the paintbrush lends a gentle yet master's touch to her work. (© ) Paintings by Kitano Takeshi are also on display. (© ) Yamaguchi Akira's paintings depicting famous places blending Edo and Tokyo. (© ) Anno Moyoco's famous courtesan recreated into an ōkubie portrait (center picture). (© ) Popular Umezu Kazuo characters remade into ukiyo-e. (© ) Works by the manga artists Kōno Fumiyo and Ikeda Riyoko are also on display. (© ) Surrounded by LED monitors, become immersed in exploring beauty that transcends time and space. (© ) For details on ticket prices and opening times, visit the Tokyo National Museum official website (external link). (Originally published in Japanese. Reporting, text, and photos by . Banner photo: The Tsutaya Jūzaburō: Creative Visionary of Edo exhibition at Tokyo National Museum. © .)
Yomiuri Shimbun
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Kitagawa Utamaro Ukiyo-e Print Rediscovered After 43 Years; Edo Period Artwork to Go on Display at Tokyo Museum
'Young Woman Blowing a Poppin' by Kitagawa Utamaro An early print of an ukiyo-e by Kitagawa Utamaro, titled 'Young Woman Blowing a Poppin,' has been rediscovered after being missing for about 43 years, according to the Tokyo National Museum. The print will be on display from May 20 at the museum's current special exhibition in Ueno Park, Tokyo, 'Tsutaya Juzaburo: Creative Visionary of Edo.' Utamaro's depictions of beautiful women in ukiyo-e woodblock prints, published by Tsutaya Juzaburo, contributed to his rise in popularity starting around 1792. 'Young Woman Blowing a Poppin' was used in both the 'Fujinsogaku Jittei' (10 physiognomic types of women) series and the 'Fujoninso Jippon' (10 classes of women's physiognomy) series that followed. Only one other copy of this work from early in the printing of the Fujinsogaku Jittei series has been confirmed, and it is part of the Honolulu Museum of Art's collection in Hawaii. The recently rediscovered artwork had been auctioned in Paris in the early 1980s and its subsequent whereabouts were unknown for an extended period. In March, the Tokyo National Museum was contacted by a Tokyo-based art dealer who reported possessing the work, the museum said Monday. A museum researcher confirmed its authenticity. Ukiyo-e prints are prone to fading with exposure to light. 'It seems to have been carefully stored, and the vibrant purple of the kimono remains remarkably well-preserved. The crisp outlines of the prints, a feature unique to early works, are also a key feature,' said museum researcher Kana Murase.
