Revitalizing the Regions: Museums As Hubs

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VOL. 151 DECEMber 2020

REVITALIZING THE REGIONS: MUSEUMS AS HUBS 6 12 Cultural Assets Showcased as Art Appreciation in “Stories” Mountainous Yamanashi An interview with Aoyagi Masanori, former Yamanashi Prefecture with its Commissioner for Cultural Affairs at the magnificent mountain landscapes and Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government bountiful nature provides the perfect of Japan. backdrop to a number of art museums. 8 Upopoy: A Symbolic Space for Ethnic Harmony In July 2020, the National Ainu Museum and Park, nicknamed Upopoy, opened in the town of Shiraoi, Hokkaido. 14 Keeping the Splendor of Daimyo Culture Alive Features The Tokugawa Art Museum houses many works of art bequeathed by the castle’s historical inhabitants, the Owari Tokugawa family. 10 A Town Blessed with Nature and Tradition—and a Manga Museum In Yokote in Akita Prefecture, a pioneering manga-themed museum is attracting attention.

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PRIME MINISTER’S TOPICS SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY DIARY Ceremonies for Proclamation Masterpieces Immortalized with

Also of Crown Prince Ceramics

COPYRIGHT © 2020 CABINET OFFICE OF JAPAN WHERE TO FIND US The views expressed in this magazine by the interviewees Tokyo Narita Airport terminals 1 ● JR East Travel Service Center (Tokyo Narita Airport) ● JR Tokyo Station Tourist and contributors do not necessarily represent the views of Information Center ● Tokyo Tourist Information Center (Haneda Airport, Tokyo Metropolitan Government the Cabinet Office or the Government of Japan. No article Building, Keisei Ueno Station) ● Niigata Airport ● Chubu Centrair International Airport Tourist Information & or any part thereof may be reproduced without the express Service ● Kansai Tourist Information Center (Kansai Int’l Airport) ● Fukuoka Airport Tourist Information ● permission of the Cabinet Office. Copyright inquiries Prefectural Central Libraries should be made through a form available at: www.gov-online.go.jp/eng/mailform/inquiry.html

2 | highlighting japan ISSUE 151, DECEMBER 2020

Theme for DECEMBER: REVITALIZING THE REGIONS: MUSEUMS AS HUBS

apan is home to a large number of museums, and 16 these are located in regions Nara: A Treasury of Ancient throughout the country. Japanese Culture J Beginning this year (2020), the World Heritage sites and art and history Agency for Cultural Affairs, museums are among the attractions of ancient Nara. Government of Japan has designated qualifying museums as regional hubs for the 20 promotion of cultural tourism. Nature and Culture among the Aso Volcanoes In this month’s issue, we Aso Geopark in Kumamoto Prefecture is a introduce several such museums place to discover the abundant nature and as well as the regions and culture created among the volcanoes. cultures which they promote. 18 Kurashiki and the Art of the Bikan Historical Quarter Bikan, the historical quarter of Kurashiki in Okayama Prefecture, is known for its beautiful townscape and as a place to appreciate fine art.

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MY WAY ENJOY DRINKING ARCHITECTURAL TREASURES Rediscovering the Old Appreciating the Changing Tomioka Silk Mill: A Model for Tokaido Highway Seasons with Beer Modernization

PRODUCTION The Japan Journal ON THE COVER MANAGING EDITOR Sawaji Osamu Ohara Museum of Art (Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture) EDITORS Alex Hendy, Chiba Hitoshi, Fujita Mao Photo: Courtesy of Ohara Museum of Art EDITORIAL SUPPORT Kiura Eriko CONTRIBUTORS Kato Kyoko, Sasaki Takashi, Sato Kumiko, EDITORS’ NOTE Sugiyama Mamoru, Umezawa Akira, Uno Masaki, Japanese names in this publication are written in Japanese order: Yanagisawa Miho family name first, personal name last. DESIGN Imai Mei, Okadome Hirofumi

DECEMBER 2020 | 3 Prime Minister’s Diary

JAPAN-AUSTRALIA SUMMIT MEETING

Japan-Australia Summit Meeting

n Tuesday, November 17, Indo-Pacific.” through close coordination between Prime Minister SUGA Yoshi- The leaders announced agreement Japan and Australia, decided to play a Ohide and the Hon. Scott Mor- in principle on the Japan-Australia leading role in realizing its early entry rison MP, Prime Minister of the Com- Reciprocal Access Agreement (Japan- into force. The leaders also confirmed monwealth of Australia, held summit Australia RAA), which is being nego- that they will continue to cooperate meetings in Japan. The leaders first tiated to take security and defence toward the steady implementation had a one-on-one meeting, followed cooperation between Japan and Aus- and expansion of the Trans-Pacific by a main meeting. After that, the tralia to a new level. The leaders con- Partnership (TPP). leaders signed the Joint Statement curred to accelerate the remaining The two leaders concurred to pro- of their intent to further strengthen tasks necessary for an early signing of mote cooperation in the economic their cooperative relationship in the Japan-Australia RAA. field, including on hydrogen-related fields including security and defence In addition, the leaders instructed efforts. cooperation and the economy. Later, their respective Ministers for Foreign At the working dinner after the for- Prime Minister Suga hosted a working Affairs and Defence, with a view to mal meeting, the leaders exchanged dinner. The summary of the meetings elevating security and defence coop- views on the regional situation. is as follows. eration between Japan and Australia, The leaders welcomed the United to further strengthen bilateral cooper- States’ continued commitment to the At first, the leaders met one-on- ation in this area, through the Foreign Indo-Pacific region and stressed the one, with interpreters, where, in a and Defence Ministerial Consulta- importance of close cooperation with friendly atmosphere, they discussed tions (“2+2”) and other mechanisms. the United States to contribute to the their background, personal views and The leaders also concurred to peace and stability of the region. their approach to politics. strengthen cooperation on economic On North Korea, the leaders con- At the main meeting, the lead- security in areas such as telecommu- curred to work together on the full ers discussed strengthening bilateral nications and critical minerals. implementation of UN Security Coun- relations and cooperation on interna- The leaders concurred to continue cil resolutions, including measures tional issues. to work together on reforms at the against ship-to-ship transfers. Prime The leaders affirmed that Japan World Trade Organization, includ- Minister Morrison gave his continued and Australia, as “Special Strategic ing reforms to the Appellate Body, full support for Japan’s efforts on the Partners” which share the basic val- electronic-commerce rule-making, abductions issue. ues such as freedom, democracy, and the issues of “developing coun- In addition, the leaders exchanged human rights and the rule of law and tries.” They also welcomed the sign- views on the South China Sea, East strategic interests, will together work ing of the Regional Comprehensive China Sea, Southeast Asia and other toward realizing a “Free and Open Economic Partnership (RCEP) and, topics.

Photographs and text courtesy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan and the Cabinet Public Relations Office of the Government of Japan

4 | highlighting japan Feature REVITALIZING THE REGIONS: MUSEUMS AS HUBS

REVITALIZING THE REGIONS: MUSEUMS AS HUBS

Japan is home to a large number of museums, and these are located in regions throughout the country. Beginning this year (2020), the Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan has designated qualifying museums as regional hubs for the promotion of cultural tourism. In this month’s issue, we introduce several such museums as well as the regions and cultures which they promote.

Photos: Courtesy of Yokote City; Courtesy of Nara National Museum; Courtesy of The Tokugawa Art Museum; Courtesy of The Foundation for Ainu Culture; Courtesy of Nakamura Keith Haring Collection / Keith Haring Artwork ©Keith Haring Foundation

DECEMber 2020 | 5 Feature REVITALIZING THE REGIONS: MUSEUMS AS HUBS Cultural Assets Showcased as “Stories”

Aoyagi Masanori Ishikawa Prefectural Museum of Art, and Director General of the Archaeological Institute of Kashi- hara, Nara Prefecture.

In a variety of regions in Japan, cultural tourism is currently being promoted centered on cultural facilities that include art and history museums, shrines, temples, and more. What is the background to these initiatives?

There are many unique forms of regional culture throughout the country of Japan. They are quite diverse, from traditional crafts, architec- ture and other tangible cultural properties to folk performing arts, festivals, and other intangible cultural properties. Even when we look globally, there aren’t many countries that have this level of rich regional cultures. The purpose of the promotion of cultural tourism today is to showcase these cultural assets as tourism resources both within Japan and abroad, leading to regional revitalization. To promote cultural tourism, stories are important. Rather than simply showcasing valuable cul- any regions in Japan today are promot- tural assets, the history and charm of the region ing cultural tourism with art and his- where these assets exist must also be clearly Mtory museums as their bases. We spoke showcased as stories. The cultural assets them- about Japan’s cultural tourism with Aoyagi Masa- selves then radiate a lively charm, leading many nori, who worked as the Commissioner for Cul- people to gain an interest in cultural assets. You tural Affairs at the Agency for Cultural Affairs of could say that what institutionalized this con- the Japanese government from 2013 to 2016 and cept was the certification of Japan Heritage i by is currently the Chairman of the Board of Direc- the Agency for Cultural Affairs and the enactment tors for Tama Art University, director of both the of the Cultural Tourism Promotion Act, which Yamanashi Prefectural Museum of Art and the was enacted as a national law in May of this year

Photo: Courtesy of Tama Art University

6 | highlighting japan (2020). This Act aims to revitalize areas by actively assets and as a place to showcase culture itself. promoting cultural tourism and deepen an under- For example, there is an art museum in Hok- standing of culture through the viewing of various kaido where viewing the works by a local artist cultural resources. It also aims to produce eco- can be incorporated into a tour of the beautiful nomic effects. surrounding scenery and includes lunch using local ingredients. The tour has become popular The background stories that cultural assets have for groups because participants can appreciate the accumulated are key points in cultural tourism, distinctive stories of the place. aren’t they? The Yamanashi Prefectural Museum of Art, where I serve as director, is famous for its Millet Definitely. In the past, French wine was defeated paintings, but in addition to these paintings, we by wine from another country in an international also exhibit works by local artists and works that wine contest. I had a Japanese friend who was a feature Yamanashi. It is also important to arrange vice president of a company that makes wine at works not only by world-famous artists, but also an old château in France, but his reaction to this by young or local artists. I think that putting was unexpected. I thought he would feel a sense various works from leading artists together with of loss, but he said, “It’s not a problem. In this those of young or local artists causes a variety of day and age, if you want to create quality grapes, changes to occur and then new creative works are you can do it anywhere in the world. But for us, born. we can showcase the stories from history that the You can also say that the accumulation of tan- château has been through, something that rising gible and intangible culture in digital archives will new wine makers don’t have.” Indeed, his château be a major role for various museums including art was once owned by a historically famous aristo- museums in the future. Cultural assets suffered cratic family so I’m sure the château has a variety serious damage from the Great East Japan Earth- of stories. We can say that people drink their wine quake in 2011. Even if a natural disaster occurs while also thinking about the stories of this wine- and various records and cultural assets are lost, producing château. they can still be accurately recorded and handed In the same way, there are heaps of excellent down if they’ve been digitally archived. If various cultural assets in various parts of Japan that can museums including art museums save the photos be introduced to the world along with interesting and paintings of their corresponding regions, it stories. However, Japanese people haven’t really is helpful for local governments and residents to told these stories as much. learn about local changes of the past and future. Surely this role will become more and more What role do museums specifically play in cul- important, together with their role as a base for tural tourism? cultural tourism.

Most regional museums are located where local Interview by SAWAJI OSAMU culture has been systematically organized. They surely take on an introductory or encyclopedia- i Japanese tangible and intangible cultural properties/assets, i.e. regional like role to learn about the regional culture for histories, traditions and customs, are passed down for generations through those who visit an area. I also think that they act narratives. These stories, telling of the legacy of our culture and histories, have been designated as “Japan Heritage” by the Agency of Cultural Affairs. https:// as a central facility to collect various local cultural japan-heritage.bunka.go.jp/en/index.html

DECEMber 2020 | 7 Feature REVITALIZING THE REGIONS: MUSEUMS AS HUBS

The National Ainu Museum and Park (Upopoy) (Image is for illustration purposes) Photo: Courtesy of The Foundation for Ainu Culture

UPOPOY A Symbolic Space for Ethnic Harmony

In July 2020, the National Ainu Museum and Park, century, the Ainu lived in Hokkaido, the islands nicknamed Upopoy, opened in the town of Shiraoi, around Hokkaido and the northern parts of the Hokkaido as a center from which to “revitalize and Tohoku region. Today, many Ainu people still live expand the Ainu culture.” in Hokkaido, while some Ainu live in other parts of Japan, particularly in the Kanto region, and overseas. UMEZAWA AKIRA Promoting and raising public awareness of Ainu culture are facing several challenges. The existence he Ainu are an indigenous people from of the Ainu language and traditional crafts is in crisis the northern region of the Japanese archi- as the number of people able to pass on these tradi- pelago, predominantly Hokkaido, and have tions declines, while levels of understanding regard- developed a distinctive, rich culture that ing Ainu history and culture remain low. includesT the unique Ainu language, a spirituality To overcome these challenges, the government’s that holds that spirits dwell in every part of the natu- Council for Ainu Policy Promotion stated in July ral world, traditional dances that are performed at 2009 that the establishment of “a symbolic space for a variety of events, uniquely patterned embroidery ethnic harmony” would be key to a policy based on and carved wooden art. the recognition of the Ainu as an indigenous people. According to the National Ainu Museum web- Upopoy, which means “singing together in a large site, the history of the Ainu (“Ainu” means humans group” in the Ainu language, has been established in the Ainu language) stretches back 30,000 years, as a base for the revitalization and expansion of Ainu to when humans first came to Hokkaido. The Ainu culture, an invaluable culture that is at risk of extinc- were hunter-gatherer-fishers, but in around the sev- tion, and as a “symbol of the building of a forward- enth century they began to grow cereals. The Ainu looking, vibrant society with a rich, diverse culture actively traded with people overseas and created a in which indigenous people are treated with respect unique culture. and dignity without discrimination.” From the seventeenth century, however, Ainu In July 2020, Upopoy opened in Shiraoi in south- society gradually became absorbed by the Japa- west Hokkaido, facing the Pacific Ocean. By limited nese economy and society. Until the nineteenth express train, Shiraoi is about 40 minutes from New

8 | highlighting japan Chitose Airport, and it is about 1 hour from Sap- poro. The foundations of Shiraoi were laid by the Ainu, and the town has many facilities to pass down Ainu traditions and culture amid beautiful natural surroundings. The National Ainu Museum in Upopoy has a collection of about 10,000 items, about 800 of which 1 are permanently exhibited exploring six themes. In the Our Language area, the Ainu language, stories, place names and current initiatives to promote its use are explained. Visitors can hear narration in the Ainu language, and there are games enabling visitors to study the pronunciation and grammar of the Ainu language. Videos explaining place names and con- versational Ainu are also displayed. In the Our Uni- verse area, spirituality, a central aspect of Ainu culture, is described. The Ainu belief that ramat (spirit) exists all around us is explained using graphics. In the open-air center, the National Ainu Park, visitors are able to experience Ainu culture through dance, cooking and traditional crafts. For example, 2 the Cultural Exchange Hall (uekari cise) features traditional Ainu mouth harp, or mukkuri, performances and traditional Ainu dances that are inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cul- tural Heritage of Humanity. At the Workshop (yayha- nokkar cise), visitors are able to make and taste Ainu cuisine and play traditional Ainu instruments such as the mukkuri. “Visitors love the carved wooden handicrafts, embroidery and the experience of preparing food. We would like to provide opportunities to as many 3 people as possible to experience Ainu culture, while taking measures to protect them from COVID-19,” says a staff member. NOTE: With the permission of Upopoy, this article draws on English- language materials published by the museum.

1 The National Ainu Museum 2 About 800 items, including hunting tools and art, are exhibited at the National Ainu Museum 3 Demonstration of an Ainu traditional performing art at the Cultural Exchange Hall 4 Traditional Ainu houses (cise) recreated in the National Ainu Park Photos: Courtesy of The Foundation for Ainu Culture (1, 3); Stake to which a bear cub would be tied / Courtesy of The Foundation for Ainu Culture (2); Courtesy of Kotan (Traditional Ainu 4 Village) / The Foundation for Ainu Culture (4)

DECEMber 2020 | 9 Feature REVITALIZING THE REGIONS: MUSEUMS AS HUBS A Town Blessed with Nature and Tradition— and a Manga Museum

The city of Yokote in Akita Prefecture is well known for its traditional kamakura (snow house) event and its signature style of stir- fried noodles. Recently, a pioneering manga-themed museum has also been attracting attention.

Manga artwork on display at the museum Photo: Courtesy of Yokote City

were traded. A number of old homes and store- SASAKI TAKASHI houses built between the mid-nineteenth and mid- twentieth century still stand here and have been ocated in a basin surrounded by moun- designated by the national government as an Impor- tains, the city of Yokote in Akita Prefecture tant Preservation District for Groups of Traditional is blessed with abundant nature and a tra- Buildings. ditional culture unique to one of the “espe- In Masuda, the Yokote Masuda Manga Museum ciallyL heavy snowfall regions” of Japan. In particular, opened in 1995. The museum typically attracts over the Kamakura Festival is a well-known event with 100,000 visitors from Japan and abroad every year. a history spanning more than 450 years. Kamakura Recognized as a base for the promotion of cultural are small houses made of snow. In the traditional tourism by the Agency for Cultural Affairs of the event of the same name a water god was believed to Japanese Government, the museum is at the core of be enshrined in the kamakura, where children had efforts to promote local cultural tourism. fun baking and eating mochi rice cakes and drink- The museum opened with the underly- ing amazake, a sweet beverage made from rice. The ing objective of celebrating the achievements of event evolved to become the Yokote Snow Festival, which is held in mid-February, when more than a hundred large and small kamakura snow houses are built in the city, drawing many tourists every year. Visitors can enter the snow houses and enjoy traditional foods such as the aforementioned mochi and amazake. For those who cannot visit at the time of the festival, the Yokote Fureai Center Kamakura Hall displays a kamakura snow house year-round in a room permanently kept at about -10°C. The town of Masuda within Yokote City was for centuries a thriving commercial center where rice, Kamakura snow houses during the Yokote Snow Festival leaf tobacco, raw silk and many other commodities Photo: Courtesy of Yokote City

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1 Yokote Masuda Manga Museum 2 A large touch-panel screen allows visitors to view scanned original drawings 3 Tsurikichi Sampei 4 Activities at Tsurikichi Sampei no Sato Photos: Courtesy of Yokote City (1, 2, 4); Courtesy of 3 4 Yaguchi Takao/Yokote City Manga Utilization Project (3)

Yaguchi Takao, a popular manga artist who was look at the drawings up close. Everyone would be born in Yokote. Yaguchi created numerous works, impressed by the real, compelling strokes, just like in most notably Tsurikichi Sampei, before his death in other forms of art. We ensure that these great draw- November 2020. Tsurikichi Sampei is the story of a ings are preserved for posterity, and not scattered boy named Sampei traveling Japan and the world to and lost like ukiyo-e prints and the woodblocks that fish. It was serialized in a comic magazine for boys were used to make them. This is the important role for nearly ten years from 1973 until 1983, and played we play,” Shibata explains. a role in popularizing angling nationwide. The museum is also committed to digitally “Initially, the plan was to build a memorial archiving the genga. Visitors can view the digital museum to exhibit the works of Masuda native archive freely using the large touch panels inside the Yaguchi Takao, but he suggested that it should be building. They can also see the ongoing preservation designed to widely disseminate the wonderful Japa- work conducted in a glass-walled storage room. nese manga culture to the world. Based on this sug- Beyond the manga he is famous for, Yaguchi drew gestion, we adjusted the plan to create this manga beautiful pictures of the nature and landscapes of museum,” says Shibata Toshinori of the Yokote City Yokote. Seeing these pictures up close is one of the Planning Department’s Culture Promotion Division. opportunities fans look forward to. A ten-minute Visitors are welcome to read as many of the muse- drive from the museum takes the visitor to Tsurikichi um’s roughly 25,000 manga volumes as they like. The Sampei no Sato (Tsurikichi Sampei’s hometown), a museum also keeps an enormous number of original recreation facility themed on the work of Yaguchi. drawings, so-called genga, in storage. After two years Here fishing, walking, barbecuing in summer and of renovation, the museum reopened in May 2019 winter activities such as skiing can be enjoyed, sur- and currently possesses more than 400,000 pieces rounded by the beauty of nature that has remained of genga by 181 manga artists, including Yaguchi and unchanged through the ages. many others from Japan and other Asian countries. The city of Yokote has a flourishing agricultural Three to four genga representing each of seventy- sector, growing rice, apples, grapes, cherries, water- four manga artists from the museum’s collection are melon and many other fruits. Yokote is also well- exhibited at all times and are rotated on a regular known for its Yokote Yakisoba, a dish of stir-fried basis on the wall of a gentle slope extending from the noodles, pork and cabbage, topped with a fried egg first floor to the second floor of the museum and in sunny-side up, and served with fukujinzuke pickled the exhibition room on the second floor. vegetables. Yokote Yakisoba is a beloved local cui- “In the past, the original artwork for manga was sine that is known nationwide. As Yaguchi Takao used to print the book or magazine, and once the would no doubt agree, a trip to Yokote would not be printing was finished, it was no longer needed. But complete without tasting this unique local food.

DECEMber 2020 | 11 Exhibition room at the Hirayama Ikuo Feature REVITALIZING THE REGIONS: MUSEUMS AS HUBS Silk Road Museum Photo: Courtesy of Hirayama Ikuo Silk Road Museum

Yamanashi Prefecture with its magnifi- Art Appreciation cent mountain landscapes and bountiful nature provides the perfect backdrop to in Mountainous a handful of celebrated art museums. Yamanashi YANAGISAWA MIHO

amanashi Prefecture is surrounded by began searching for paintings of the Barbizon School mountains on all sides. Mount Fuji, a for its main collection during preparations for the World Heritage site, lies in the south; the opening of the museum. The museum has contin- Southern Japanese Alps to the west, the ued to acquire Millet’s landscapes and portraits ever YYatsugatake Mountain Range to the north, and the since, and its collection of more than seventy works Okuchichibu Mountains to the east. Thanks to the including several masterpieces is now considered pure natural water originating in these mountains, one of the finest Millet collections in the world. the prefecture has long been a place for sake brewing “Millet mainly depicted farmers, but as you can and fruit growing. In addition, it is also known as the see from the The Sower, one of his masterpieces, he birth place of Japanese wine, and currently there are did not paint facial features clearly. It is said that Mil- approximately eighty wineries operating within the let depicted a something, instead of an individual, in prefecture. This environment offers visitors many this case that something being the universal behav- places to enjoy delicious local foods while appreciat- ior of cultivating the soil. For this reason, I think ing the beauty of nature during any season. people are fascinated by Millet’s work, and view it Yamanashi Prefecture is also home to a handful of here without any awkwardness, even though they celebrated art museums. One of these facilities is the are looking at it in Yamanashi, a foreign place, and Yamanashi Prefectural Museum of Art in Kofu City. not where or when the works were painted,” remarks Reflecting the character of the nature-rich prefec- Kouno Kiminori, a section chief of Yamanashi Pre- ture, the museum, which opened in 1978, is famous fecture’s Tourism and Culture Department. for its collection of works from the Barbizon School In addition to Millet’s works, the museum displays of painters who painted the beautiful natural scen- works from artists who are connected to Yamanashi ery of the French countryside, including in particular or works created with a focus on Yamanashi as a a collection of the works of Jean-François Millet. The main theme. For example, the Thirty-six Fujis by museum was fortunate enough to acquire Millet’s Hagiwara Hideo (1913–2007), a woodblock print artist The Sower as the first piece in its collection when it who was born in the city of Kofu, express the natural

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1 Jean-François Millet’s The Sower on display at the Yamanashi beauty of Yamanashi, inspired by Katsushika Hoku- Prefectural Museum of Art 2 View over Fujimori Terunobu’s Tearoom Tetsu at the Kiyoharu sai’s Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji. Art Colony Added to this are three cultural facilities in the 3 Exhibits from the Nakamura Keith Haring Collection Photos: Courtesy of Yamanashi Prefectural Museum of Art (1); Courtesy of Kiyoharu Art city of Hokuto which give visitors the opportunity Colony (2); Courtesy of Nakamura Keith Haring Collection / Keith Haring Artwork ©Keith to enjoy art alongside the beautiful natural land- Haring Foundation (3) scape. One of these museums is the Hirayama Ikuo Silk Road Museum. In search of the sources of Japa- facility includes art museums, a library, a ceram- nese culture, Hirayama Ikuo (1930–2009), a painter ics studio and an unusual tearoom. The bloom- of Nihonga (traditional Japanese painting) and ing cherry blossoms in spring are a sight to behold. recipient of the Order of Cultural Merit, frequently Here, visitors will appreciate a number of impressive visited the Silk Road, which is known as the path buildings, including the Rouault Chapel designed by that carried Buddhism to Japan. The museum dis- Taniguchi Yoshio, who was involved in the expan- plays a number of art works that he collected as well sion of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, as as Silk Road-related paintings of his own creation. a homage to the religious French painter Georges The collection of approximately 10,000 Silk Road- Rouault. Also on the grounds of the colony are the related cultural items is highly praised in academic Museum of the Light designed by Ando Tadao, who circles. has been involved in the design of many muse- Another facility is the Nakamura Keith Haring Col- ums both in Japan and abroad; a tearoom built four lection, the world’s only museum that principally meters above the ground on top of a tree trunk by collects and exhibits the works of Keith Haring, an Fujimori Terunobu, an architectural historian and artist who played an essential role in 1980s Ameri- architect; and some of the Eiffel Tower’s stairs, relo- can postmodern art. Haring provided support for cated from France when the country celebrated the children and worked on a range of projects, includ- tower’s 100th anniversary in 1989. ing HIV/AIDS-related campaigns globally, through Taking maximum advantage of the time they can his art until he passed away at the young age of 31. spare from art appreciation, visitors can also enjoy As a continuation of his legacy, the museum engages the wonders of Yamanashi by eating local foods in many different social causes, including initiatives such as hoto, a hot stew featuring thick, flat noodles, to promote HIV/AIDS awareness and related informa- squash, carrots and other vegetables, and sometimes tion, the international drawing contest for children’s nigai (boiled abalone), or by visiting wineries in the well-being, and efforts to highlight injustices and prefecture to taste the different wines produced inequalities that various minorities face. Through from the native Koshu variety of grape. international exhibitions, pop-up shops, nightlife “There are many ways for people to enjoy tour- events, and its social media presence, the museum ing Yamanashi,” says Kouno. “For example, they has become a must place to visit for overseas travel- might visit orchards, wineries, springs gushing from ers. Many outlets across social media also introduce the mountains, and breweries making sake from the museum as one of the places that young people that spring water, in addition to enjoying the muse- want to visit at least once. ums and local foods. Visitors will fully enjoy touring Last but not least is the Kiyoharu Art Colony. Yamanashi, taking advantage of all the things that This approximately 18,000 m2 (195,000 square feet) can only be experienced here in this prefecture.”

DECEMber 2020 | 13 Feature REVITALIZING THE REGIONS: MUSEUMS AS HUBS Keeping the Splendor of Daimyo Culture Alive There is an expression, “Nagoya owes its prosper- ity to the castle.” This proud boast dates back to the Edo period (1603–1867), when Nagoya Cas- tle was constructed at the behest of Tokugawa Ieyasu. Another source of pride for Nagoya is the 1 Tokugawa Art Museum, which houses many works of art bequeathed by the castle’s owners, the Owari Tokugawa family.

SATO KUMIKO

fter establishing the Tokugawa shogunate in 1603, Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543–1616)

2 appointed his three sons as daimyo of the feudal domains Owari, Kishu and Mito. TheseA three branches of the Tokugawa clan came to be known as the Tokugawa Gosanke, or “Three Houses of the Tokugawa.” The senior-most house is the Owari House (corresponding to present-day Aichi Prefecture), its prestige still communicated by the residence of the Owari House of Tokugawa, Nagoya 3 Castle. Constructed in 1612 at the behest of Ieyasu, Nagoya Castle is partially extant, including the stone walls and gardens. The castle’s main tower keep was restored in 1959 and has come to symbolize Nagoya City in Aichi Prefecture. Approximately three kilometers east of the castle, on the site of the Owari Tokugawa family villa, is the Tokugawa Art Museum. The Tokugawa Art Museum was opened in 1935 by the nineteenth-generation head of the family, Yoshi- chika, who established a foundation and donated artifacts with the aim of passing on to posterity the daimyo culture and traditions handed down from generation to generation. The museum houses over

1 Suits of armor and swords are among the precious exhibits 2 Part of National Treasure the Hatsune (First Warbler) Trousseau 3 Detail of National Treasure “The Tale of Genji Illustrated Scrolls” 4 Nagoya Castle’s main tower keep Photos: Courtesy of The Tokugawa Art Museum (1–3); Courtesy of Nagoya Castle Hommaru 4 Palace (4)

14 | highlighting japan The Tokugawa Art Museum Photo: Courtesy of The Tokugawa Art Museum

10,000 objects, including 9 designated National rotated, the Tokugawa Art Museum regularly hosts Treasures, 59 Important Cultural Properties, and 46 events that allow visitors to try on replica swords Important Art Objects, encompassing a vast amount and armor, as well as experience traditional enter- of possessions bequeathed by Ieyasu and the cher- tainments such as “Monko” (distinguishing different ished belongings of successive heads of the family. types of incense) and “Kaiawase” (matching pairs of According to Ichihashi Yasuyoshi, the museum’s clam shells decorated with painted scenes inside). vice-director, “A particular characteristic of the “One of the highlights of the exhibition room is museum’s collection is that many of the objects have a partial reconstruction of the interior of the Nino- been treasured as Owari Tokugawa family heirlooms maru Palace in Nagoya Castle, where the head of the in Nagoya Castle so they are well preserved and have Owari Tokugawa family resided, based on historical well documented historical records. It’s the most documentary evidence. You can deepen your under- comprehensive collection of daimyo culture in any standing of daimyo culture even more by combin- art museum in Japan.” ing a visit to the museum with Honmaru Palace in Among the extravagantly crafted swords, armor, Nagoya Castle, which was used as accommodation tea utensils, and other artifacts, the Hatsune (First for the shogun and was faithfully restored based on Warbler) Trousseau, designated a National Treasure, the original plans in 2018,” says Ichihashi. is especially gorgeous. This is the bridal trousseau of The city plan of present-day Nagoya is still based Chiyohime, daughter of the third Tokugawa Shogun on the layout centered on Nagoya Castle during the Iemitsu, brought on the occasion of her marriage to Edo period (1603–1867). The subdivisions of Shirak- the second daimyo of the Owari clan, Mitsutomo. The abe, Chikaramachi and Shumokucho were once lined trousseau comprises over 70 items, such as tebako with samurai residences and they retain aspects boxes and cosmetic tools, all exquisite and repre- of Edo times such as their names and streetscapes. senting the finest examples of the makie lacquerware Kenchu-ji Temple, the family temple of the Owari technique dating back some 400 years. Also included Tokugawa, and Atsuta Jingu (Atsuta Shrine), where in the museum’s collection is the National Treasure generations of famous warlords worshipped, also “The Tale of Genji Illustrated Scrolls,” a masterpiece tell the history of Nagoya. Visitors to Nagoya Castle painted in the first half of the twelfth century depict- are greeted by the Nagoya Omotenashi Bushotai ing The Tale of Genji, one of the world’s first pieces of (Nagoya Hospitality Warriors) dressed in samurai long-form realistic fiction. costumes, a fun and friendly initiative of Nagoya As well as exhibiting these precious treasures, City. Nagoya is still brimming with the charm of tra- with items from the collection being frequently ditions bequeathed by warlords.

DECEMber 2020 | 15 Buddhist sculptures on display at the Feature REVITALIZING THE REGIONS: MUSEUMS AS HUBS Nara Buddhist Sculpture Hall Photo: Courtesy of Nara National Museum

Nara A Treasury of Ancient Japanese Culture

Nara is a special place where visitors can experi- Japanese culture was centered in Nara. ence the ancient history and culture of Japan, sur- Horyu-ji Temple was founded at this time by rounded by World Heritage sites and museums Prince Shotoku (574–622), a devout student and showcasing works of art and historical resources, patron of Buddhism. The temple has international great numbers of which are National Treasures and significance as the oldest extant wooden building Important Cultural Properties. anywhere in the world. “Asuka-Fujiwara: Archaeological sites of Japan’s YANAGISAWA MIHO Ancient Capitals and Related Properties,” as the site is listed on UNESCO’s World Heritage Tentative List, ara Prefecture is situated at the center is comprised of a cluster of twenty properties, princi- of the Kii Peninsula in Honshu, the larg- pally the archaeological remains of palaces, gardens, est of Japan’s four main islands, and temples and burial mounds built during the Asuka bordering Kyoto to the north. There are period (592–710). Among them, the Takamatsuzuka Nmore World Heritage sites in Nara than in any other Tomb in Asuka Village is a highlight, famous for its prefecture. These are “The Historic Monuments of colorful wall paintings, which have been designated Ancient Nara”; “Buddhist Monuments in the Horyu- as a National Treasure. ji Area”; and “Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in The Asuka period came to an end and the Nara the Kii Mountain Range,” the last of which spans the Period (710–794) began when the capital of Heijo-kyo prefectures of Nara, Mie (to the east) and Wakayama was established in the present-day city of Nara. It

(to the west). Nara is home to many more cultural (Kyoto Prefecture) assets besides these sites, and many of these have Historic Monuments of been designated National Treasures and Important Ancient Nara Buddhist Monuments Cultural Properties. Six museums of art and history in the Horyu-ji Area have been certified by the Agency for Cultural Affairs of the Japanese Government. These are centers for Mt. Yoshino the promotion of cultural tourism, and their official Koyasan certification makes them more widely known to visi- Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the tors eager to immerse themselves in the rich cultural Kii Mountain Range legacies of Nara. (Wakayama Prefecture) When Buddhism arrived in Japan from the Asian Kumano Sanzan continent in the sixth century, the flowering of World Heritage sites in Nara Prefecture

16 | highlighting japan was a time when Buddhist culture flourished. All of ancient Buddhist sculptures that were made even the eight properties included in UNESCO’s “Historic before the Heian period (794–1185), which are not Monuments of Ancient Nara” are within the city of usually exhibited elsewhere in Japan. I feel that the Nara, which is just 30 minutes from neighboring Buddhist sculptures in Nara have a distinct appeal in Kyoto by express train on the Kintetsu Line. terms of their artistic style and form.” Within walking distance of Kintetsu-Nara Sta- The World Heritage site “Sacred Sites and Pilgrim- tion is Nara Park, famous for its large population age Routes in the Kii Mountain Range” is made up of of sacred deer. Also situated in this area are Todai- three sacred sites and their connecting pilgrimage ji Temple and its Great Buddha Hall; Kasuga Taisha routes in Nara, Wakayama and Mie Prefectures. The Shrine and its sacred precincts of the Mt. Kasuga sites in Nara that are a part of this World Heritage site Primeval Forest; Kofuku-ji Temple; and the Nara include Mt. Yoshino and Kimpusen-ji Temple, the National Museum, one of the aforementioned insti- core temple of a branch of the Shugendo religion. Mt. tutions certified as a base for cultural tourism. Yoshino is a place of training for the Japanese moun- Kawashima Keiichi of the Nara National Museum’s tain religion of Shugendo, which evolved as a fusion General Affairs Division says, “Originally a part of the of sacred mountain worship and Buddhism. Mt. Kofuku-ji Temple grounds, Nara Park lies adjacent to Yoshino is also famous for its cherry blossoms. the Kasuga Taisha Shrine. According to legend, the In addition to protecting and highlighting its his- shrine originated when the deity Takemikazuchi no torical sites, Nara Prefecture is also promoting the Mikoto rode into Nara on a deer from the Kashima products and many charms of its agricultural sec- Shrine in Ibaraki Prefecture. That is why to this day tor. In 2016, the NARA Agriculture and Food Inter- the deer in Nara Park are thought of as sacred ani- national College (NAFIC) was established in Saku- mals or emissaries of the gods, and they have been rai City in central Nara Prefecture, aiming to train carefully protected for centuries.” professional cooks and workers with a wide variety Explaining the appeal of the area, Kawashima of specialties to take full advantage of the exquisite continues, “I believe visitors are attracted by the nat- produce cultivated in Nara Prefecture. Adjacent to ural assets that enable them to feel the atmosphere the college is L’auberge de Plaisance Sakurai, a hotel of the ancient capital during the Asuka-Nara period.” with a French restaurant that provides students with The Nara Buddhist Sculpture Hall at the Nara on-the-job training for preparing and serving dishes National Museum exhibits a collection of close to 100 featuring locally-sourced vegetables and meat. Buddhist sculptures at all times. These masterworks Nara National Museum’s Kawashima says, “We were largely produced from the Asuka period to the are committed to continuing to publicize the beauty Kamakura period (1185–1333). and allure of culture in Nara Prefecture and leverag- Nonaka Hiromi of the Nara Prefectural Govern- ing stronger partnerships with various organizations, ment’s Cultural Resource Utilization Division says, including local municipal government offices, muse- “Buddhist sculptures can be identified by their ico- ums of history and art, and private sector entities.” nography and style, and on the basis of this analysis, Visitors to Nara could never experience its wealth they can be dated. This allows us to follow the transi- of enriching and enchanting attractions in a single tions of history. Visitors are able to see quite a few day.

Sacred deer in Nara Park Photo: jeminne / PIXTA

DECEMber 2020 | 17 Feature REVITALIZING THE REGIONS: MUSEUMS AS HUBS

Kurashiki and the Art of the Bikan Historical Quarter Kurashiki Bikan Historical Quarter Photo: Courtesy of Okayama Prefectural Tourism Federation

Kurashiki in Okayama Prefecture flourished as a town of trade in the Edo period (1603–1867) and as a textile town in the Meiji period (1868–1912). Today, the city’s historical quarter is known for its beautiful townscape and as a place to appreciate fine art.

KATO KYOKO

urashiki (present-day Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture), which fell under the direct rule of the Tokugawa Shogunate in the seventeenth century, developed A riverboat glides through the Kurashiki Bikan Historical Quarter Photo: Courtesy of Okayama Prefectural Tourism Federation Kas a town of merchants and a trade center. Many boats traveled along the Kurashiki River, which runs Kurashiki Bikan Historical Quarter, with its shops through the town and was lined with machiya (town- selling Kurashiki denim and other local brands, cafés houses) and storehouses. A beautiful townscape created from renovated traditional townhouses, of impressive elegance was created here, with the willow trees and bridges, temples and shrines, and white plaster walls of the townhouses reflecting off a collection of red brick buildings, remnants of the the surface of the river water. Kurashiki City decided former Kurashiki Spinning Works, founded by Ohara to preserve the central area by ordinance as the Bikan Koshiro (1833–1910). Many people enjoy the town- Historical Quarter (“bikan” means beautiful view) scape from the riverboats on the Kurashiki River, in 1969, and it was designated a National Important which flows through the Bikan Historical Quarter. Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Build- The Ohara Museum of Art is a symbol of the Bikan ings in 1979. Historical Quarter. It was built in 1930 by Ohara Today, a great number of tourists visit the Magosaburo (1880–1943), the third son of Ohara

18 | highlighting japan Paul Gauguin’s Delightful Land (Te Nave Nave Fenua) (1892) Photo: Courtesy of Ohara Museum of Art

Koshiro and a business- “In addition to collecting new modern art at the person who further devel- time, Kojima Torajiro also looked to the past and oped the textile industry beyond borders, trying to capture how a variety of of Kurashiki. The exterior, cultures influenced one another. While keeping an which resembles a Greek eye on art scenes from his time, the Ohara Museum temple, stands in har- of Art has followed in his footsteps by continuing mony with the traditional the collection as a vessel to capture various cultures, townscape. The museum ancient and modern, east and west.” houses a wide range of about 3,000 pieces of art, Kurashiki flourished since the Edo period as a cen- including western art from impressionism to modern ter of trade, with many people coming and going, art, ancient Egyptian art and modern and contempo- and has a foundation for accepting different cul- rary Japanese art. While the museum exhibits Paul tures and values. Curator Yanagisawa says that this Gauguin’s Delightful Land (Te Nave Nave Fenua)— is also related to the diverse collection of the Ohara representative of the artist’s time in Tahiti—and Museum of Art. other famous Western paintings in its collection, it “The townscape of the Kurashiki Bikan Histori- also exhibits ancient Eastern art and works by artists cal Quarter does not preserve the scenery of the Edo who played a key role in Japan’s mingei (folk crafts) period as it was then, but is cleverly mixed with mod- movement, which uncovered the beauty in crafts ern buildings built since the Meiji period. The quar- and functional utensils rooted in everyday life. These ter does not exclude differing architectural styles, works are exhibited at the Craft Art Gallery & Asian but is a scene made up of new values that have been Art Gallery, which occupy a renovated granary on the incorporated over the years. This townscape is an museum grounds. Within the Bikan Historical Quar- important resource for Kurashiki.” ter, the museum is especially popular among over- The Bikan Historical Quarter is not just buildings seas tourists, and the museum is now recognized and a townscape that remind you of the industries and supported by the Agency for Cultural Affairs as a that flourished here over the ages; the spirit of those base for the promotion of cultural tourism. who took pride in and valued the town remains here, Chief Curator Yanagisawa Hideyuki explains the as well. background to the museum’s collection.

“Ohara Magosaburo was involved in a variety of Ohara Museum of Art public-interest projects, including support for hos- Photo: Courtesy of Ohara Museum of Art pitals, laboratories and orphanages. For this reason, our collection is not just for a few art lovers but was collected from the start under the assumption that it would be displayed to the public so that many people could appreciate the art. The initial collection, which is at the core of our collection, was purchased and collected across Western Europe by Kojima Torajiro (1881–1929), a Western-style painter who studied in Europe with help from Ohara.” For example, Kojima purchased a painting in the famous Water Lilies series by Claude Monet from the artist himself in his later life. The ancient works from Egypt and western Asia were also collected by Kojima.

DECEMber 2020 | 19 Feature REVITALIZING THE REGIONS: MUSEUMS AS HUBS Nature and Culture among the Aso Volcanoes

Mt. Nakadake viewed over Kusasenri-ga hama Photo: Courtesy of Aso Geopark Promotion Council

Aso Geopark in Kumamoto Prefecture is a place to popularity as a scenic area to enjoy various outdoor learn about and appreciate not just the abundant activities. nature formed by volcanic activity, but also the The Aso area was designated as a national park ways of life fostered by those who have coexisted by the Japanese government in 1934, and the region with the volcanoes over the generations. has also been certified as a UNESCO Global Geopark. There are thirty-three geosites or places of inter- UNO MASAKI est with recognized value as natural heritage in Aso Geopark, the overarching theme of which is “human so Caldera is an enormous volcanic life and the natural environment around the Aso Vol- depression located roughly in the center cano.” Here you can learn not only about the topog- of the island of Kyushu. The caldera as it raphy and geology created by volcanic activity, but appears today was formed by repeated also about the lifestyles, history and culture of the extremelyA large eruptions between 270,000 and people who have a deep connection with this land. 9,000 years ago. Aso Caldera is oval shaped, measur- Aso Volcano Museum, which overlooks the ing 18 kilometers from east to west and 25 kilometers Kusasenri-ga-hama crater prairie and Mt. Nakadake from north to south, and is surrounded by an outer in the distance, has welcomed more than 8 million rim with a circumference of more than 100 kilome- visitors since its founding in 1982. As a hub for the ters. Aso Gogaku, the five peaks that comprise Mt. Aso Geopark, the museum has been recognized Aso, including Mt. Nakadake with its endless volca- as a base for the promotion of cultural tourism by nic smoke, rise up from the center of the caldera, and the Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of a wide range of treasured animals and plants inhabit Japan. The museum investigates the local animals the surrounding grasslands and marshes that spread and plants, as well as the connection between the out from here. grasslands and the people since the formation of Within the caldera, there are many springs, the Aso caldera. The museum collects and exhibits waterfalls and hot springs, and Aso has gained great its materials, and offers educational programs for

20 | highlighting japan Scene from the Onda Matsuri Photo: Courtesy of Aso Geopark Promotion Council

Live video stream of Mt. Nakadake’s crater Photo: Courtesy of The Foundation of Aso Volcano Museum elementary, middle and high school students as well been maintained. as hiking tours. Aso Shrine, home of the Deity of the Volcano One of the museum’s special exhibits is the live Geosite and said to have been founded about 2,300 video stream from cameras installed in Mt. Naka- years ago, venerates the deity of the volcano that dake’s crater wall. The video, projected onto a 1/300 has been worshipped by people of the area for gen- scale model of the Mt. Nakadake crater and accom- erations. Unique festivals are held at the shrine to panied by sounds from the crater, gives the viewer coincide with the agricultural work of each season, the sensation of looking into the volcano. such as the Onda Matsuri wishing for a good harvest Museum director Ikebe Shin’ichiro says, “Our role during rice planting season and the Tanomisai giving is to convey the natural charm of Aso through the thanks to the deities of Aso during the harvest. These history of volcanic activity up until now. We guide festivals have been designated as Important Intan- visitors to respond to their intellectual curiosity; for gible Folk Cultural Properties of Japan. example, when they ask why the mountain came to As a hub for tourism in Kumamoto Prefecture, Aso be the shape it is. Aso is a cool area of high altitude Volcano Museum has also put effort into collecting where volcanic ash has accumulated and as such is and exhibiting materials related to Mt. Nakadake’s an environment unfit for cultivation. However, the eruptions and the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquake. The soil has been improved with cow manure and green museum is also involved in awareness programs for manure made from grass. In this way, we are trying disaster prevention. to deepen the understanding of the unique culture of In addition to the Kumamoto Earthquake, Kuma- the people of Aso who have coexisted with the vol- moto Prefecture has experienced torrential rains and cano for a long time.” other disasters in recent years. Recovery has steadily Pasturing has been passed down in Aso, which progressed. The JR Hohi Line, which connects Kuma- is the location of the most expansive grasslands moto Prefecture with neighboring Oita Prefecture via in Japan. It is said that the pasturing of Aso cattle Aso, was fully restored in August 2020 for the first and horses goes back to the Nara and Heian periods time in more than four years. In October of 2020, (eighth to late twelfth centuries). People pasture a bypass for the important Japan National Route cattle and horses from spring until autumn, and in 57 was also completed, and Aso suddenly became autumn, the grasses are reaped. This reaped grass more accessible. A new bridge is expected to open in is used not only as food for the livestock, but also as March 2021 to replace the Aso Ohashi Bridge that col- green manure to grow rice and vegetables. In early lapsed under a quake-triggered landslide in 2016. spring, controlled burning is conducted in the grass- Travel by car, train or bicycle in Aso will be further lands to prevent shrubs and trees from taking over improved in the future, and it will surely become the land and to encourage the growth of new sprouts possible to experience the charm of Aso Geopark of grass. This work has been repeated every year for even more, including the dynamic environment cre- countless centuries, and agriculture and livestock ated by volcanoes and the culture that developed industries have developed as the grasslands have along with it.

DECEMber 2020 | 21 Series TOPICS

Rikkoshi-Senmei-no-gi

proclaim to those at home and abroad that Prince Akishino is Crown Prince.” His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince said, “I am filled with the deepest awe and gratitude at being proclaimed the Imperial Heir, Crown Prince, at this Ceremony for Proclama- tion of Crown Prince. I will discharge my duties solemnly bearing in mind my responsibilities as Crown Prince.” Prime Minister Suga Yoshi- hide stated, “I wish to state respectfully that Your Majesty the Emperor, today, performed the Rikkoshi-Senmei-no-gi and proclaimed to those at home and abroad that Prince Akishino has become the Crown Prince. We wish to express congratulations from the bottom of our hearts. At the Imperial Palace on November 8, 2020, the Rikkoshi-no-rei Their Imperial Highnesses the (Ceremonies for Proclamation of Crown Prince) were held as an act Crown Prince and Crown Prin- of the Emperor in matter of state based on the Constitution of Japan. cess have supported Their Maj- The Rikkoshi-no-rei are comprised of two ceremonies, the Rikkoshi- esties the Emperor and Empress Senmei-no-gi (Ceremony for Proclamation of Crown Prince), which and Their Majesties the Emperor was held in the morning, and the Choken-no-gi (First Audience), Emeritus and Empress Emerita which was held in the afternoon. while committing sincerely to activities of the Imperial Family Rikkoshi-Senmei- representatives of the three pow- no-gi ers (the Diet, the Cabinet and the Judiciary) and local municipali- The Rikkoshi-Senmei-no-gi is the ties, and the Dean of the diplo- ceremony held for the Emperor to matic corps. proclaim that Prince Akishino has His Majesty the Emperor become the Crown Prince and for declared, “Today, I hereby per- the representatives from home form the Rikkoshi-Senmei-no-gi, and abroad to express felicita- Ceremony for Proclamation of tions. The ceremony was attended Crown Prince, in accordance with by about 50 invitees, including the Imperial Household Law, and Rikkoshi-Senmei-no-gi

22 | highlighting japan Rikkoshi-Senmei-no-gi Rikkoshi-Senmei-no-gi

Choken-no-gi Choken-no-gi

such as visits to areas struck by Ceremony for Proclamation of tions of the people and success- disasters and promotion of inter- Crown Prince. fully fulfill the duties as Crown national goodwill. The people His Imperial Highness the Prince, fully drawing on what you of Japan have a deep respect for Crown Prince thanked His Majesty have cultivated.” Their Imperial Highnesses, who the Emperor, saying, “I am filled His Imperial Highness the meet and are on an intimate foot- with the deepest awe and grati- Crown Prince thanked Her Maj- ing with the people. That the Rik- tude at having been proclaimed esty the Empress, saying, “I am koshi-no-rei is being held in this the Imperial Heir, Crown Prince, truly grateful to have been gra- manner brings us great pleasure. today at the Ceremony for Proc- ciously granted by His Majesty the We express our best wishes for lamation of Crown Prince. I will Emperor the great honour of being the Imperial Household to flour- continue to discharge my duties proclaimed the Imperial Heir, ish further.” to the best of my ability now that Crown Prince, today at the Cer- I have been proclaimed the Impe- emony for Proclamation of Crown Choken-no-gi rial Heir, Crown Prince. I wish here Prince. I wish here to express to express most respectfully my most respectfully my humblest Following the Rikkoshi-Senmei- humblest gratitude.” gratitude.” no-gi, the Choken-no-gi (First His Majesty the Emperor said, Her Majesty the Empress said, Audience) was held. The Choken- “It gives me great joy that the Rik- “I am delighted that the cere- no-gi is the ceremony in which His koshi-Senmei-no-gi, Ceremony for mony today has been performed Majesty the Emperor and Her Maj- Proclamation of Crown Prince was smoothly. I hope that you will con- esty the Empress meet the Crown performed today. It is my hope tinue to fulfill your duties in good Prince for the first time after the that you will meet the expecta- health.”

All photos: Courtesy of the Imperial Household Agency DECEMBER 2020 | 23 Series SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

The Otsuka Museum of Art’s Sistine Hall, which reproduces the ceiling paintings of the Sistine Chapel

Master artwork from around the world has been faithfully repro- for painting ceramics to reproduce duced and immortalized through the addition of the latest technol- masterpieces.” ogy to traditional Japanese ceramic technology. Production of full-scale replicas of masterpieces begins with obtain- SUGIYAMA MAMORU ing consent from copyright holders and examining the originals on- ore than 1,000 repli- facturing base is located in Shiga- site. While examining, company cas of masterpieces raki Town in Koka City, Shiga Pre- technicians record delicate flaws are on display at fecture. This is a production area and rough spots in great detail and the Otsuka Museum for Shigaraki ware, which is known take photos from a variety of angles Mof Art in Naruto City, Tokushima as one of many representative and in a variety of conditions. They Prefecture, which opened in 1998, Japanese ceramics. This company, then separate the colors from the including the ceiling paintings of established in 1973 as the housing obtained image data and create a the Sistine Chapel, Leonardo da department of the Otsuka Pharma- copy sheet that has been printed Vinci’s Mona Lisa and Picasso’s ceutical Group at that time, began multiple times, once in each color, Guernica. All of these replicas with tile production as its primary with ceramic paint. This is then have faithfully reproduced the size, business, using the white sands of placed over a ceramic plate and color, brushwork, and more of the Naruto as a material. fixed (fired) onto the plate by fir- originals on ceramic panels. The President Osugi Eitsugu says, ing it for approximately eight hours quality of the reproductions has “Just when we were trying to at 1,000 to 1,350 degrees Celsius. been highly praised by the owners start tile production, demand for The technicians then reproduce of the originals. construction tiles was no longer the subtle, detailed color hues, The company that produces expected due to the 1970s oil crises, textures, brushwork and spatial these works is Otsuka Ohmi and so an idea emerged to create effects by repeatedly covering the Ceramics Co., Ltd., whose manu- added value by using techniques tiles in glaze, an impervious coat-

24 | highlighting japan 1 2 3

1 Technicians paint on ing, by hand. When the glaze is Osugi says, “It is difficult to glaze multiple times to fired, the color shade changes, and reproduce colors precisely. A vari- reproduce the colors and spatial effects of the this firing and coloring is repeated ety of expressions are born for the originals while calculating the finish, some- first time not just with color num- 2 Firing a ceramic plate times even up to five to six times. bers but also through controlling Normally, ceramics can only the glass-like gloss unique to glaz- 3 A technician works on the reproduction of the be fired once as they become ing. We have learned a lot from the Kitora Tumulus mural deformed or break. Otsuka Ohmi glazing techniques that have been Ceramics made it possible to fire collected here in Shigaraki.” ceramics multiple times through The greatest merit of ceramic other divine beasts. For this proj- research into the material mixture plate masterpiece replicas is their ect, the painted mural, along with and firing temperatures, and more sturdiness, as their color won’t the texture of the plaster walls, than 20,000 colors can be repro- fade, even after 2,000 years. You cracks, and more, was accurately duced through glazing. can view the ceramic replicas in a reproduced with experts, based on The current maximum size for bright room or outdoors, even for nearly 30,000 pieces of image data. ceramic plates is 3 meters by 90 works where the original cannot Otsuka Ohmi Ceramics’ ceramic centimeters—the largest such plate be viewed except in low-level pro- plate replicas were awarded the in the world—and works of art that tective lighting to protect against Prime Minister’s Award, the Minis- are larger than this are divided and humidity and light. And as you try of Economy, Trade and Indus- made in sections. Only works that can also directly touch the ceramic try’s Monodzukuri Nippon (Japan’s have been granted consent through plates, a new way to appreciate Manufacturing) Grand Award, in a final inspection by supervisors art is born, allowing you to sense 2018 for being a valid form of aca- and the owner of the original are the texture of the material and the demic preservation and exhibition. publicly displayed. roughness of the paint. Osugi says, “We will focus our Receiving a request from the efforts on training our technicians Agency for Cultural Affairs, Gov- while also advancing technical ernment of Japan in 2009, Otsuka development that increases repro- Ohmi Ceramics worked on a replica ducibility and expressivity with of a mural painted on the Kitora ceramic plates by applying tech- Tumulus rock tomb in Nara Pre- niques such as laminating 1 and fecture. The Kitora Tumulus is pre- cutting utilizing data gained from sumed to have been built sometime 3D scans.” between the end of the seventh The latest technology, tradi- century and the beginning of the tional techniques cultivated in Shi- eighth century, and painted in rich garaki, and the precise handiwork The White Tiger from the Kitora colors on the ceiling and walls of of technicians will reproduce the Tumulus, reproduced on a this tomb (D 2.4 m x W 1 m x H 1.2 valuable cultural assets of Japan ceramic plate. Stains and cracks from the original mural have m) are an astronomical chart, the and the world, and by doing so, been faithfully reproduced Azure Dragon, the White Tiger and pass them on to the future.

All photos: Courtesy of Otsuka Ohmi Ceramics Co., Ltd. DECEMBER 2020 | 25 Series MY WAY Tony Everitt, with Mount Fuji in the background Photo: Courtesy of Tony Everitt

Tony Everitt, a renowned travel expert in the Asia- Pacific region, has settled in Atami City, Shizuoka Prefecture, an area known for its nature and history, where he works to promote tourism.

SATO KUMIKO

orn in Fiji and raised in New Zealand, Tony Everitt has been promoting tourism in Asia- Pacific for thirty years, having livedB in a variety of locations also including Singapore, Shanghai and Tokyo. He moved to Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, in 2015, feeling that it was the most fasci- nating of places. Shizuoka is located in the middle of Japan’s main island of Honshu, facing the Pacific Ocean for 155 kilometers from east to west. Everitt lives in Atami, a quaint seaside hot spring resort and gateway to the Izu Peninsula. Atami’s hot springs have been enjoyed since Hakone Hachiri—a section of the old Tokaido Highway the eighth century. The Izu Peninsula is Photo: Courtesy of Tony Everitt also famous for cherry trees that bloom

26 | highlighting japan Atami City is situated at the foot of mountains facing Early-blooming (February) cherry trees in Kawazu the Pacific Ocean in Shizuoka Prefecture Town, Shizuoka Prefecture Photo: Courtesy of Shizuoka Prefecture Tourism Asociation Photo: Courtesy of Shizuoka Prefecture Tourism Asociation as early as February—Atami Blessed with a mild climate Sakura—and for the annual year-round, Shizuoka enables Kawazu Sakura Festival. outdoor activities in a stunning Everitt tells us, “I live in a for- natural environment, including est overlooking the Pacific. Sea trekking and cycling. Shizuoka’s breezes fan my place through long Pacific coastline is popular for Japan’s sticky summer, and our marine sports. Mount Fuji, Japan’s winters are mild. In 45 minutes I highest peak, is a local Cultural can be in downtown Tokyo, using World Heritage Site. “Morning Fog at Mishima” (in the bullet train at the bottom of A trip to Atami can be com- present-day Shizuoka Prefecture), the hill. This is a unique twenty- bined with a visit to neighboring from the Fifty-three Stations of first-century lifestyle.” Hakone. Everitt focuses on the the Tokaido Road by Utagawa Hiroshige Everitt is currently involved in old Tokaido Highway running Photo: Courtesy of Kuboso Memorial tourism development, marketing through Kanagawa and Hakone Museum of Arts, Izumi and human resource development into Shizuoka. for the tourism industry, includ- He says, “The 400-year-old ing as Strategic Advisor to Tour- Tokaido foot highway, the his- HIKE Hakone Hachiri, provid- ism Shizuoka Japan, a destination torical main drag between Japan’s ing hiking tours to international marketing organization. new capital of Edo (now Tokyo) visitors along the old Tokaido. Everitt says, “Japan is a won- and old capitals of Kyoto and Hakone Hachiri is a 32-km section derful country for tourism. Things Osaka, contrasts with the state-of- of the old highway from Odawara that Japanese people take for the-art Tokaido bullet train that through the mountainous Hakone granted are novel in the eyes of zooms along a similar route today. Pass to Mishima. Everitt speaks of international visitors. For exam- Most visitors to Japan ride the bul- his aspirations to “immerse visi- ple, Japan is a world leader in let train but aren’t aware that it is tors in the spirit of walking this sustainable public transport, and named after the old foot highway.” picturesque historical route.” other infrastructure is superb. A From Edo to Kyoto, fifty-three COVID-19 has restricted global high sense of social responsibility post towns dotted old Tokaido for movement this year, but one can creates a safe and orderly environ- weary travelers to rest and carouse hardly wait for HIKE Hakone ment. Japanese people are natu- each night of their journey. Nearly Hachiri to begin operations. Visi- rals at providing outstanding hos- half of these post towns are in tors can create their own memo- pitality to visitors.” Shizuoka, where remnants of life rable travel tale while thinking of a Everitt says that Shizuoka also on the old highway can still be time when Japanese people of old has abundant natural and cultural enjoyed today. traveled by their own feet along tourism resources. This year, Everitt founded the Tokaido Highway.

DECEMBER 2020 | 27 Series ENJOY DRINKING

Daisen G Beers produced by Kume-Zakura Micro Brewery Corp.

A beer brewery at the foot of Mount Daisen in Tottori Prefecture seeks to produce beers that express the seasonal changes using locally produced wheat and fresh, home-grown hops, while valuing both tradition and innovation.

KATO KYOKO

ith an elevation (794–late twelfth century) to pray of 1,729 meters, for the protection of their cows Mount Daisen and horses. The bountiful nature, in Tottori Pre- beautiful landscapes and large Wfecture is the highest mountain beech forests in the area have thus in the Chugoku region of western remained largely untouched, and

Japan. The Izumo no kuni fudoki, due to the beech forests, the area The Daisen G weizen that won an account of the culture, climate at the foot of Mount Daisen has the World’s Best Grain-only and other features of the former plentiful underground water sup- Wheat Beer award at the 2011 Izumo province completed in 733, plies and good quality springs. World Beer Awards in the U.K. called it a mountain where gods Using this underground water reside, and to this day Mount as an ingredient, Kume-Zakura Daisen is considered sacred. Micro Brewery Corp., established Reflecting their faith in the bod- in 1996, has been producing beer hisattva Jizo, revered as the savior at an elevation of 300 meters in of all living creatures and who is the town of Houki at the foot of said to have appeared at the sum- Mount Daisen. It brews beers mit of Mount Daisen, many people under the Daisen G Beer brand Beer barley “Daisen Gold” grown have visited the Daisen-ji Temple using soft water pumped from in collaboration with local since the end of the Heian period a well that is 150 meters deep. farmers

28 | highlighting japan Beer is brewed using Hops grown in the fields water pumped from a next to the brewery 150-meter-deep well

them as ingredients in seasonally- seek to create a brewery that is limited beers. The company also able to continue to take on chal- grows hops, the ingredient that lenges while always valuing tradi- generates beer’s bitter taste and tion,” says Iwata. aroma, in the fields next to the The entire area surrounding brewery. It has even been growing Mount Daisen was designated as Inside the Kume- wheat in recent years. The com- the Daisen-Oki National Park in Zakura Micro Brewery pany only brews its Daisen G Wei- 1936, and Mount Daisen was cer- hen Hop in autumn, using freshly tified as a Japan Heritage site in Daisen G Beer brews approxi- picked hops. People enjoy its com- 2016. With Mount Daisen at their mately thirty-five different beers fortable citrus flavor and refresh- back, these areas face the Sea of over the course of the year, including, bitter taste. Japan, providing not only beauti- ing its flagship weizen (a top-fer- The Daisen G-Beer brewery has ful natural scenery, but plentiful mented beer brewed with a lot of its own restaurant. seafood and foods found in the malted wheat), pilsner (bottom- “If we start brewing immedi- mountains. These foods include fermented pale lager brewed ately after harvesting the hops in locally caught snow crab that are with extra hops), pale ale (top- August, we can provide beer in best in the winter and which pair fermented with a lot of pale malt) September. We seek to express the excellently with beer. and stout (a dark, top-fermented seasonal changes in Japan by pro- Many parts of the Daisen-Oki full-bodied beer). viding beers that feature the dif- National Park are known for their Iwata Hideki, Factory Manager ferent tastes of each season.” magnificent sunsets, which bring of Kume-Zakura Micro Brewery Daisen G-Beer has garnered new color to the local landscapes. Corp., explains, “There are many high praise in international beer What better time than sunset to kinds of malted grains, hops and competitions to date. For exam- experience the delicious food and yeast available. These are the ple, the Daisen G Weizen won the drinks created in the foothills of ingredients for making beer. Dif- World’s Best Grain-only Wheat sacred Mount Daisen? ferent types of beer can be pro- Beer Award, the grand prize in its duced, depending on the type of category, at the 2011 World Beer ingredients chosen.” Awards in the United Kingdom. The company collaborates with “Our focus recently has been on local farmers and cultivates the maintaining a successful balance ingredients it uses. For example, between tradition and innovation. it grows Daisen Gold, a two-row Leveraging the power of tradition barley originating in Daisen, as that we experienced during our well as Yamada Nishiki and Goriki, European inspection tour and the which are rice varieties famous for innovation that we witnessed in Cultivating rice for the their use in sake brewing, using our tour of the United States, we seasonally-limited beer “Yago”

All photos: Courtesy of Kume-Zakura Micro Brewery Corp. DECEMBER 2020 | 29 Series ARCHITECTURAL TREASURES

The East Cocoon Warehouse

and employees. Tomioka Silk Mill, a World Heritage site and National Treasure, The cocoon warehouses and stands as a memorial to a turning point in Japan’s industrial silk-reeling plant share the same history. timber-framed brick structure as that used for the “Yokosuka Iron- SATO KUMIKO works” in present-day Kanagawa Prefecture, which was built at the hen Japan re- achieve this, government leaders end of Edo period (1603–1867) with opened for inter- imported silk-reeling expertise and technical help from the French national trade machines from France, and in 1872 Navy. The bricks were baked by in the middle of constructed Tomioka Silk Mill on Japanese tile artisans under the Wthe nineteenth century after more a site covering about 53,000 m2 in guidance of French technicians, than 250 years of national seclu- present-day Tomioka City, Gunma and there is a beautiful harmony in sion, silkworm eggs and raw silk Prefecture as a government-oper- these buildings between the roof thread 1 were in high demand over- ated model silk mill. The working of Japanese tiles and the red brick seas, and these raw materials soon mill comprised two 100-meter-long walls. The ceiling of the huge silk- came to account for more than cocoon warehouses, a cocoon dry- reeling plant, which is 140 meters 80% of Japan’s exports. The new ing facility, a silk-reeling plant, a long, is supported by triangular Meiji government, established in steam boiler plant, an iron water roof trusses, creating an open space 1868, paid attention to this trade tank and a brick drain. Situated capable of accommodating various and began efforts toward mass nearby were houses, dormitories machines and hundreds of work- production of reeled silk thread. To and a clinic for the foreign experts ers. The walls of the building are

30 | highlighting japan Exterior and interior of the silk-reeling plant lined with large iron-framed win- Warehouse that started in 2015. ers left on the walls of the West dows imported from France and Conservation work was completed Cocoon Warehouse communicate designed to let in lots of light and in 2020 and the building was the real-time atmosphere of life in ventilation. The houses and dormi- opened to the public in October. the silk industry that drove Japa- tories built for the French experts The timber-frame structure and nese modernization. Such traces and instructors are also timber- brick walls were more or less left are another precious face of the framed brick structures and like- intact, and about 60% of the roof World Heritage site that is the wise remain standing to this day. tiles were also reused, while nec- Tomioka Silk Mill. In 1893, Tomioka Silk Mill was essary repairs and reinforcements sold to the private sector. The mill were made to preserve the building was operative until 1987 when the alongside preparations for its utili- last of a number of owners, the zation. The plaster on the interior present-day Katakura Industries walls and ceiling of the first floor Co., Ltd., finally closed it follow- was also left in its original state as ing the decline of the domestic silk a way of conveying the mill’s his- industry owing to the increased tory and value, although it has use of imported raw silk thread degraded over time and stains and and synthetic fibers. Katakura cracks are evident. A close-up of the brickwork Industries, which had continued In a unique initiative for a to manage and maintain the site, National Treasure, on the first floor donated the buildings to Tomioka of the West Cocoon Warehouse an City in 2005, and the city admin- exhibition room and multi-purpose istration opened them up to the hall has been installed making use public in the same year. of iron frames for aseismic rein- In 2014, “Tomioka Silk Mill and forcement. The ceiling and walls Related Sites” was inscribed on of this “house within a house” are UNESCO’s World Heritage List. made of glass so that visitors can In the same year, the mill’s two clearly see the walls and ceiling The West Cocoon Warehouse cocoon warehouses and silk-reeling of the National Treasure building plant were designated as a National from inside the installed room. Treasure of Japan. Japan became the world-lead- Tomioka City has duly devel- ing exporter of raw silk thread in oped a preservation and manage- the early twentieth century. Inno- ment plan, and a thirty-year main- vation in Japanese silk-reeling tenance and utilization plan, for technology turned the world’s silk these historic sites. goods from something precious The first major project was the and expensive to something more The glass multi-purpose work to preserve the West Cocoon familiar. The writings of work- hall inside the West Cocoon Warehouse

All photos: Courtesy of Tomioka City DECEMBER 2020 | 31 JAPAN HERITAGE

Northern Chiba

In the Sawara Grand Festival (held in the summer and autumn) floats bearing huge figures are wheeled through the streets

The Towns that Supported the Burgeoning Capital

lthough some visitors may consider Chiba Prefecture, to the east of Tokyo and home to Narita International Airport, simply a point of transit to other areas of Japan, it has a rich history that is Awell worth exploring. From the 17th century to the end of the 19th century, the shogun’s capital at Edo (present-day Tokyo) grew to be one of the most populated cities in the world, with a million residents. The heavy traffic of goods and people flowing to and from the capital brought wealth to northern Chiba, particularly to the cities of Sakura, Narita, Choshi and Sawara (now part of Katori City). Sakura was a castle town which functioned as a strategic point to protect Edo on the east. Although the original castle no longer stands, walking down the streets lined with old samurai houses will take you back in time. Narita developed around the Naritasan Shinshoji Temple, founded in the 10th century, which attracted many worshippers from the big city. The main street from Narita train station to Naritasan Shinshoji Temple is still lined with old shops and a few historical ryokan inns. The Sawara area is located near the Tone River, then a major transportation artery, and was also connected to Edo and Choshi by road. Sawara merchants shipped in goods from all over Japan to sell in Edo, bringing wealth and culture to the area. Choshi was a port town that supplied fresh fish to the megacity. Choshi’s bountiful catch of sardines was processed into compost and sold nationwide, providing a huge boost to the local economy. Each city supported Edo in its own way, giving a distinct feel to the traditional buildings and old town districts that remains to this day.

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