Exhibition Report: Idemitsu Museum of Arts 'Introduction to Appreciating Japanese Beauty: Japanese Art Shiritori'

[Approx. 3,200 characters, approx. 20 photos]
I visited the Idemitsu Museum of Arts for the first time to see the exhibition titled "Japanese Art Shiritori." Here are my thoughts.

To start with the conclusion, I was extremely satisfied. In particular, I felt that the thoughtful explanations from the viewer's perspective and the tasteful curation were the best I've seen this year. It was an exhibition where you could enjoy yourself while having your intellectual curiosity stimulated, thinking, 'Wow, that's beautiful,' and also, 'I see, that's educational. I want to learn more about Japanese art.' I really wanted more people to know about the Idemitsu Museum of Arts.intellectual curiosity stimulated were the best I've seen this year. It was an exhibition where you could enjoy yourself while having your

▶︎ Access

The Idemitsu Museum of Arts is about a 5-minute walk from Hibiya Station or Yurakucho Station. The same building houses the Imperial Theatre and others. Since it is on the 9th floor of the building, passersby would hardly notice that there is a wonderful museum there.

Address: 3-1-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo

▶︎ About the Idemitsu Museum of Arts

I visited the Idemitsu Museum of Arts for the first time.

The collection gathered by Sazo Idemitsu, the founder of Idemitsu Kosan, includes two National Treasures and 57 Important Cultural Properties. It is said that he particularly loved the works of Sengai Gibon and Tanomura Chikuden.

There are two Idemitsu Museums of Arts, one in Tokyo and one in Moji, Fukuoka (opened in 2000). The Tokyo museum is scheduled for a full building reconstruction around 2025. I am glad I was able to visit before the reconstruction.

For me, 'Idemitsu' brings to mind 'The Man Called Pirate' (Naoki Hyakuta). Since the novel mentions offices in Kyushu and Tokyo, as well as art collection stories, the memories of reading the novel came back to me.The Man Called Pirate

▶︎ 'Introduction to Appreciating Japanese Beauty: Japanese Art Shiritori'

The theme of this exhibition is ' Introduction to Appreciation ' and ' Enjoyment '. It arranges works from various genres in a friendly 'Shiritori' (word chain) format. All exhibited works are from the Idemitsu Museum of Arts collection. By the way, the 'Shiritori' feel was subtle throughout (could there have been a more fitting word than 'Shiritori'...? Maybe a 'bead stringing' connection?).

In addition to paintings, many crafts and applied arts were also on display. From combs to inkstone cases, everything was incredibly detailed, allowing me to perceive the dedication of that time. Because of this, I was able to understand the appeal of Japanese art beyond paintings and became interested in it.

Photography was strictly prohibited throughout the exhibition. I wanted to take pictures of the museum's display layout and explanatory notes rather than the artworks themselves (see below).

The greatest features of this exhibition were the thoroughness of the explanations and good sense of design, and I thought it was the best-curated exhibition of the year. I would love to hear the opinions of people who work in museums.

For example, in the captions, there were thoughtful touches for readability everywhere, such as easy-to-understand word choices (game, standard, design, etc.), minimal use of kanji, highlighting with line markers, illustration icons, fonts suited to the content, and incorporating English titles effectively into the design.

Also, there were "appreciation tips" here and there, and the detailed explanations of folding screens and hanging scrolls were educational. I learned for the first time that folding screens have formats like 'six-panel pair'. Unlike paintings, folding screens stand on their own. Thanks to the careful explanatory panels, I was able to appreciate the fascination of folding screens once again.

The fractal designs of Japanese paintings are filled with symmetrical meanings (crow vs. white heron, spring vs. summer, etc.) that differ from the symmetrical compositions of Europe. By learning about this subtlety, design ingenuity, and playfulness from the explanatory notes, I was able to better understand the spirit and charm of Japanese painting (Japonisme).

I don't really like Western art. This is because the compositions and scattered objects often carry meanings referenced from the Bible or other sources, so you can't enjoy them without prior knowledge. Come to think of it, I realized that Japanese painting is the same way 😅

In addition to the explanations and structure that naturally sparked interest throughout, the environment for appreciation was also well-prepared, including 1) glass with little reflection, 2) easy-to-understand route signage, and 3) appropriately dimmed spaces.

Furthermore, I felt a good sense in the placement of the works. The works were displayed using plenty of the spacious area, and there was sufficient space between them. When a single folding screen was placed prominently in a large display case, its impact, stillness, and profoundness were conveyed. The room structure, which had some variations in height, was also interesting.

The section descriptions had extensive English translations. On the other hand, I thought it was a shame that there was no English for the individual artwork captions (I wonder what the circumstances are behind that).

This is because I was able to gain a deep understanding of the characteristics of Japanese art by reading the section descriptions and then reading the specific descriptions for individual works. However, I hardly saw any foreign visitors. Since the beauty and fun of Japanese art can be easily understood by foreigners as well, I think they should strengthen their promotion abroad.

Photography of the artworks was not allowed, but having a photo spot helped resolve the dissatisfaction of those who wanted to take pictures. If I had to ask for more, it would have been best if at least one or two representative works could be photographed...

In addition to the special exhibition, there were permanent rooms for Rouault and ceramic shards. There were seven Rouault works in total. I feel like I saw 'Biblical Landscapes' at the Panasonic Shiodome Museum of Art as well. The ceramic shard room was mysterious. It seems like there would be no end to collecting ceramic shards...

▶︎Summary

What did you think? What left an impression on me was the careful explanations and the tasteful curation. I felt it was the most accessible exhibition I've seen this year. Therefore, true to the theme of an introduction to appreciation, I was able to deepen my knowledge of Japanese art and enjoy viewing it. I hope more people get to know about the Idemitsu Museum of Arts!

▶︎Today's Museum Meal