“Those Adorable Animals” exhibition premieres

On December 8, the Tokyo Fuji Art Museum opened the “Those Adorable Animals—Through the Lens of the World’s Pioneering and Premier Photographers,” an exhibition comprised of some 90 works from the museum’s permanent photography collection. Given the pandemic, visitors are asked to cooperate with TFAM safety protocols at this time. The exhibition will remain open until January 24, 2021.

A brief message of gratitude to our supporters

November 3 marks the 38th anniversary of the Tokyo Fuji Art Museum, which was founded as both bridge and portal to the world, its mission to promote art and culture for all people to enjoy through exchange and international partnerships with likeminded institutions worldwide. Our anniversary thus stands as a milestone for which we extend our heartfelt gratitude and appreciation to all of you who have shared our vision and endorsed our work over the years. We look forward to your continued patronage and support going forward as we remain true to our mission.

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.

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.

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.

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.

“Splendor of French Paintings” exhibition opens to public in Osaka

The Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts will be hosting “Through the Eyes of René Huyghe: The Splendor of French Paintings—Formation and Transformation of the ‘Grande Manière,’” an exhibition organized by the Tokyo Fuji Art Museum. The Osaka venue runs from May 26 and is scheduled to close on August 16. Among its backers are the nationally circulated Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper and its affiliated national Yomiuri Telecasting Corporation network.

Divided into three segments, “The Splendor of French Paintings” exhibition consists of some 80 oil paintings and drawings, works capturing three of the most iconic periods in Western art, beginning with the rise of classicism in the 17th century to the Rococo in the 18th and neo-classicism in the 19th up until the eve of the Impressionism.

Video on Uemura Shoen and her artistic heirs produced

The Tokyo Fuji Art Museum has uploaded a new video on its “tfamfilm” YouTube channel, produced as a tribute to “The Exhibition of Three Generations—Uemura Shoen, Shoko and Atsushi,” which regrettably had to be cancelled after only two days of showing from February 29 in the wake of the pandemic and subsequent self-enforced closure. We hope you will enjoy the video, which runs for some 14 minutes, over the lockdown, by clicking on this link: https://youtube.be/sKqlCr4-vQM.

Uemura Shoen (1875-1949) gained popularity for her Japanese-style paintings of so-called “beautiful women,” or bijin-ga, going on to become the first female recipient of the Order of Culture award and official artist of the Imperial Household. Shoko was her son and Atsushi, her grandson, both of whom were to emerge as prominent artists in their own right. While portraying the artistic legacy inherited by her progeny, the Japanese-language video follows the talent and success of Shoen and imparts the incisive lessons of life that she won:

Notice of re-extension of temporary closing of the museum

The Tokyo Fuji Art Museum has been closed from March 2 until March 31 to prevent the further spread of the new coronavirus. However, we have decided to re-extend the period of its temporary closing until further notice.

Further information on reopening will be announced later on its website, official Twitter and Facebook. 

We appreciate your understanding and cooperation.