JR East chairman visits TFAM

On September 30, East Japan Railway Company Chairman of the Board Tetsuro Tomita and other officials of the largest railway operator in Japan paid a visit to the Tokyo Fuji Art Museum. TFAM Director Akira Gokita was on hand to welcome the delegation, which toured the “Zokei Da Vinci Project: Realization of the Dreams of Leonardo Da Vinci” and “From the Renaissance to the 20th Century—500 Years of Western Paintings” exhibitions.

“Four Centuries” exhibition opens at Miyazaki museum

The tape-cutting ceremony for the exhibition, “Four Centuries of Occidental Paintings from the Tokyo Fuji Art Museum Collection,” was held at the Miyazaki Prefectural Art Museum on September 11. The exhibition, which opens to the public from September 12 and run until November 3, features 82 works created by painters from the Italian Renaissance to the 20th century.

Among the lead organizations who partnered in the opening was the Miyazaki Nichinichi Shimbun, Miyazaki Prefectural Art Museum and Miyazaki Telecasting Co., Ltd.

TFAM Director Akira Gokita and Miyazaki Nichinichi Shimbun President Seiji Kawano delivered welcoming speeches.

TFAM opens “This Is Japan,” Da Vinci exhibitions

On September 1, the Tokyo Fuji Art Museum opened its special autumn exhibition, “This Is Japan In Tokyo,” and the “Zokei Da Vinci Project: Realization of the Dreams of Leonardo Da Vinci (1452-1519)—500th Memorial Exhibition.” TFAM had not held an exhibition for public viewing since March 2 this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The exhibition “This Is Japan In Tokyo” can be a culmination of the “Eternal Treasures of Japanese Art” exhibition series that has been held 24 times in 15 countries and one territory at the request of governments and cultural agencies worldwide. The exhibition features 93 paintings, ukiyo-e woodblock prints, lacquerware, katana swords and samurai armor, among others. Among the exhibition’s highlights is the use of virtual reality enabling viewers to “experience” specially selected items firsthand.

In the New Wing Permanent Galleries 6-8, the Da Vinci exhibition developed by the Tokyo Zokei University is on display, a uniquely fascinating project that attempts to complete 16 works left uncompleted by the Italian master while tracing the penetrating insights and transcendent creativity he possessed over a lifetime.

Both exhibitions will be held until November 29. Still and video photography will be permitted for all but selected “This Is Japan” items, although the use of flashes and tripods will not be allowed.

Viewers should also note that the Museum Theater, Library and Kids’ Rooms will be closed as TFAM will be strictly following pandemic safety protocols during the exhibitions’ showings. Please read “Notice and Request for Visitors” before visiting TFAM.

Miyazaki newspaper president visits TFAM

On August 25, Miyazaki Nichinichi Shimbun (Miyanichi Press) President Seiji Kawano and other officials from the prefectural newspaper visited Tokyo Fuji Art Museum. They were welcomed by TFAM Director Akira Gokita and later toured the facilities and its permanent exhibition. The Miyazaki prefecture daily is cooperating in the hosting of the “Four Centuries of Occidental Paintings from the Tokyo Fuji Art Museum Collection” exhibition at the Miyazaki Prefectural Art Museum in September.

TFAM database uploaded to Japan-Search portal

On July 28, the Tokyo Fuji Art Museum, working with The Japanese Council of Art Museums, uploaded the proprietary database of its art collection to the beta version of Japan-Search, a digital imagery portal to serve as a “gateway to Japan” for users around the world. Until now, Japan-Search, which is set for official release on August 25, had only featured databases of national art museums. TFAM and the Aichi Prefectural Museum of Art are the only non-public institutions to take part in the portal at this time.

On the occasion of our Japan-Search initiative, TFAM is pleased to report that it will formally waive intellectual property rights on the digital images of its collected works posted on the TFAM website at this time, making them part of the public domain. We made the decision in the hope of making our collection more accessible to a larger audience to appreciate.

“Four Centuries” exhibition opens

On July 22, the exhibition, “Four Centuries of Occidental Paintings from the Tokyo Fuji Art Museum Collection,” opened at the Oita Prefectural Art Museum (OPAM), with Oita Prefectural Governor Katsusada Hirose, TFAM Director Akira Gokita and other dignitaries attending the opening ceremony. Scheduled to run until September 6, the exhibition—which features 83 works produced from the 16th century Italian Renaissance to the 20th century—was held to commemorate the fifth anniversary of OPAM. Among the sponsors of the exhibition were the Oita Broadcasting System TV network and the daily Oita Godo News.

Special ode to flowers in the world of art opens

On July 3, “Flowers, Flowers and More Flowers: Exhibitions of Flowers in Art from Tokyo Fuji Art Museum Collection” opened to the public with full pandemic protocols in place. Held at the New Wing, the exhibition features some 70 works representing Nature’s floral majesty—including paintings, crafted objects and photographs—and will conclude on August 23.

First showing of latest addition to TFAM’s paintings collection

The Tokyo Fuji Art Museum will be premiering “Ukrainian Woman,” an oil painting by Ilya Repin (1844-1930), a realist painter who is described as one of the most famous artists of 19th-century Russia. Formerly owned by a Japanese painter, the work is only the second Repin painting in the possession of a museum in Japan after “Russian Boy” possessed by the Yokohama Museum of Art. The work is considered to be his study that depicts a Ukrainian woman who appears in his masterpiece “Evening Party” (The State Tretyakov Gallery). While measuring just 18.4 x 9.8 cm, “Ukrainian Woman” captures a young woman, eyes set and dressed in folk attire, in the middle of a dance step.

Notice to Visitors on the Opening of Our Museum

For those planning to visit the Tokyo Fuji Art Museum after its formal opening on July 3, the theater, library, lounge and children’s room will remain closed to the public until further notice. We will also be required to ask visitors to provide their contact information at the admission gate upon arrival. We thank you in advance for your cooperation and look forward to welcoming you to our museum after a long hiatus.

Museum to Open to the Public on July 3

Since its self-imposed closing on March 2 due to the pandemic, the Tokyo Fuji Art Museum will formally open to the public on July 3. The opening exhibition will be “Flowers, Flowers and More Flowers: Exhibition of Flowers in Art from Tokyo Fuji Art Museum Collection,” which was originally slated to premiere on May 2, and it features the finest representations of Nature’s floral majesty, including paintings, crafted objects and photographs, in our collection.

The official social distancing protocols will remain in effect for the protection of visitors.