Latest news with #MusashinoArtUniversity
Asahi Shimbun
3 days ago
- Politics
- Asahi Shimbun
Assembly faces flak over move against member who backs Kurds
The city assembly of Tsurugashima, Saitama Prefecture, adopts a resolution regarding assembly member Megumi Fukushima on Aug. 4. (Jin Naganuma) TSURUGASHIMA, Saitama Prefecture—After being pushed into a corner by online critics and her colleagues, an assembly member here who seeks to end discrimination against foreigners is gradually gaining support. Earlier this month, the city assembly of Tsurugashima in Saitama Prefecture adopted a resolution calling on member Megumi Fukushima to refrain from using her official title in posts on social media. The problem was that her posts, such as 'Oppose discrimination against foreigners,' were angering certain elements, leading to bomb and death threats. The 18-seat assembly's unusual resolution was approved in the name of ensuring safety. But reports of the resolution have now raised criticism against the assembly. Yoko Shida, a professor of constitutional law at Musashino Art University, said that for assembly members, public expression via social media and street activities 'is a crucial form of communication, and the right to explicitly state their official title falls under freedom of expression.' Shida said the Tsurugashima city assembly's request to Fukushima to refrain from using her title 'constitutes a restriction on her freedom of speech.' Whatever the case, Fukushima said she has no intention to comply with the resolution, which is not legally binding. BATTLING 'HATE SPEECH' Tsurugashima is a bedroom community of around 70,000 people located near the center of the prefecture. Fukushima, 44, who was born and raised in the city, was first elected to the assembly in 2023, running as an independent. She gained 827 votes. She is one of three female assembly members and is its second-youngest member. Fukushima has been active on social media platforms, such as X and YouTube, and identifies herself as a member of the Tsurugashima city assembly. Her posts oppose discrimination against foreigners, including the Kurdish community in the prefecture. Her content also shows herself protesting 'hate speech' sites. According to Fukushima, the backlash against her surged immediately after she posted in March about her attendance at a Kurdish festival. In mid-June, one of her critics uploaded a post on X that included the city government's phone number and urged people to 'make protest calls' against Fukushima. Over two months to late July, the city government and the city assembly secretariat received about 150 opinions regarding Fukushima's words and actions through emails and telephone calls. The majority of messages demanded her resignation or stated she 'lacks the dignity of an assembly member.' In response, Yoshihiro Uchino, 60, chairman of the city assembly, asked Fukushima on three separate occasions to refrain from posting on her social media accounts. Fukushima refused, saying, 'Local assembly members who fight against discrimination are needed.' The situation took a dark turn on the evening of July 22, when a message was delivered through the city's online contact form. It stated: 'During July, I will kidnap and stab to death Tsurugashima city assembly member Megumi Fukushima with a knife. I will bomb Tsurugashima city hall at 1 p.m. on July 25.' City officials immediately consulted with Saitama prefectural police. According to the city assembly secretariat, the assembly held an all-member meeting the following day, July 23, to discuss how to respond to the threat. But Fukushima did not attend. Citing disruptions to city hall operations and identifying Fukushima's public statements as a contributing factor, the assembly decided to issue a resolution. 'I thought the city assembly needed to take some kind of action to quell the turmoil,' said Motomitsu Yamanaka, 62, a member of the assembly's Komeito faction who proposed the resolution. Due to the threatening message, the assembly canceled an Aug. 3 event planned for elementary school students to experience and learn about the city assembly system. Tadayoshi Ota, 76, an assembly member of the Japanese Communist Party faction, said, 'I supported the submission of the resolution out of a desire to resolve (the situation).' On Aug. 4, the city assembly adopted the resolution concerning Fukushima by a vote of 14 to 1. The two-member JCP faction—consisting of Ota and Yukihiro Kojima, 73—initially supported the resolution. However, they reversed their stance before the final vote after concerns were raised from within the JCP that the resolution 'could restrict Fukushima's activities.' Ota abstained from voting while Kojima cast the only dissenting vote. 'The resolution amounts to censorship and ultimately plays into the hands of the perpetrator (who made the threat),' Kojima said. Chairman Uchino on Aug. 5 defended the assembly's move. 'There is absolutely no intention to restrict (her) political speech,' he told reporters. 'It is simply a request for a little consideration.' One assembly member who voted in favor said, 'It was a difficult decision made with the city residents in mind.' WE'RE NOT KAWASAKI The Kawasaki city assembly in Kanagawa Prefecture chose a different approach when a death threat was made against a female assembly member who had advocated the eradication of hate speech. In late July, under the chairperson's name, the Kawasaki city assembly issued a statement, stating, 'Physical or psychological attacks against freedom of speech, even if merely implied, risk creating a chilling effect and, as an act that undermines the very foundation of parliamentary democracy, are absolutely unacceptable.' Fukushima apparently brought up Kawasaki's strong stance against threats to her assembly's leaders. She held a news conference in Tokyo on Aug. 5 and said she was told by the chair and vice chair of the Tsurugashima city assembly, 'Kawasaki is Kawasaki, and we are us.' Fukushima said, 'I am disappointed with the Tsurugashima city assembly's response.' Since the resolution was reported by news media, the city government and assembly secretariat said they have received more than 140 comments. While negative views of Fukushima continue, there has also been an increase in criticism directed at the resolution itself, with some people questioning whether it impedes freedom of speech, they said. THREAT TO DEMOCRACY Professor Shida repeated the concern raised by Kojima. 'By imposing restrictions on the assembly member's speech in this instance, the city assembly has inadvertently empowered the perpetrators and caused a serious distortion in freedom of expression, a cornerstone of democracy,' Shida said. 'While the reality may be that the city assembly aimed to peacefully resolve the situation marked by an onslaught of protests and even bomb threats, by passing a resolution that catered to the intentions of a few individuals who voiced extreme opinions, it has effectively validated their views. 'It is desirable for the city assembly to voluntarily withdraw the resolution, arguing that it is inconsistent with the spirit of the Constitution."
3 days ago
- Entertainment
A Ceramics Living Treasure: Imaizumi Imaemon Finds Inspiration in Falling Snow
What do you think of when asked about an unforgettable sight? For Imaizumi Imaemon XIV—a living national treasure, and the the fourteenth-generation master of the Arita-ware porcelain Imaemon Kiln—the answer is clear. 'When I was in university, there was one year with a lot of snow. A friend and I went out to have a drink and enjoy the scenery. We were walking through the night, and when I looked up at a streetlight, I had the sudden feeling of being drawn upward through the slowly falling snow.' His work, Iroe usuzumi sumihajiki yukimon hachi , or Bowl with Snowflake Pattern , using an India ink resistance technique, recalls that scene. Bowl with Snowflake Pattern . Porcelain with iroe polychrome enamel painting and sumihajiki India ink resistance, exhibited at the fifty-first Japan Traditional Kōgei Exhibition (2004). (Courtesy the Japan Kōgei Association) The Imaemon Kiln has roots going back 370 years and carries on a tradition of iro nabeshima , a style of colored images painted onto fine porcelain, originally created as tributes to the shogunate and daimyō lords in the Edo period (1603–1868). The Imaemon Kiln, Arita's oldest kiln and a designated Important Intangible Cultural Property of Japan. (© Ukawa Masaki) Imaemon was born the second son to a ceramicist father, Imaizumi Imaemon XIII, and never thought he would be the one to carry on the family legacy. He resisted following the same path as his father and older brother, so when he enrolled at Musashino Art University, he studied metalworking rather than ceramics. However, he never managed to produce the work he wanted, resulting in increasing discomfort. 'The ideas never came, so I was always just spinning my wheels. I began to worry about whether I could go on creating. But that was when I had that experience of being pulled upward, into the falling snow. I told myself, if I possessed a spirit capable of such emotion, I could still keep going forward step by step on the crafting path, even if I failed to express that in a work.' That moment of inspiration went on to give birth to a collection of works based on a motif of snow that would lead to his taking on the mantle of Imaizumi Imaemon XIV. No Inheriting a Tradition After graduating from university, he worked for three years at a private company, then took a position studying with modern ceramicist Suzuki Osamu, whose work defied classification in any standing tradition. It would be 1990, five years after his graduation, when he finally made his way back to the Imaemon Kiln to work. Sketching the basic design with charcoal. (© Ukawa Masaki) Iro nabeshima , the ceramic tradition carried on at Imaemon Kiln, is one of the leading styles of Arita porcelain. It starts with underglaze painting directly on the clay, with another design painted over the glaze, which results in a precise, sharp finish for elegant patterns. 'When my father was still alive, he would often say, 'There's no inheriting a tradition.' Tradition is something revealed and discovered as the people living in any given time dedicate themselves to their work. He also said, 'You'll never understand without making your own mistakes,' so he didn't criticize, but just watched over me as I worked.' Soon after Imaemon returned to his family home, his father told the brothers to decide between themselves who would take over as the next generation. The elder brother said he preferred to handle sales, so he wanted to leave the making to the younger brother. And so, it was decided. Accepting his father's and brother's wishes, Imaemon immersed himself in the pursuit of creating something new. That snowy evening was his guiding light. In 2004, at the age of 41, he completed his Bowl with Snowflake Pattern . 'That work perfectly unites my ideals and my work. It took over twenty years, but I finally managed to express that feeling of being drawn upward into the snow.' Snowflake Lines as Nabeshima Patterns The Bowl with Snowflake Pattern expressed that university-day memory using the techniques of sumihajiki and usuzumi . Sumihajiki is a traditional iro nabeshima resistance technique. The artist uses India ink to draw a design on the bare porcelain. The binding element in the ink repels enamel or glaze layered over the top. During firing, the ink itself burns off, leaving a blank white pattern. Usuzumi literally means 'lightened ink,' and is a decorative technique in which a gray pigment the color of thinned ink is sprayed on to create a color gradient. It was established by Imaizumi Imaemon XIII in his pursuit of more modern expressive style. After the main firing, the piece is decorated with pale green enamel or platinum and re-fired at lower temperatures to complete the work. The while snowflake patterns left by the sumihajiki resistance seems to float against the usuzumi gradient background. Pale green and sparkling platinum touches add accents, while a faintly blue oak-ash overglaze pulls the snowy world together. Snow-Flower Bowl with Snow Pattern , exhibited at the seventy-first Japan Traditional Kōgei Exhibition (2024). (Courtesy the Japan Kōgei Association) ' Nabeshima -style lines are marked by uniformity and clarity, and I was able to draw snow crystals because they were naturally nabeshima -style.' Even without any direct training from previous generations, the kiln still produces work that carries on the inherent character of the tradition. Imaemon attributes that to the presence of the many artisans working together at the kiln, who have shared the subtle techniques and spirit of craft that have defined the kiln's inherent character since it served the Edo period nobility. Recognition of Artisan Values With 2011's Iroe sekka usuzumi sumihajiki shiki hanamon kabin , or Snow-Flower Vase with Four-Season Flower Patterns , Imaemon took his creativity to a new level, adding delicate nuance by combining sumihajiki techniques with slip resistance to create patterns of white within white. This is an original method developed by Imaemon XIV, which he calls sekka-sumi hajiki , or 'snow crystal resistance.' Snow-Flower Vase with Four-Season Flower Patterns (2011) (© Ukawa Masaki) He was designated a Living National Treasure for iroe porcelain in 2014, at the age of 51, becoming the youngest ceramicist ever to receive that honor. At the time, he was praised for bringing his own character using traditional techniques, and opening up new avenues of expression in iroe polychrome porcelain. 'I became head at the age of thirty-nine, when my father passed, and my only choice was to do the best I could. There are over twenty artisans working at Imaemon Kiln, dividing labor and using specialized skills in their work. Our work is only possible because of the collective experience generations of artisans, and I accepted that designation in their name.' A sister piece to the 2019 Snow-Flower Bowl with Bush Clover Pattern , on display at the Imaemon Kiln Gallery. (© Ukawa Masaki) Imaemon says that he is sensing a new transparency in the pottery. 'The feeling of transparency brought by gray enamel under a glassy overglaze, and the touches of platinum color on the glazing, feel more exquisite than before. My way of seeing might have changed, or maybe it's because of the shift from fluorescent and incandescent lighting to LED.' On the 2019 work Iroe sekka usuzumi sumihajiki hagimon hachi , or Snow-Flower Bowl with Bush Clover Pattern , he has airbrushed enamel over white lines left by sumihajiki in a delicate balance that makes the resistance lines seem to float above the surface. It brings a sense of the quiet of the autumn sky. Snow-Flower Bowl with Bush Clover Pattern , exhibited at the sixty-sixth Japan Traditional Kōgei Exhibition (2019). (Courtesy the Japan Kōgei Association) 'Recently, I've been thinking that even if you're not trying to make work that reflects the times, simply living then means that you will naturally reflect it. Meiji era works carry a Meiji feeling, and the air of today sleeps in today's pieces.' Character is indeed built from a living tradition and the innovation of the day. Layering these aspects with his own artist's sensibility, Imaizumi Imaemon XIV carries on ceaselessly producing original work at the Imaemon Kiln. (Originally published in Japanese. Interview and text by Sugihara Yuka and Power News. Banner photo: Imaizumi Imaemon XIV applying an underglaze design in his workshop. © Ukawa Masaki.)
Economic Times
01-08-2025
- Science
- Economic Times
She experimented on her pet cat at 6 for homework, now she's a PhD scholar with 39 papers on felines. Internet applauds in awe
iStock Madoka Hattori, a Japanese researcher, gained social media attention for her childhood research paper on her cat's paw preference. At age six, she meticulously tested her kitten, Cedric, determining he was right-pawed. This early experiment foreshadowed her future career in feline studies. (Images: iStock, X/@ madokahattori ) It's not every day that a childhood homework assignment makes it to the headlines—and certainly not for its scientific method. But Madoka Hattori, a 43-year-old Japanese researcher, has done just that by sharing the first-ever 'research paper' she wrote… on her pet cat. The story, reported by the South China Morning Post, has taken social media by surpeise for its wholesome reminder that childhood passions can, quite literally, shape one's destiny. On July 16, Hattori posted a photograph of her primary school assignment—complete with handwritten notes and a meticulous experiment—titled 'Is the cat right-pawed or left-pawed?' She was only six at the time, but her scientific curiosity was already at play. In the study, Hattori conducted a rudimentary yet strikingly methodical test on her four-month-old male kitten, Cedric Hanzo Hattori. With help from two other people—one holding the kitten and another teasing it with a toy—Hattori presented the teaser 200 times in the exact same way and recorded which paw Cedric used to swipe at it. The results? Cedric used his right paw 110 times, his left 56 times, and both paws 34 times. With this, little Hattori concluded that Cedric was right-pawed—just like everyone else in her family. The experiment, which won her a city-level award, became the earliest marker of what would eventually become a decorated academic career in feline studies. — madokahattori (@madokahattori) Despite the early signs, Hattori didn't immediately pursue science. She first studied scenography and design at Musashino Art University and worked as a magazine editor for over a decade. But the pull of her childhood love proved stronger. Years later, she returned to academia, earning a PhD in bioscience from Kyoto University in March. Her recently published book contains 39 cat-related papers—including her doctoral dissertation. One of her most intriguing areas of study? Feline facial expressions. By examining over 2,000 cat photos, she explores whether cats evolved to look cuter in order to manipulate human attention—an idea that sits at the intersection of biology, behavior, and charm. When Hattori posted the old school paper, she wasn't expecting internet fame. 'I did a great job, and so did the cat,' she wrote. But the response was overwhelming—garnering over 330,000 likes and thousands of shares. Netizens were quick to recognise the early signs of genius. 'She was a genius kid writing such a well-structured paper, with proper research methods and solid evidence,' one user commented. Another added, 'I can already see a researcher in that childhood paper.' Hattori now works as a freelance editor at the web magazine Culture and Biology, while continuing her research on all things feline.
Hypebeast
30-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hypebeast
Japanese Sculptor Kunimasa Aoki Wins 2025 Loewe Foundation Craft Prize
Summary Since its inception in 2016, theLoewe Foundation Craft Prizehas spotlighted artisanal excellence from around the globe. Founded byJonathan Anderson, the prize was launched to reaffirm the Spanish house's ardent devotion to craft, celebrating makers and artists that champion traditional and innovation in their respective mediums. This year marks a transitional moment for the prize: the first edition following Anderson'sdeparture, with Proenza Schouler designers Jack McCullough and Lazaro Hernandez set toleadthe brand into its next chapter. On Thursday night at the Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum in Madrid, legendary filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar awarded this year's top honor. Taking home the €50,000 EUR prize is Japanese sculptorKunimasa Aokifor his work 'Realm of Living Things 19.' Chosen from more than 4,600 submissions across 133 countries, Aoki's terracotta work stood out for its raw materiality and technical finesse. The jury praised the piece for its 'honest expression of the ancestral coil process' and organic, unfinished beauty. 'In this demonstration of innovative new building techniques, gravity, time and pressure are used to take clay to the limits of its material possibility,'Loeweremarked. Crafted in his signature material, Aoki's winning sculpture is formed from meticulously stacked layers of clay, then coated with a decorative finish of soil, glue and pencil marks, evoking a sense of movement and life within earth's stillness. Based in Kawaguchi, Japan, Aoki studied sculpture at Musashino Art University in Tokyo and later went on to earn a postgraduate degree in art and design. Prior to this year's competition, he also won the Gold Prize at the 9th Japan Art Center Sculpture Competition in Kobe. Special mentions were also awarded to Nigerian designerNifemi Marcus-Bellofor 'TM Bench with Bowl,' and 'Monument' by the Indian collectiveStudio Sumakshi Singh. All 30shortlistedworks, including 'Realm of Living Things 19,' are now on view at the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum in Madrid through June 29 as a part of the Craft Prize exhibition. Head to the Foundation'swebsiteto learn more about this year's works.
