Shinsui Ito (1898-1972) was a central figure in Japan's artistic identity crisis during the 20th century. As wave after wave of artistic 'Isms' from overseas broke upon these shores, native artists felt compelled to either abandon their own rich artistic traditions or embrace them even more strongly. Ito, whose works are briefly on display at the Takashimaya Gallery in Nihonbashi, was one of those artists who chose the latter course, joining the Nihonga movement, which looked to Japan’s past for inspiration rather than the confusing plethora of ideas pouring in from abroad.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Shinsui Ito: A Passionate Embrace of Nihon
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Ikuo Hirayama: solace on the silk road
Ikuo Hirayama clearly represents how the Japanese like to see — and project — themselves. His paintings, located in the strong traditions of nihonga (Japanese-style painting), are unmistakably Japanese, but they look outwards to the rest of the world and express the spirit of peaceful cooperation and appreciation of our common world heritage that is a popular theme on Japanese TV travel programs. For this, he has been noticed and honored abroad, most notably when he was made a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador in 1988.
Neoteny: The Japanese really are forever young
General Douglas MacArthur famously said that Japan was a nation of 12-year-olds. Well, he wasn’t talking about fighting abilities, as the Japanese gave the Allies the fright of their lives in World War II. Nor could such a remark have applied to their level of intelligence, as Japanese consistently outscore Westerners by an average of 5 to 6 points in international IQ comparisons. Nor was it their business acumen, as, starting from the bombed out ruins of 1945, these “12-year-olds” built their economy into the second biggest in the world in a few decades. So, what the heck was MacArthur talking about? Whether he knew it or not, he was probably talking about neoteny.
Pearl Harbor: How Japan Saved the World for Democracy
December 2001 marks the 60th anniversary of Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor. Once again we have the opportunity to either look back in anger or, now that the embers of history have grown cold, to rake through them and ask what was the real significance of that fateful day.
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