[Exhibition Report] Taro Okamoto Memorial Museum "Kenji Yanobe: Taro, Cats, and the Sun" and more

[Approx. 4,600 characters, approx. 65 photos]
Taro Okamoto Memorial Museum (Minami-Aoyama, Tokyo) is currently hosting "Kenji Yanobe: Taro, Cats, and the Sun," and I also viewed the atrium art at GINZA SIX titled "BIG CAT BANG." Here are my thoughts.

To start with the conclusion, I am glad that this exhibition deepened my understanding of Kenji Yanobe's ideas regarding hope for the future! I also thought it was a great example of a win-win successful collaboration between GINZA SIX and the Taro Okamoto Memorial Museum. The price is low, and the exhibition content is "absurd," so I recommend it even to those who are usually uninterested in art or to children!

This exhibition was a bit unique. First, I recommend visiting the Taro Okamoto Memorial Museum after viewing the atrium art at GINZA SIX.

▶︎ Reason for visiting

I have seen Kenji Yanobe's works in various places before. However, I had never seen a solo exhibition of his, so I never had the opportunity to learn about Kenji Yanobe's philosophy. Therefore, I thought this was a good opportunity and decided to visit. The good access and low admission fee (650 yen) of the Taro Okamoto Memorial Museum were also reasons.

▶︎ GINZA SIX atrium art "BIG CAT BANG"

The "BIG CAT BANG" stands impressively in the atrium space. This giant work, measuring 8.6m deep x 6.3m wide x 6.6m high, welcomes visitors (installed until the summer of 2025).

This is not just a cute cat; it has a proper story behind it.

Every visitor was admiring "BIG CAT BANG," saying "How cute," while taking photos of the work or posing for pictures with it.

For someone raised in the Kansai region like me, (even without having experienced the '70 Osaka Expo), I feel a natural sense of pride and familiarity with the Tower of the Sun. I felt happy to see that same Tower of the Sun being loved by people in Tokyo right in the middle of Ginza.

The way you perceive "BIG CAT BANG" changes depending on the angle from which you view it. Visitors walk around the building to see it from various heights and angles. As a result, visitors naturally notice the tenants inside the building as well. I thought this was a good idea to improve the circulation of the building.

Some of Kenji Yanobe's works were also exhibited inside the building. The "SHIP’S CAT" is a "sailor cat" that boarded ships during the Age of Discovery. It is said that they became guardian deities that helped ensure safety and good encounters, and the work embodies the wish to guide the journeys of people and young people even in a confused world.

Also, what is interesting about this exhibition is that it not only encourages circulation within the building but also directs visitors to the Taro Okamoto Memorial Museum. I thought this was a great initiative where both GINZA SIX and the Taro Okamoto Memorial Museum win-win by increasing visitor numbers. I am also happy that you can access Omotesando Station from Ginza Station with a single ride on the Ginza Line.

For this atrium space, the correct answer is to place works that are simply photogenic. I think it's a good system that gets spread automatically on social media.

However, it was a shame that you couldn't take photos from directly underneath the work (for safety reasons). There are many points to see in the center of the Tower of the Sun as well. I thought that if the width of the flow line was properly secured, there would be no safety issues. I think Kenji Yanobe might also be unhappy that it cannot be viewed from directly underneath 😢

▼ Ginza Tsutaya Books "Etsu Egami: Life Line" (6th Floor)

▼ Mulberry (3rd Floor) Mulberry has relocated (as of this March). There was a
nice-looking notebook cover in the store (only one in stock). I might have considered buying it if it were black. Like Chrome Hearts, I think if leather brands in the world sold leather planner covers and notebook covers, they would sell quite well to men.

▶︎ Taro Okamoto Memorial Museum "Kenji Yanobe: Taro, Cats, and the Sun"

This is my second time visiting the Taro Okamoto Memorial Museum. I particularly love Taro Okamoto's quote, "Art is the same as a stone by the roadside." Taro Okamoto preached that art does not belong to noble people, but to ordinary people, and is life itself. This resonates with my belief that art is something to simply enjoy, rather than something to look at with a difficult expression while spouting jargon.

The number of exhibits in the museum is not large. Among them, the video works helped me understand the background of this exhibition and Kenji Yanobe's ideas well. It is even more effective when viewed in conjunction with GINZA SIX.

Every piece was very photogenic. They certainly all had an impactful "ridiculousness". Kenji Yanobe's style is (naturally) very compatible with the Tower of the Sun. It was impressive that all the visitors were viewing the exhibits with smiles on their faces.

Crossing the aerial corridor from the second-floor exhibition room leads to a room displaying video works and Kenji Yanobe's sketches.

This video work was helpful in understanding Kenji Yanobe. After all, when it comes to understanding something, video is the quickest way.

According to Kenji Yanobe, his signature work "Sun Child" is intended to convey the message of finding hope even in the midst of despair.

"BIG CAT BANG" was created with inspiration from Taro Okamoto's "Art is an explosion" and "Tower of the Sun". It is said to contain a story about "where life comes from and where it goes".

The universe was born 13.8 billion years ago in the Big Bang, the Earth was formed 4.5 billion years ago, and life is said to have emerged from amino acids 3.5 billion years ago. On the other hand, there is also a theory that life came from meteorites that fell from space (panspermia theory), and "BIG CAT BANG" is said to be a prequel to the "Tree of Life" based on that.

And now, in 2024, after the pandemic, we live in a sorrowful world where wars never cease. On an Earth that has been exposed to crises many times, the next shock might be caused by humans through things like nuclear explosions. The work contains a message to pass on the "imagination to create the future" received from Taro Okamoto to the next generation.

From these works and videos, I was able to reaffirm that Kenji Yanobe is an artist whose message is "hope for the future". At first glance, they may just look like kitschy works. However, the fact that there is a solid intention and background behind them makes me feel they are similar to Yayoi Kusama or Takashi Murakami.

In the atelier space on the first floor, unlike the usual state, "SHIP’S CAT" was everywhere, which was heartwarming. As expected of the Taro Okamoto Memorial Museum, they are very broad-minded.

There were also many "SHIP’S CAT" figures, including large and small ones, in the garden.

I was surprised by how many more visitors there were than I imagined at the Taro Okamoto Memorial Museum. I saw many children, young women, and couples among them. I think this is the result of successfully generating buzz for the exhibition in conjunction with GINZA SIX.

At the museum shop, there was a wealthy parent and child who played the "SHIP’S CAT" gashapon (500 yen per turn) four or five times. Wouldn't they make quite a profit if they placed these gashapon at GINZA SIX as well? 💰

▼ The "SOU・SOU" street-level store I learned about for the first time

▶︎ Summary

How was it? Up until now, I had mostly seen Kenji Yanobe's works individually. Through this exhibition, it was a gain to be able to recognize Kenji Yanobe's humanity and the "questions about the future" he puts into his works. Also, it was an exhibition that collaborated very well, increasing the number of visitors for both GINZA SIX and the Taro Okamoto Memorial Museum. I think other museums should definitely use this as a reference 📝

▶︎ Today's museum meal

▼ Easy-to-understand posts about the "Kenji Yanobe: Taro, Cats, and the Sun" exhibition