Tree sapling from atomic bombing of Nagasaki planted on museum grounds

On May 14, the Tokyo Fuji Art Museum held a special tree-planting ceremony on its grounds, an occasion made particularly meaningful as the persimmon kaki tree sapling came from a mother tree that survived the atomic bombing of Nagasaki in 1945.

Held under the auspices of the nonprofit “Revive Time: Kaki Tree Project,” the ceremony was attended by Masayuki Ebinuma, the arborist who in 1994 treated the then-fragile bombed tree back to health and succeeded in producing seedlings; and artist Tatsuo Miyajima, who originally displayed its saplings in an art exhibition appealing for peace and was later instrumental in the project’s founding in 1996. In addition, students from the Toyo Elementary School in Hachioji City and other children from the museum’s neighborhood took part in the event. Later that day, Faculty of Fine Arts Dean Katsuhiko Hibino of the Tokyo University of the Arts joined Messrs. Ebinuma and Miyajima in a panel discussion.

Given its founding commitment to peace and the SDGs, the Tokyo Fuji Art Museum asked to take part in the project, which has gone global with some 30,000 children planting the kaki tree saplings at more than 312 schools in both Japan and 26 other countries from 1996 to 2019.

Head of Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. visits museum

On April 19, Makoto Takashima (second from left), CEO of Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, visited the Tokyo Fuji Art Museum. He was greeted by TFAM Director Akira Gokita and Executive Director Akira Kaneko and was led on a tour of the “Hokusai, Hiroshige, Yoshida and Hasui: Landscape of Journey in Japanese Woodblock Prints,” “From the Renaissance to the 20 Century—500 Years of Western Paintings” and “Memorial Exhibition for the Centennial of the Birth of Eugene Smith: From TFAM’s Permanent Photography Collection” exhibitions.

Governor of Shizuoka prefecture pays courtesy call on museum

On April 13, Governor Heita Kawakatsu (left) visited the Tokyo Fuji Art Museum. He was greeted by TFAM Director Akira Gokita, who led the governor on a tour of the “Hokusai, Hiroshige, Yoshida and Hasui: Landscape of Journey in Japanese Woodblock Prints,” “From the Renaissance to the 20 Century—500 Years of Western Paintings” and “Memorial Exhibition for the Centennial of the Birth of Eugene Smith: From TFAM’s Permanent Photography Collection” exhibitions.

Students from two Hachioji schools tour museum

On March 4, students from two schools in the Hachioji municipality—fourth graders from the Yui First Elementary School and third-grade junior high students from the Tate Elementary and Junior High School—toured the Tokyo Fuji Art Museum as part of its art appreciation outreach program for children. They split into small groups to view the “From the Renaissance to the 20 Century—500 Years of Western Paintings” exhibition, interacting with university students enrolled in a museum education course at nearby Soka University, who served as their docents.

Chinese goodwill mission visits museum

On April 5, Vice Director Huang Xingyuan of the Japan-China Friendship Center (JCFC) and his wife; General Manager Zhang Yi and his wife; General Manager Guan Litong and General Manager Yang Jianxing (see photo) paid a courtesy call on the Tokyo Fuji Art Museum. They were welcomed by TFAM Board of Trustees Chair Kazuhiko Oshida, Director Akira Gokita and Executive Director Akira Kaneko. As part of their tour, the JCFC delegation viewed the “Hokusai, Hiroshige, Yoshida and Hasui: Landscape of Journey in Japanese Woodblock Prints” exhibition featuring works by the master Japanese artists belonging to the museum’s collection.

Exhibition of Japan’s most renowned woodblock artists opens

On April 2, the Tokyo Fuji Art Museum opened “Hokusai, Hiroshige, Yoshida and Hasui: Landscape of Journey in Japanese Woodblock Prints,” an exhibition of works from the museum’s collection by such masters as Katsushika Hokusai, Utagawa Hiroshige, Yoshida Hiroshi and Kawase Hasui. These artists, active from the Edo to Showa eras, found inspiration in landscapes and the people who coexisted in harmony with nature, beautifully capturing scenes that not only won them renown among their contemporaries in Japan but around the world.

Saga museum holds exhibition organized by TFAM

On March 18, the Saga Prefectural Art Museum opened the “Masterpieces of European Paintings from the Tokyo Fuji Art Museum Collection” exhibition. Consisting of some 80 works, the TFAM-organized exhibition features renowned painters over some four centuries, from those who lived during the Italian Renaissance in the 16th century up to the 20th century. Made possible by the Saga Prefectural Art Museum as well as with the support of the Saga Television Station, the exhibition concludes on May 8.

Museum concludes online art appreciation course for Kyoto high school

On February 19, the Tokyo Fuji Art Museum’s online art appreciation course for freshmen attending the Kyoto City Dohda Senior High School of Arts ended. Having gone through consultative classes in December 2021, the students split into small groups to examine in detail the works they viewed, coming up with creative ways to display the works in a unique exhibition of their own. For the final class, each group designed original posters while presenting slides and maquettes of their proposed exhibition room.

Noh dancer Yoko Leiya performs at TFAM

On March 5, female Noh actor Yoko Leiya performed at the Tokyo Fuji Art Museum, which was followed by an open discussion with her audience. The performance was held to commemorate the holding of “The Exhibition of Three Generations: Uemura Shoen, Shoko and Atsushi” at the museum since February 11.

A number of works by Shoen, a famous creator of traditional Japanese paintings of beautiful women, were inspired by Noh dances. Shoen was the first female recipient of Japan’s prestigious Order of Culture Award and was hired as the Imperial Household’s official artist.

Top emissaries to Japan visit TFAM and view Uemura exhibition

On March 5, a group of top emissaries to Japan made a goodwill visit to the Tokyo Fuji Art Museum and viewed two exhibitions currently being held, “The Exhibition of Three Generations: Uemura Shoen, Shoko and Atsushi” and “A Tenth Anniversary Memory of the World Register in 2011: Exhibition of Sakubei Yamamoto Collection.” They were greeted by TFAM Director Akira Gokita and members of the museum staff, who served as docents for their viewing.

Among the dignitaries who traveled to TFAM that day were: H.E. Peter van der Vliet, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Japan, and his wife, Mrs. Joan Mitchell-van der Vliet; H.E. Mohamed Elloumi, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Tunisian Republic to Japan, and his wife, Mrs. Houda Kallel Elloumi; H.E. Nidal Yehya Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Lebanese Republic to Japan, and his wife, Mrs. Nancy Nameh; H.E. Shorna-Kay Richards; Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Jamaica; Mrs. Gunjan Verma, wife of H.E. Sanjay Kumar Verma, Ambassador of the Republic of India to Japan and Mrs. Charlotte Hung, wife of H.E. Dr. Norbert Palanovics, Ambassador of Hungary to Japan, as well as diplomatic representatives from the embassies of India, the Republic of Indonesia and the United Mexican States.