The special exhibition “Kyosai and Kyosui” opens

On March 29, the Tokyo Fuji Art Museum held the opening ceremony for the spring special exhibition, “Kyosai and Kyosui–The Soul of the Artist as Pioneered by Father and Daughter.” TFAM, the Kawanabe Kyosai Memorial Museum and Transpacific Enterprises organized the exhibition.

At the ceremony, TFAM Director Akira Gokita spoke on behalf of the organizers. He was followed by the great grandchild of Kyosai, Kusumi Kawanabe, Chairperson of the Board of Trustees and Director of the Kawanabe Kyosai Memorial Museum, who shared insights on father-and-daughter artists Kyosai and Kyosui.

Transpacific Enterprises COO Rey DeBoer, TFAM Board of Trustess Chair Kazuhiko Shinoda and Kawanabe Kyosai Memorial Museum Director Kawanabe led the tape-cutting ceremony.

The exhibition will open at TFAM for public viewing on April 1.

Hachioji junior high school students visit TFAM

On March 6, junior high school students from the Hachioji Tate Elementary and Junior High School visited the Tokyo Fuji Art Museum. They viewed the permanent exhibition “From the Renaissance to the 20th Century—500 Years of Western Paintings” with a curator who shared the history and anecdotes of the artists and their works.

TFAM holds second Mozart concert honoring Higashiyama Kaii

On February 25, the Tokyo Fuji Art Museum held the “Higashiyama Kaii’s Beloved Pieces of Mozart–A Piano Recital by Aki Fujii and Quartetto Grazia.” Ms. Fujii is a pianist actively performing worldwide, while the Quartetto Grazia is a talented string quartet.

The “Higashiyama Kaii: From The Nagano Prefectural Art Museum Higashiyama Kaii Gallery—A TFAM 35th Anniversary Commemorative Exhibition” is slated to conclude on March 4.

Director of the Foundation E.G. Bührle Collection visits TFAM

On February 16, Director Lukas Gloor of the Foundation E.G. Bührle Collection in Switzerland paid a courtesy call on the Tokyo Fuji Art Museum. The Foundation E.G. Bührle Collection was established to display works collected by renowned Swiss art collector Emil Georg Bührle to the public.

As part of his visit, Director Gloor toured the “Higashiyama Kaii: From The Nagano Prefectural Art Museum Higashiyama Kaii Gallery—A TFAM 35th Anniversary Commemorative Exhibition” and “From the Renaissance to the 20th Century—500 Years of Western Paintings” permanent exhibition.

Director Gloor shared insights with TFAM officials on impressionist paintings in the possession of the Buehrle Collection and TFAM respectively, comparing works as well as discussing their histories and episodes on how they were collected.

The exhibition of the “Impressionist Masterpieces from the E.G. Bührle Collection, Zurich,” which introduces artworks in the E.G. Bührle Collection, is now showing at the National Art Center, Tokyo.

Mayor of Kyoto City visits TFAM

On February 15, Mayor Daisaku Kadokawa of Kyoto City paid a courtesy call on the Tokyo Art Museum, with TFAM Board of Trustees Kazuhiko Oshida and Director Akira Gokita on hand to greet him.

Mayor Kadokawa viewed “Higashiyama Kaii: From The Nagano Prefectural Art Museum Higashiyama Kaii Gallery—A TFAM 35th Anniversary Commemorative Exhibition” and “From the Renaissance to the 20th Century—500 Years of Western Paintings” permanent exhibition.

Later, the mayor and TFAM officials shared ideas on organizing exhibitions and other cultural exchange initiatives between the historical city and the art museum going forward.

In 2013, Kyoto hosted the TFAM exhibition, “Impressions at the Waterside—Depicting Urban Resorts: Paris, the Seine, and Normandy” as well as the “Leonardo da Vinci and The Battle of Anghiari: The Mystery of Tavola Doria” exhibition in 2015. Both programs were generated significant public and media interest.

PHOTO CAPTION: Kyoto City Mayor Daisaku Kadokawa (center)

Director of Denver Art Museum and others visit TFAM

On February 14, Director Christoph Heinrich of the Denver Art Museum and German art historian Dr. Detmar Westhoff paid a courtesy call on the Tokyo Fuji Art Museum. TFAM Director Akira Gokita was on hand to welcome them.

The Denver museum is one of the largest of its kind in the U.S. with more than 70,000 works of various eras and areas of the world.

The visitors viewed the “Higashiyama Kaii: From The Nagano Prefectural Art Museum Higashiyama Kaii Gallery—A TFAM 35th Anniversary Commemorative Exhibition” and “From the Renaissance to the 20th Century—500 Years of Western Paintings” permanent exhibition.

Following the viewing, the two guests engaged in a discussion with TFAM officials on cultural exchange initiatives that TFAM can engage in with the Denver Art Museum.

PHOTO CAPTION: From the left, Dr. Westhoff, Director Heinrich, Director Gokita

Delegates from China’s Dunhuang Research Academy visit TFAM

On February 8, a delegation led by Luo Huaqing, Deputy Director of the Dunhuang Research Academy (DRA) of China, paid a courtesy call on the Tokyo Fuji Art Museum. The DRA is tasked with supervising the Mogao Caves, a UN World Heritage Site that is internationally renowned for their Buddhist artworks.

Speaking with TFAM’s Executive Director Akira Kaneko and other members, the Academy delegates exchanged various opinions regarding the exchange of exhibitions in the near future. Following their talk, the delegation viewed the “Higashiyama Kaii: From The Nagano Prefectural Art Museum Higashiyama Kaii Gallery—A TFAM 35th Anniversary Commemorative Exhibition” and “From the Renaissance to the 20th Century—500 Years of Western Paintings” permanent exhibition.

In an ongoing initiative to introduce the cultural riches of China, TFAM has worked with the DRA in the past, having hosted the “Treasures from Dunhuang, China” exhibition in 1985 with the full cooperation of the Academy.

PHOTO CAPTION: Deputy Director Luo Huaqing and his fellow Dunhuang Research Academy delegates (center, right)

TFAM to take part in Sweden-Japan diplomatic anniversary

On January 30, a special ceremony and press conference to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Sweden and Japan was held at the Swedish Embassy in Japan.

Tokyo Fuji Art Museum Director Akira Gokita and other TFAM officials attended the occasion at which His Excellency Ambassador Plenipotentiary of Sweden Magnus Robach announced that a series of commemorative events would be held honoring the anniversary. As a part of the art exhibition section, it was disclosed that the exhibition “Pippi Longstocking and the World of Astrid Lindgren” would be opening on July 28 at TFAM.

Ambassador Robach expressed high expectations for the Pippi exhibition, saying that he hoped that Japanese of all ages would take to such tales from his country. He also noted that the life and progressive legacy of Astrid Lindgren, the creator of Pippi Longstocking, would help promote cultural exchange between the people of Sweden and Japan.

A press conference with TFAM director Gokita and Ambassador Robach was held on January 23 to preface the ceremony.

The exhibition “Pippi Longstocking and the World of Astrid Lindgren” will be held from July 28 at TFAM and will travel throughout Japan thereafter.

PHOTO CAPTION: Swedish Ambassador Magnus Robach and Director Gokita.

TFAM holds Mozart concert honoring Higashiyama Kaii

On January 14, the Tokyo Fuji Art Museum held the “Higashiyama Kaii’s Beloved Pieces of Mozart–A Piano Recital by Takashi Sato” as a side event of special retrospective on renowned Nihonga artist Higashiyama Kaii.

A talented and award-winning pianist, Takashi Sato (photo) performed various Mozart pieces, including the second movement of Piano Concerto No. 23, which reportedly inspired Higashiyama when he painted his masterpiece, “Green Resonance.”*

The next concert in the series honoring the Japanese artist is scheduled on February 25.

Dresden State Art Collections’ Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister Director visits TFAM

On January 4, Dr. Stepan Koja, Director of the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister of the Dresden State Art Collections, visited the Tokyo Fuji Art Museum.

Dr. Koja was a curator in the Belvedere Palace Museum in Vienna when TFAM held the “Exhibition of Klimt and Impressionism in Vienna” in 1996 and worked as an academic supervisor for the exhibition.

On the day of his first visit in Japan in 22 years, he enjoyed the retrospective of Higashiyama Kaii and the permanent exhibition of European paintings. He also conversed with Director Akira Gokita regarding future exhibitions and exchanging of artworks and collections.