The Nebuta Festival 2012

It is a spectacle of summer.  The Nebuta Festival in Aomori, one of the most major festivals in Japan, took place from August 3 to 7 (same dates every year.) 

Nebuta, which are huge paper lanterns, parade through the town at night along the lively rhythm of drums and the chants of participants.  The excellent workmanship of each nebuta is so impressive.  IT IS ART!

I received pleasant energies generated in the festival by all the participants and spectators. 

Tokyo River Cruise

I had a river cruise through Tokyo.  Tokyo has rivers running throughout and around, and though we know the fact that there are a lot of bridges, we rarely take time to watch them carefully.  By cruising on the rivers and under the bridges, and listening to the guide's story, I realized each bridge had different design and history.

The cruise showed me Tokyo from a different perspective, and I found great photograph spots are in the river! 

Tokyo's Nature Spot

The East Garden of the Imperial Palace in Tokyo is now full of different flowers and fresh green.


 The spacious garden not only displays the old architectures from the castle days but is also like a botanical garden with hundreds of different species of plant.  People come here for a short nature walk listening to birds singing, and nearby office workers enjoy picnic during lunch hour.  You almost forget that you are in the very center of Tokyo. 

*The garden is closed on Mondays and Fridays (except for national holidays) .

The Art That Survives Digitization

Yesterday I attended a seminar about the trial digitization of Hokusai Manga.  

Hokusai Manga is a series of books of prints by Katsushika Hokusai.  It was published from 1814 to even after his death.  Though it is called manga (cartoon), it is rather a collection of sketches depicting people's daily life, commodities, animals etc.   The archiving was done by a Japanese major printing firm and a system solution provider who also hosted the seminar.

Each original sketch is very small (and old) and when the digitized images were displayed on a large screen... the details were very clearly shown.  The technology of shedding new light on old artworks, which otherwise might never draw much attention of contemporary humans, will no doubt create a new market.   I was more impressed with Hokusai's detailed drawing that survived 200 years and digitization!

*The digital archive will be displayed for free on May 18, 19 and 20, 2012 at Mitsui Memorial Museum, Tokyo.       

Sakura in Full Bloom in Tokyo

Sakura, or cherry blossoms, are still in full bloom in Tokyo.  The photo was taken in the morning of April 9, 2012 at Chidorigafuchi along the moat of the Imperial Palace. 

   

Here Comes the Season

In Tokyo cherry trees officially started blooming today despite the stormy wind.   It is exactly the timing as Japan Weather Association has forecast.  Good job.  It can be very chilly at this time of the year and I still cannot put away my winter clothes, but the news of cherry blossoms always makes me feel the spring season which symbolizes the start of life's new cycle.

Art Fair Tokyo, which is another event that reminds me of spring, started yesterday.  Last year it was postponed to July because of the earthquake, and it came back to its regular season.  I see it has been getting more attention year by year and has established a position as an international art show with the consistent quality of galleries and artworks. 

Although cherry blossoms are gone by then,  Art Kyoto 2012 will be held from April 27 to 29.  What used to be a hotel exhibition show is being expanded to an international art fair for the first time this year.  It is an interesting sign that art market in Japan is opening up to wider range of buyers.  It can be worth traveling for.     

"Cosmic Travelers" at Espace Louis Vuitton

"Cosmic Travelers - Toward the Unknown" is the first group exhibition held in Espace Louis Vuitton Tokyo, the one-year-old art space on the 7th floor of the brand's flagship shop in Omotesando.  

The moment I walked into the floor,  I was struck by the balance created by the combination of unique installations, lighting, and the architecture.  It looked beautifully surreal against a backdrop of dusk sky.


The show is held through May 6, 2012.