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Yomiuri Shimbun
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Tokushima: Visitors Drawn to Artwork at Museum Despite It Being Forgery; Aiming to Allow Visitors to Better Understand Issue
Courtesy of the Tokushima Modern Art Museum 'At the Cycle-Race Track,' painted by Wolfgang Beltracchi TOKUSHIMA — Visitors are flocking to the Tokushima Modern Art Museum in Tokushima City to see an oil painting despite knowing it is a forgery. On May 11, the first day the painting was put back on display, about 650 people — a large number for a Sunday — visited the museum to see the painting, which was previously believed to be 'At the Cycle-Race Track' by French painter Jean Metzinger (1883-1956). The Tokushima prefectural government purchased the painting for ¥67.2 million in 1999. However, in July 2024, the museum stopped exhibiting the painting after learning the work was painted by Wolfgang Beltracchi, a German man who has been referred to as a 'genius forger.' After looking into the painting's authenticity, the museum concluded in March that it is a forgery. The Yomiuri Shimbun A visitor at the Tokushima Modern Art Museum takes a photo of a forged painting in Tokushima City. After receiving many inquiries, the museum decided it was necessary for people to see the work to understand the issue better and put it back on display after 11 months. The painting is displayed in a free space on the first floor of the museum alongside panels explaining the case. Senior curator Toshio Takeuchi also sometimes speaks to visitors and provides explanations about the work. 'Beltracchi created the work using his imagination and an old canvas,' Takeuchi said during his talks on May 11. 'We plan to analyze the paint's components and utilize the findings for future research.' The piece will be on display through June 15. The museum is open from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and closed on Mondays.
Yomiuri Shimbun
7 days ago
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Mountain Tourist Season Opened with Traditional Festival in Gifu Prefecture
The Yomiuri Shimbun A traditional dance called torigei is performed at the Banryu Festival in Takayama on May 10. TAKAYAMA, Gifu — An event marking the start of tourist season in the Gifu Prefecture part of the Northern Japanese Alps was held at Murakami Shrine in Takayama in the prefecture. The Northern Japanese Alps lie within the Chubusangaku National Park straddling Toyama, Niigata, Nagano and Gifu prefectures, and the shrine is located in the Okuhida Onsengo onsen hot spring resort area. At the Banryu Festival held on May 10, about 100 people prayed in a Shinto ritual for safety on the mountains during the tourist season. The event is held in memory of Banryu, a priest from the Edo period (1603-1867) who enshrined Buddhist statues on the 3,180-meter-high Mt. Yarigatake and the 2,897-meter-high Mt. Kasagatake. Following the ritual, a traditional dance called torigei was performed. Dancers wearing crowns made of chicken feathers and vibrant costumes danced boldly while beating gongs and drums. 'We will continue to strive to protect the natural environment and revitalize the local region to attract even more visitors from around the world,' Keisuke Okimoto, chairperson of the Okuhida Onsengo Tourism Association, said at the ceremony. The number of people who climbed the Japanese Northern Alps on the Gifu Prefecture side was 46,966 in fiscal 2024, almost the same as fiscal 2023.
Yomiuri Shimbun
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yomiuri Shimbun
2025 Osaka Expo: Show at Osaka Expo Streams in Performers Live from Taiwan with Aids of NTT's Next-Gen Network
The Yomiuri Shimbun A stage rehearsal is taken place by means of IOWN at the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo venue in Konohana ward, Osaka, on Saturday. Performers from a venue at the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo and an another venue in Taiwan act together by means of Innovative Optical and Wireless Network, a next-generation communications infrastructure, on Saturday and Sunday. IOWN is characterized by its ability to transmit large volumes of data at high speed with low latency. It was provided by Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp. to link the two venues, which are approximately 3,000 kilometers apart. At the Expo site in Yumesima, Osaka Prefecture, Kabuki actor Shido Nakamura and virtual singer Hatsune Miku performed, while at the Taiwanese site, a traditional performing arts group took to the stage. Lighting effects were integrated, with each screen projecting performers dancing and fighting together despite being far apart, creating a sense of unity in the performance. This was the first time that an initiative utilizing IOWN was established between Japan and Taiwan. During a rehearsal similar to the real stage, which was open to the press on Saturday, the round-trip communication time was 0.04 seconds. 'The performance, in which the lighting, sound and movements of the performers were perfectly synchronized, is a fruits of technology that only IOWN can deliver.,' Akira Shimada, president of NTT said.
Yomiuri Shimbun
24-05-2025
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Fukuoka: Red Trolley Train Runs Through Mountainous Village; Passengers Get Once-in-a-Month Experience
The Yomiuri Shimbun A bright red trolley train runs through a mountainous area in Akamura, Fukuoka Prefecture. AKAMURA, Fukuoka — Only on one specified day each month, a bright red trolley train passes through mountainous areas at a gentle pace in Akamura, Fukuoka Prefecture. Akamura means Red village in Japanese. The train makes a 1.8-kilometer-or-so round trip from Heisei Chikuho Railway's Aka Station to the border of a neighboring town. The central part of Fukuoka Prefecture, including the village, is known as the Chikuho region, which once prospered through its coal mining industry. Local volunteers had the idea to make use of the remains of a coal transportation line. Construction on the line began in 1957. However, the coal industry declined, and the track was never opened. They created the 'Akamura trolley association' and began working to lay specialized rails on the abandoned route. The Yomiuri Shimbun A passenger projects drawing onto a tunnel wall. Passengers can enjoy journeying through the mountains and tunnels while the train rocks back and forth. They can also use flashlights to project pictures they have drawn onto the walls of the tunnel, which elicits shouts of joy from the children among them. The trip costs ¥600 for adults and ¥300 for children up to elementary school age. This year, the service will run through November.
Yomiuri Shimbun
24-05-2025
- Business
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Hyogo: Roof Tile Smashing Gets Blood Pumping in Factory on Awaji Island; People Smash Their Way to Exhilarating Rush
The Yomiuri Shimbun A man tries to break 15 tiles in Minami-Awaji, Hyogo Prefecture. MINAMI-AWAJI, Hyogo — On the second floor of a roof-tile manufacturer on Awaji Island, visitors can get a kick out of smashing roof tiles karate-style in a special class. Challengers are arriving from across Japan to take a swing. Minami-Awaji in Hyogo Prefecture is home to Awaji tiles, which are one of Japan's three major roof-tile types alongside Aichi Prefecture's Sanshu tiles and Shimane Prefecture's Sekishu tiles. The 'karate tiles' smashed in the experience have been produced using traditional techniques that stretch back 400 years. They are made slightly less sturdy than regular roofing tiles, though, so that they crack cleanly. Taking on the role of instructor at the in-house dojo is Hisamitsu Taniike, 49, the president of Taniike Kenji roof-tile factory. 'When I took over the family business in around 2008 and began selling these tiles online, I got a great response,' he said. 'Many customers said they wanted to try breaking tiles here at the factory.' Taniike said that he wanted to be a karate practitioner after seeing someone break tiles on TV as a child. Even complete beginners can try their hands at smashing 10 tiles at once, and a challenger said it left him feeling wonderfully refreshed. 'The tile industry rarely comes face-to-face with consumers, so I'm glad that our dojo experience is helping people discover Awaji tiles,' Taniike added.
