Batik is a resist printing technique using wax, performed repeatedly to create exquisite and intricate designs, and has become familiar under the name of "Indonesian Sarasa" in Japan. Indonesia has long been an amalgam of more than 300 folk and ethnic groups each with their own unique cultures, languages, societies and ways of life, which became an even more diverse and rich society thanks to traffic with borrowed foreign cultures. Against this background of cultural diversity in the plurality of regions in Indonesia, unique batik styles intricately tied to the lives of each area have come about. This exhibition gives a broad introduction to the history and appeal of batik, showcasing around 400 pieces from the wide collection of Masakatsu Totsu, a professor of Asian region studies at Kokushikan University. Welcoming 50 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries that began with the first royal emissaries and contemporary artists and researchers, batik reveals a rich vein of artistic endeavor through this medium that has been transmitted from generation to generation, and one that has been inherited by a new contemporary generation of Indonesian artists.

There are many ways of enjoying museum visits - finding oneself moved by a photo-perfect landscape, laughing at the simplified figures of a portrait painting, wondering if you could pull off one of those haphazardly drawn abstract works... This exhibition tries to make art accessible to all from a variety of standpoints, aimed at both kids and adults. This is a prime opportunity to get acquainted with the Yokosuka Museum of Art's collection while having fun at the same time. Various guided programs, workshops and even an art appreciation worksheet have been prepared for visitors, all designed to encourage as much participation and attendance as possible, especially from those who might feel museum to not be a child-friendly destination, who have never been to a museum, or who want a slightly different spin on museum-going in general. [Image: Kyuzaburo Ito, "By the Window", 1931]

Bauhaus began in Weimar in Germany as a school for design in 1919. Centered on Weimar, Dessau and Berlin, Bauhaus was forced to close down in 1933 with the rise of the Nazi regime. However, even 75 years after its founding, it continues to have a profound influence on design and architecture around the world. This exhibition focuses on how Bauhaus was variously interpreted and appropriated during different periods of its history, and on the Dessau period in particular. During its short period of activity, concrete manifestations of the ideals of its founder, Walter Gropius, were constructed in Dessau. From his student work that shows the influences of his formative education, right up to his designs for stage sets, products from his atelier, drawings, and photographs, this show showcases the broad range of Bauhaus activities. The show also includes architectural sections, blueprints and diagrams, models and images. The selection features a total of around 260 works, 241 of which are from the Bauhaus Dessau Foundation's collection. 146 of them will be exhibited in Japan for the first time.

This exhibition presents 50 works by 50 representative contemporary nihonga painters, divided into two halves. Artists range from Yuki Ogura, who until his death in 2000 created a prodigious volume of work that left behind a deep imprint on the history and development of nihonga, to Toshio Tabuchi and Chinami Nakajima. The exhibition offers a wide survey to prominent nihonga associations like the Inten (Tamako Kataoka, Eien Iwahashi, Chuichi Konno), NItten (Kaii Higashiyama, Gensou Okuda, Tatsuo Takayama) and Sogaten (Shoko Uemura, Kazuho Hieda, Matazo Kayama), as well as independent practitioners with no institutional affiliation (Junsaku Koizumi, Susumu Maki, Hiroaki Kondo). Today, the expression "kachouga" (painting of flowers and birds) has come to be little used, replaced by the generic term "nihonga," but the nature-loving Japanese continue to be profoundly touched by a certain essence that continues to flower in this genre of painting. 1st half: May 15th (Thu) - June 15th (Sun) 2nd half: June 19th (Thu) - July 21st (Mon, national holiday)

Opening Party: June 21st (Sat) 17:00-19:00

Michisei Kono (1895-1950), the genius of modern painting, is known for his strikingly realistic paintings with his fantastical imagination. Kono was part of Sodosha, a painters group based in Yoyogi. He created a number of landscape paintings of Yoyogi and Harajuku areas. This retrospective exhibition presents his oil paintings, drawings, illustrations, and copperplate prints, most of which were recently discovered. Talk Events -"Imaginative Drawings, Illustration and Cover Design" June 21st (Sat), 14:00 Lecturer: Shinichiro Iwagiri (professor of Tokyo Bunka Junior College) -"Michisei Kono, The Art of Line from Nagano and Sodosha Era" July 5th (Sat), 14:00 Lecturer: Hitoshi Yamamura (assistant director of Fuchu Art Museum) [Image: "Portrait of Koshi" (1916) Collection of Tokyo National Museum of Modern Art]

"Graphic Design in Japan" is the yearbook first published in 1981 by Japan Graphic Designer Association, consisting of 2500 professional members. Ever since, this heavily-illustrated yearbook has annually introduced selected works from stringent screening process. Celebrating the publication of 2008 edition at the end of this month, this exhibition showcases about 300 design works (both life and video screening), which cover all sorts of media: sundries, books, product packages, symbol logos, posters, advertisement, websites, videos and spatial design among others. There will also be talk shows by graphic designers and art directors during the exhibition. Please visit the exhibition website for more details.

1F -"History Road - Tracing Generations of Iron Horses" Looks back on the 105 year-old history of Harley Davidson, with a variety of exhibited works such as Haley bikes, video, advertisements and painting. 3F -"Memorial Road -Rushing Through Showa Era" Iron horses were introduced full-scale to Japan at the beginning of the Showa era. This exhibition will bring back memories of the time with a presentation of photographs capturing these historic moments.

Location: Exhibition Room 3 Contact: Shogakukan Production Sales & Production Division 03-3515-6905

Northern European style sun umbrellas produced by Konst are on display and for sale. Using textiles such as Marimekko, Almedahls, and Jobs from northern Europe, the umbrellas have unique patterns of plants and geometric shapes.

Mt. Fuji is a familiar icon, often seen as a subject of worship, which appears in various stories and as a motif in art. How was this collective image of Mt. Fuji developed over time? Since the old times, Mt. Fuji has been employed in painting, but especially since the late Edo period, artists began to embrace a more modernized view of the mountain, in addition to its traditional image. In the Meiji period, various crafts were exported overseas and many of them depicted Mt. Fuji as a symbol of Japan. From the Taisho to Showa period, the image of Mt. Fuji was used to represent the idea of national polity, frequently appearing on posters in the mass media. However, in the postwar era, Mt. Fuji began to portray an antithesis of tradition, a meaningless motif, undermining Japan's complicated history. Throughout different time periods, Mt. Fuji always appeared in various art forms. This exhibition presents various ways Mt. Fuji has been depicted in modern and contemporary contexts through paintings, crafts, and everyday items. Related Events -Opening Event: Mt. Fuji in the Bathhouse: Live Painting! Mt. Fuji is often painted on the walls of bathhouses in Japan. Live painting by Kiyoto Maruyama. Date: June 7th (Sat) 13:30 Location: Museum entrance, Gallery Echo (No reservation required, free) -Lecture "Art of Mt. Fuji" by Akira Hirabayashi, Sachiko Wada (museum curators) Date: June 29th (Sun) 14:30 Location: Lecture room (No reservation required, free) -Gallery Talk by Museum Curator Dates: June 8th (Sun) 14:30, July 12th (Sat) 14:00 Location: gallery (No reservation required, exhibition ticket required to enter) -Silver Art Lecture Date: July 12th (Sat) 13:00-13:30 Location: Lecture room (No reservation required, free) -Lecture for Junior High School Students Date: June 28th (Sat) 10:00-11:30 Reservation: June 11th - 18th -Come and Join! Art Adventure For 4th to 6th grade elementary school students Date: July 5th (Sat) 10:00-11:30 Reservation: June 18th - 25th -Art Lecture for Parents and Children For 1st to 3rd grade elementary school students and their parents Date: July 5th (Sat) 14:00-14:30 Reservation: June 18th - 25th [Image: Tiger Tateishi "Micro Fuji" (1984) Mori Art Museum]

Live event filling the space of High-Kyo with collage by 4 artists.

12 person group exhibition of media art students from Women's Art University. This is the 4th installment of the exhibition, taking the theme "Rouge".

Exhibition and sale of works by 40 artists from the Tohoku University of Art and Design.

Celebrating the grand opening of online gallery and select shop, Salone Aoyama, limited one-week real shop event will be held at Gallery Dojunkai.

Opening Party: July 16th (Wed) 18:00-20:00

Works by emerging artists are on display. vol.145 April 28th (Mon) - May 11th (Sun) Chisato Fujita (Ceramic) vol.146 March 13th (Tue) - March 25th (Sun) Iracu (Bag, small works) vol.147 March 26th (Mon) - June 8th (Sun) Tomomi Kawakami (Glass) vol.148 June 9th (Mon) - June 22nd (Sun) Salon de Pink (Bag) vol.149 June 23rd (Mon) - July 6th (Sun) Miki Inoue (Glass) vol.150 July 7th (Mon) - July 21st (Sun) Kazumi Yoshimura (Ceramic)

Tomio Yotsuya (1938-1963) was born in Yokohama. He began creating work in 1963, but in 1963, when he was about to have his first solo exhibition, he was killed in a car accident at the young age of 25. This exhibition presents Yotsuya's works from the museum's permanent collection, along with other works by modern and contemporary artists, which deal with themes associated with summer. [Image: "Still Life" Collection of Hiratsuka Museum of Art]

Group cat-themed exhibition.

Painting, metalwork, glass... Work in various media by four artists in an exhibition where the X's are for you to fill in yourself!

Photographer Eikoh Hosoe's life is a reflection of the path taken by postwar Japanese photographic history. Hosoe has consistently made work that channels artistic concepts originating in Europe and America and bringing a certain intensity of expression and strength of vision to Japanese photography. Hosoe bought his first camera when he was 15, in 1948. While still a teenager, he mingled with artists like Eikyu, Masuo Ikeda, Masa Kato, Toru Takemitsu and On Kawara, while being strongly influenced by the work of Teijiro Kubo, Shuzo Takiguchi and Shikanosuke Oka. Upon graduation from the photography department of the Tokyo Photography College (now Tokyo Polytechnic University) at 21, Hosoe decided to work as a freelance photographer right away. In 1959, Hosoe formed the Vivo group (disbanded in 1961) along with Kikuji Kawada, Akira Sato, Akira Tanno, Shomei Tomatsu and Ikko Narahara, producing their own work and establishing an economic base for their activities. The same year that Vivo was founded, Hosoe became friends with Anraku Butoh founder Tatsumi Hijikata and saw the "Kinshoku" performance at the Dai-ichi Seimei Hall in Tokyo which left a deep impression on him. Like Hosoe, Hijikata was born in Akita in the Tohoku region of Japan. At the age of 21, when Hosoe decided to become a photographer, Hijikata was inspired by Kazuo Ono's butoh performance in Kanda, Tokyo and entered the world of life as a butoh performer. The encounter between these two artists flowered forth after the photo collection "Kamaitachi" was published in 1969 by Gendai Shisousha. Although Hijikata passed away in 1986 at the age of 57, his spirit seems to live on in Hosoe, who produced an Eros-inspired color work entitled "Shunpon: Ukiyo-e Urushi," shot at HIjikata's former training ground, the Asbestos-kan in Meguro, Tokyo (closed 2003), where Hosoe shot photographs of butoh artists (and Hijikata disciples) whose bodies had been painted white and on whom images of ukiyo-e were projected. Following this, Hosoe used digital technology in conjunction with Japanese folding screens, hanging scrolls and other traditional arts in pursuit of a new photographic style. This solo exhibition by Hosoe at Epsite is a manifestation of this fusion of the fundamental components of both technology and Japanese culture. Gallery Talk by the artist July 5th (Sat) 15:00-16:00

The Universtiy Art Museum will present the "Geidai Collection" exhibition in order to introduce the art collection of the Tokyo University of the Arts. The collection, whose formation began with the establishment of the Tokyo School of Fine Arts 120 years ago, contains such diverse works as antique arts, modern Japanese-style paintings, Western-style paintings, prints, sculptures and crafts, as well as works by the University's former teachers and students, consisting of over 29,000 items in total, including 22 that have been designated important cultural properties. The spring-season Geidai Collection Exhibition held from April is a regular showcase of some of the major works from this collection. In the past academic year, the Museum organized special exhibitions of "Western-style Japanese painters, Paris" and "Okakura Tenshin: The Course of Art Education" to commemorate the 120th anniversary of the founding of the University. This was a prominent showcase of a number of major works from the collection and a reaffirmation of its historical importance. There are many works in the collection, however, which have been recognized as major pieces but have rarely had opportunities to be exhibited. In light of this, this season's Geidai Collection Exhibition has chosen to exhibit works that have not yet been exhibited in recent years, showing them alongside other major works of antique arts, modern Japanese-style painting, Western-style painting, sculpture, craft and design. In particular, antique arts, modern Japanese-style paintings and drawings are exhibited over three separate periods so that visitors to the exhibition can see as many works as possible. In addition, this Geidai Collection Exhibition has two special sections: 1. "Tokyo School of Fine Arts and Bauhaus" As a related project to "the BAUHAUS Experience, Dessau", an ongoing exhibition that is being held at the Museum almost concurrently (April 26th-July 21st), this section showcases a selection of graduation works from the Zuan ("Design") Department of the Tokyo School of Fine Arts (today, the Department of Design and Department of Architecture) from the Taisho and early Showa periods that reveals the influence of Bauhaus on the School. 2. "Kazuo Kikuchi and His Legacy" 2008 marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Kazuo Kikuchi (1908-1985), a former professor of sculpture at the University. This section focuses on works by Kikuchi and some of the other sculptors related to him drawn from the Museum's collection. *Exhibited works will be changed throughout the exhibition period, with the following 3 sessions: The 1st period: April 10th (Thu) - May 11th (Sun) The 2nd period: May 13th (Tue) - June 15th (Sun) The 3rd period: June 17th (Tue) - July 21st (Mon/National Holiday)

This is a retrospective exhibition of representative Yo-ga painter Hiroshi Okutani. Okutani was born in Shukumo City in Kochi prefecture in 1934. He studied oil painting at Tokyo National University of Fine Arts & Music, exploring representational painting while the trend of the time was abstract painting. After graduating, he began working as an assistant at the school, creating fresco painting. While doing this, he began to incorporate the technique of using thin layers of paint. His work began to be known in public in 1967, and Okutani took a chance to go to France with government sponsorship. After absorbing various expressions found in western painting, Okutani returned to Japan, but decided to go back to France in 1971. Living there for three years, he expanded his interest and established his original style of vividly composing images and colors. Okutani has received a number of awards, including the "Person of Cultural Merits" award last year. This exhibition showcases 57 paintings as well as drawings he created since the age of 20, introducing his career, which spans half a century. Related Events (1) Hiroshi Okutani x Museum Director Ichikawa Gallery Talk Dates: June 18th (Wed) & July 5th (Sat) 13:30-14:30 Exhibition ticket required. (2) Gallery Talk Date: July 19th (Sat) 13:30-14:30 Exhibition ticket required. (3) Night Time Gallery Talk by Museum Curators Dates: June 13th (Fri), June 20th (Fri), June 27th (Fri), July 4th (Fri), July 11th (Fri), July 18th (Fri) 18:00-18:20 Exhibition ticket required. [Image: "Budda's Head" (1998) Private collection]

After succeeding in becoming the latest craze, Kayo Ume (aka Ume-chan) is coming back to Little More Chika! Theme of this exhibition is "Mr. Granpa". When Ume started taking photos as a high school student, her first subject was her granpa sitting right in front of her. Growing up in snow-filled former Yanagida Village (Ishikawa prefecture) with her parents and grandparents, Ume still visits her granpa in her hometown and records his life whenever time allows. Celebrating the launch of her photo book with the same title, this exhibition showcases portraits of Ume family. Related events -Artist Talk -Kayo Ume × Shin Sobue (designer) Date & Time: July 4th (Fri) 19:30 (doors open at 19:00) -Slide Show & Autograph Session Date & Time: July 18th (Fri) 19:30 (doors open at 19:00) Fee: ¥500 Capacity: 40 people (reservation required) Reservation starts on June 10th (Tue) Contact: 03-3401-1042 (Little More Chica) Weekdays 10:00-18:00 Please visit the venue website for more details.

Kazumi Yoshimura visualizes colors seen in nature through her ceramic works. The forms of these vessels fit nicely in your hand, bringing a sort of everyday contentment to the user.

Nude, tropical plants, and still life paintings by Kotaro Sonoe are on display. Carefully composing shapes, colors, and lines, he explores possibilities of painting. This is his first exhibition. Reception: July 19th (Sat) 18:00

Rubber stamp prints depicting streetscapes in the Fukagawa area.

In this first solo exhibition by the artist, 100 drawings depicting archetypal scenes from everyday life will be on display.

Dates & Times July 16th (Wed) 16:00-18:00 July 17th (Thur)-20th (Sun) 12:00-18:00 July 21st (Mon) 12:00-16:00

Tokyo International Lesbian & Gay Film Festival is one of the largest film festivals in Asia started in 1992. Outstanding films dealing with sexuality and gender issues are on screen. Please refer to the official website of the film festival for details. The film festival first starts at Shinjuku Wald 9, screening between July 11th (Fri) - 13th (Sun).

July 13th (Sun)-July 17th (Thu) [W:1-A] Teketekebia "Kijinhenjin Daikyouun" Illustration July 15th (Tue)-July 18th (Fri)[E:201 202] Magnet "2008 A/W" Fashion July 16th (Wed)-July 18th (Fri) [W:2-C] Deekei & Wacwac "Perorinpoi" 2 Artists: Painting and 3D object July 17th (Thu)-July 19th (Sat) [W:2-A] International Culture School Fashion Course "Nothing" Makeup July 18th (Fri)-July 20th (Sun) [W:1-A] Tomomi Miyahara "Anoko wo Umeta Atode.." Illustration July 18th (Fri)-July 20th (Sun) [E:102] Piroko Univers Fashion July 19th (Sat)-July 20th (Sun) [W:1-C] Will Send Later Painting, Multimedia and Installation July 19th (Sat)-July 20th (Sun) [E:301] Gas "Summer Exhibition 2008 -Mix Colors" Group: Illustration and Graphic Design July 19th (Sat)-July 21st (Mon) [W:1-B] Yuko "Kawaii" Illustration July 19th (Sat)-July 21st (Mon) [W:1-F] Love Chookje Group: Photography, Film Screening, DJ and Sweets July 19th (Sat)-July 21st (Mon) [W:1-G] Kodachi Miroku Illustration, Photography and Graphic Design July 19th (Sat)-July 21st (Mon) [W:2-B] Analog Complex "Bamboo Princess" Group: Space Art [Image: Gas "Summer Exhibition 2008 -Mix Colors"]

Tokusen Gallery -Minori Yoshita ceramics exhibition -Mitsuo Masuda and 24 craftsmen exhibition (goldsmithery) -Wood sculptures Bijutsu Salon -19th century European woodblock prints exhibition Art Square -Hideaki Suzuki exhibition Craft Salon -Satsuma-yaki ceramics exhibition

Ikuta has been based himself in the San-in region of Japan, taking photographs of environment around him. In November 2006, upon the opening of Yamaguchi Prefecture National Cultural Festival, Ikuta happened to visit Yashiro Island (Suo Oshima Town, Yamaguchi Prefecture) and Kurahashi Island (Kurahashi Town, Kure City, Hiroshima Prefecture), both located in the Seto Inland Sea region. There, he was striken a chord with residents' daily life and the islands' seasonal traditions. Since then, he traveled through these islands for 6 times in total, capturing sculptural elements he found in the scenery. While Ikuta's photographs on view don't necessarily portray beautiful sceneries of the islands, they captivate viewers with a sense of nostalgia, relief and surprise. 45 color photographs are on display.

Yuji Nishijima is a sculptor in search of his own notion of the medium, creating works using materials such as iron, concrete and wire. His interest lies not only in the works themselves, but also with his relationship to the audiences that come to his exhibitions. He defines this relationship as a part of his work. At this exhibition entitled "An Indication of Existence", Nishijima will create his sculptures in the form of his own body using numerous coils of copper wire. Opening reception, viola performance by Nao Kaneko, public demonstration July 3rd (Thu) 19:00-21:00

Asada creates situational self-portraits of his own family, confronting new possibilities in photography by looking at the interrelationships between performance roles and actual positions and configurations that dictate family life. In these works, his father plays yakuza boss while Asada and his brother are his underlings. Or else they become an entire family of firemen, or then again pose as a family business. In this way, Asada reexamines the power of the "souvenir photo". This exhibition features the Asada family series with the artist's 4 family members acting out comical portraits as firemen, ramen shop owners and members of a criminal underworld. Through humor, this series of 40 color photographs hopes to prompt discussion about actual familial roles.

Exhibition of numerous handmade objects made of wood, brass and stain paints taking as their motifs the things that surround us. The theme of the exhibition is "happy stories between people and things". About 50 items, accessories for living, industrial products like machines and typewriters, along with organs, robots, toasters, instruments, toys and so on, are on display.

Takehiko Sanada was born in Tokyo in 1962. After graduating from the Kuwazawa Design Research Institute, he worked as a fashion designer. In search of more free modes of expression, Sanada then spent time in England working as assistant to sculptor Richard Deacon. After studying sculpture, Sanada experienced communal living with Eskimos in Greenland in the Arctic Circle, learning about the indigenous culture of the Inuits. After returning to Japan in 1995, Sanada exhibited his installation and sculptural work using goat and other animal hair and vegetal fibers at various venues, such as the Roppongi Crossing exhibition at the Mori Art Museum and Maison Hermes. In addition, he also organized numerous projects held to reconsider the place of traditional local Japanese textile cultures in places like Koiwai farm in Iwate prefecture and the Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale. Sanada, who has in recent years conducted fieldwork projects and organized group exhibitions to involve local areas with a relationship to the ground, will show new works at this exhibition, his first solo show in 6 years, featuring 3D works spun out of the animal and plant materials that were his starting point for sculpture. The result is work that enables viewers to actually feel the palpable sense of "life" that is at the origin of these materials. [Image: "Transition No.1" (2008) wool, alpaca, mohair]

This is the third edition of the exhibition series, "Colors", taking monochrome as the theme. For this exhibition, 25 illustrators created works using black on white background.

This is the 19th edition of "A Trip to the History of Modern Architecture Sketch Exhibition", which started in 1993 with the aim to send hearty cheers to historical buildings located in various places by sketching them. The first stage of the exhibition is held at Ayumi Gallery in Kagurazaka. -Opening Party Date & Time: July 18th (Fri) 18:00 Fee: ¥1000 *Reservation not required.

Celebrating the theatrical screenings of their feature films this year, two up-and-coming directors Masaya Kakei and Izuru Kumasaka, whose short films were nominated at Skip City International D-Cinema Festival 2005, will discuss the process of directing their first features and their film festival experiences overseas. Danny Krausz, the jury president of feature length competition, will join this event and talk about his efforts in discovering and fostering new film directors. This is the event targeted especially to future filmmakers and others from film industry who strive for development of new business. Prior to the meeting, there will be special screenings of Kakei's "Loss Time Life" (nominated work at 2005 short film competition/ 10 minutes) and Kumasaka's "Coffee and Milk" (Best Picture at 2005 short film competition/ 30 minutes). Date & Time: July 23rd (Wed) 16:00-18:00 Location: Skip City Convention Hall Fee: Free (Pre-registration required) *To sign up, please visit and get registered in advance. Guests: Masaya Kakei (director), Izuru Kumasaka (director), Danny Krausz (film producer/ Austria) Contact: Skip City International D-Cinema Festival Head Office 048-263-0818

Glass artist Akira Watanabe has a studio in an artist village located on top of a 430-meter mountain in Rakusai, Kyoto. Various artists hold their studios there, engaging in their artistic activities in such a creative environment surrounded by nature. Watanabe has a unique career as a craft artist. He first studied philosophy at a university, where he was introduced to the Art Nouveau and Art Deco movements, captured by the beauty of glass art. He worked for a glass-related company, while studying cutting techniques. Then he became an independent glass artist 10 years ago. This is Watanabe's first solo exhibition at Wako Hall showcasing a total of 80 glass plates, bowls, vessels, and glasses. He mainly incorporates glass-sheet layering technique creating a group of glittering-star-like glassware. [Image: "Seiyu" 29.5 x 31.5 x 4.5cm]

In this 4th solo exhibition by the artist, her Japanese paper work as well as collage work will be on display.

This exhibition features sci-fi and fantasy illustrations with bold colors. Postcards and other accessories are also on display and for sale.

Opening Party: July 18th (Fri) 18:00-20:00

Paper-made cobweb-like laces will envelope exhibition space. Party: July 21st (Mon/ National Holiday) 18:00

Around 100 works by the members of the Japan-China cultural exchange group. Jin Xingshi's most recent works dealing with the Sichuan earthquake are on display also.

-Nobuo Kurosawa Oil Painting Exhibition Born in Saitama Prefecture in 1930 and graduated from Tokyo University of the Arts in 1953. He is a member of Nittenkaiyu and Hakunichi-kai. Around 30 of winterscape and other landscape paintings are on display. -Hiro Ajiki's Tea Utensils

During the late Edo period, Jonin Mokujiki traveled on foot all over Japan and carved numerous Buddha figures. Born in 1718 in the village of Kai county (present Yamanashi prefecture), Mokujiki became a priest at age 22. When he was 56, Mokujiki began his religious pilgrimage, and after turning 60, finally started making Buddha statues. He is said to have created more than 1000 figures as traveling throughout Japan. During these years of vigorous activity, he cultivated unconventional style of his own. Since many of his Buddhas have a slight smile on their lips, they became known as "smiling Buddha" among pious people. Celebrating the 290 anniversary of Mokujiki's birth, the Sogo Museum of Art is holding large-scale retrospective for the first time in a decade, showcasing approximately 130 Buddha statues as well as about 30 documents. It will be a great opportunity for viewers to encounter a vast collection of his work brought together from around the country. -Special Talk "Mokujiki Discovered by Muneyoshi Yanagi" Date & Time: July 6th (Sun) 14:00 Capacity: 80 people Fee: Free *Numbered tickets will be distributed from 10:00 on July 6th at the entrance of the museum. -Gallery Talk The museum's curator gives commentaries on exhibited work. Date & Time: Every Saturday 14:00 [Image: "Amitabha Tathagata" Kosho-in collection (Kanagawa prefecture)]

Skip City Sai-no-Kuni Visual Plaza has 18 rental office spaces with the goal of producing top creators, providing various types of support with new creators to start their business. United Cinema is a multiplex chain with 4 cinemas in Saitama Prefecture and has performed a new type of theater management with emphasis on audience's point of view. In this event, representatives from Skip City and United Cinema will discuss from many different angles about film production put together based on needs of audience. The event will also introduce "Cinema Plot Competition", held by United Cinema since 2006, seeking possibilities for future collaboration between Skip City and United Cinema. What is necessary to attract 100,000 viewers in Saitama to a film created by a Skip City-approved young filmmaker? What sorts of films does audience crave for? This is the event targeted to creators, film industry people who strive for development of new business, and people from the local government. Date & Time: July 24th (Thur) 14:00-17:00 (open 13:30) Location: Sai-no-Kuni Visual Plaza 1F HD Studio Guests: Katsuhide Motoki (film director), Yasushi Udagawa (Dub Ltd. representative/ film producer), Satoru Tabei (United Cinema Ltd. marketing division manager) Fee: Free (Pre-registration required) *To sign up, please apply via email in advance from . Contact: Skip City International D-Cinema Festival Head Office 048-263-0818

Ichikawa started working with delusionary "sub-erotic" themes and Hokusai-influenced motifs and styles last year, giving them a contemporary treatment. 10 new works of "neo-japonisme" are on display. A party for the artist will be held on June 25th. All are invited to attend.

-Japan Contemporary Craft Art Exhibition Dates: July 9th (Wed)-July 24th (Thur) Location: Exhibition Rooms 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Contact: Kanagawa Prefectural Hall Operation Division 045-633-3687

At this event entitled "D-Contents Market", 8 up-and-coming film directors will aim to achieve a match between filmmakers and industry professionals as well as to realize feature film production, as giving individual presentations of their original feature film projects. Date & Time: July 25th (Fri) Open 13:30, Start 14:00 Location: Sai-no-kuni Visual Plaza 1F HD Studio Participants (Directors): Go Ohara, Miyako Yumoto, Kunpei Yanagawa, Shin Sonoda, Devi Kobayashi, Cecilia Ami Kitajima, Kohei Makita, Yoshiko Yamashita Please visit event website for reservation and more details.

While Japanese contemporary art market amounts to 2.5 billion yen per year, Chinese artists record sales of 3.0 billion yen at one-night auction. What do gallery people dream of in East Asian art market which is now experiencing the heyday of the bubble economy? In this event, Sueo Mizuma, the owner of Mizuma Art Gallery who opened a new gallery in Beijing last year, will talk about contemporary art market and ways to survive within it. Please join the event with a lot of questions. This is a great opportunity to discuss in person with Sueo Mizuma. Capacity: 30 people (reservation required) Fee: ¥1000 (includes 1 drink) Reservation: Please send an email to museumoftravel@gmail.com with the title "Camp Reservation" and the following information. Confirmation mail will be sent back within 24 hours. 1. event title: "TALK:0725" 2. name 3. email address 4. number of people attending

This is the inaugural edition of the "Shape of Today" exhibition at Galerie Nichido. 30 contemporary sculptors at the forefront of their discipline have been selected to exhibit their work at this exhibition organized by the Showa-kai, who also run the gallery. [Image: Yuji Banura, "Red Eagle", lacquered wood, H.28×W.26×D.30]

Gallery Side 2 is pleased to present "Transaction," a two-person exhibition by Yumiko Furukawa and Yasuko Watanabe. Yumiko Furukawa creates sculptural works that question the gap in perception between oneself and others by quoting popular novels. In this exhibition, she captures scenery intuitively in the form of sculpture. Yasuko Watanabe, a young and emerging female artist who held her debut solo exhibition in January this year, has produced works by utilizing various media such as photography, drawing and sculpture. Her works make free associations with the world outside the frame, dancing lightly at the boundary between the usual and the unusual.

This slide talk is presented by Sharmini Pereira, curator in residence with AIT during July with the support of the Backers Foundation. Sharmini Pereira was born in 1970 in the UK. After graduating from Edinburgh University in 1992 with an MA (Hons) in Art History she curated her first exhibition in 1994 called New Approaches in Contemporary Sri Lankan Art which was held at the National Art Gallery of Colombo. Between 1996-98 she completed an MA in Curating and Commissioning Contemporary Art at the Royal College of Art in London. Since then, she has worked internationally as an independent curator, editor and curatorial consultant across the public and private sector, working with institutions and organizations such as the Queensland Art Gallery, the Imperial War Museum, eyestorm.com, The Royal Academy, The Japan Foundation, Albion, the Hayward Gallery, and the British Council. She was one of the curators of The Singapore Biennale 2006. The talk will be held in English with consecutive translation into Japanese by AIT staff. Contact: Please send e-mail to office@a-i-t.net with the title "AIT Slide Talk #20 participation" and your name, date of attendance, organization and the e-mail address. A confirmation mail will be sent back to you. Prior booking required due to the limited space. To cancel reservation, please call prior to the event.

1968 marked a transition point in Japanese political history. Radical political views and activities, experimental mentalities, and rebellion against traditional social models came into the cultural foreground. This third Art Archive Exhibition analyzes the year 1968, focusing on Tatsumi Hijikata's performance, "Rebellion of the Body". This exhibition also includes documents from Shuzo Takiguchi and Shoichi Yui from the same period, presenting the idea of the "rebellion of the body" seen within the context of the year 1968.

[Image: "Mountain at the Center of the Earth's Surface" (2008) oil on canvas, 130 × 160cm]

A collaboration between Japanese illustrator Manabu Iguchi and Australian photographer Reuben Stanton of illustrated and photographic dreamscapes including (among other things) girls riding on fish, frightened ghosts and flying cats.

An artist's talk will be held Wednesday, July 2nd, 17:30-18:30

Minakawa began exhibiting at Art Box Gallery since 1999, and this solo exhibition is his 10th to be held here. Focusing mostly on his "Nurseryland Tales" series, this exhibition presents his popular character designs.

Why photography? At a time when digital work is becoming more and more conventional, what is expected of analog photography is that it conveys as realistically as possible memorable moments from the past of the person holding the camera. The seemingly endless blackness and smooth gradations seen in Okabe's work allows viewers to feel the texture, temperature and even moisture content of his subjects. His world, comprised simply of white and black, is in fact a remarkably powerful instrument for communicating effectively with viewers.

The Art Festival for World Peace is an international event that seeks ways to make contributions to world peace through art. Held once in four years, in Seoul in 2000 and Shanghai in 2004, the festival has come to Japan this year, 2008. Gallery Bijutsu Sekai is proud to hold this preview exhibition that will give visitors a foretaste of the upcoming festival.

Command N celebrates 10 years since its founding this year. Taking inspiration from the activities it has organized so far, this "Secret Auction @ Kandada" event aims to create a prime space and opportunity for audiences to encounter directly the art they love. The auction allows viewers to take in the work on display while taking into consideration the prices that the artists themselves have suggested for each work. Viewers then bid for the works according to their own desired prices, which are not revealed. Only the winning bid will be announced at a later date. Visitors can take their time to enjoy the work on display over 18 days from June 20th to July 19th, getting acquainted with the works and their suggested prices, trying their hand at coming to understand what it means to attach a price to an artwork and thinking about what value a piece of art possesses, monetary or otherwise. This practice, where bonds between artist and artwork, artwork and viewer are constructed, while normally known as a silent auction, is called a "secret auction" at Kandada. In conjunction with the auction, artists who have been involved with Command N projects, as well as next-generation young artists, will exhibit works in a wide variety of media - painting, sculpture, video, fashion, etc. Opening party and artist talk: June 20th (Fri), doors open 18:30, talk starts 19:30 Live performance by Oragan-o-rounge Great opportunity for visitors to meet exhibiting artists directly. Let's shrink the distance between ourselves and the art! Free entry (one drink order) Release of auction prices + closing party: July 26th (Sat) 18:00- 18:00 Release of auction prices 19:30 Closing party There will also be talks with exhibiting artists. Free entry (drink order requested)

As a concurrent project with its New York branch, Gallery Ippodo is hosting "Stylish Japanese Tableware" Exhibition. On view are Japanese tableware now extremely popular in New York. They have also been introduced in various magazines and selected by Japanese Restaurants hard to make reservations at.

The Dentsu Advertising Awards were established in 1947, shortly after the Second World War, for the purpose of contributing to the progress of advertising in Japan. This year marks the 61st installment of the award. This year sees the inauguration of the Direct Advertising Award and the Best Campaign Award. It is often said that the history of the Dentsu Advertising Awards is the history of the flourishing creativity demonstrated through postwar Japanese advertising.

"I want to see the borders of invisible things", says Ai Fujiyoshi (b. 1975). She visualizes this obsession in her work. Two years ago, she made her debut with the large-scale work "Swimming Pool" at Roppongi Weissfeld. The "water" that fills the pool was made of beautiful blue resin, and for the production of this piece, she set up a fund to cover the high cost. The piece actually didn't fit through the stairs of the gallery building because of its size and weight. In order to hold the exhibition, they removed the back wall and used a crane to install it. The tranquil and yet dynamic exhibition was received very well, and after the exhibition the work was included in a group exhibition at the Yokohama Museum of Art. The work is now privately owned. Two years have passed since her previous exhibition, Fujiyoshi found a new motif, "roots". "Roots" are obviously a significant part of any kinds of plant, staying underground and out of sight in oder to play their role. Here again, she was driven by the conflicting idea of visualizing what we can't normally see. This exhibition presents a large resin sculpture of roots hung from the ceiling, and new paintings by Fujiyoshi. Opening Party: July 4th (Fri) 19:00

This exhibition at Gallery Teo is the first gallery show for two young artists who have just completed their graduate studies. Aki Inomata, who is showing in Room One, was born in 1983. She majored in Advanced Arts and graduated from the Tokyo University of Fine Arts and Music this March. In today's media-saturated environment where digital networks have almost completely replaced face-to-face contact and letters as communication tools, and where digitally processed information has become ubiquitous, this digitally-controlled information makes up an entire virtual world that appears to continually displace reality. Inomata ventures to tackle the perfectly ordinary and familiar aspects of life - enjoying the movement of ripples on the surface of water, wiping condensation off car windows, making tracks on fallen snow...Through carefully conceived installations, Inomata allows audiences to reexperience these "real" sensations by paradoxically using digitally-controlled virtual means of expression. This work also comes out of experience working in theater with Juro Kara, using the man-made device of the stage fused against a background of nature, using that natural backdrop as a form of "borrowed scenery" (shakkei). This installation works with the same principles of economy. The work "0100101" in this exhibition seems to be standing on the surface of a body of water, but is in fact a virtual projection of water ripples on the floor with a palpable form. More than the perception of a "real" water surface and its ripples, however, what is more striking is the feeling of brimming color and light, prompting a reconsideration of realistic sensations ironically through the deployment of virtual means used to achieve that effect. On display in Room Two is the work of Aki Toiya, born in 1980. Toiya graduated this March from the oil painting course at Musashino Art University. While studying there, Toiya worked mostly with skirt designs and braided cords, expressing these aspects of "girlhood" through oil paintings and sculptures. Toiya gives subjective expression to what she calls "crystals of memory" lying latent in each of us, things we have felt and registered as emotions, overlapping and intertwining with each other in complex ways. The largest work in this exhibition, a painting entitled "Twilight" measuring 2.6 meters across, depicts landscapes and sceneries from memory that prompt viewers to wonder if they have not themselves seen them somewhere. In another two-meter painting entitled "uta", a girl's skirt appears positively unreal, being made up of many faces and alternately absorbing and radiating light. "Banana's Torso," a ceramic sculpture, captures the whirlwind dance made by the skirt of a girl spinning round and round, giving the illusion of perpetual movement and the feeling of a living, moving thing.

[Image: (2006) Acrylic, cotton, tetron 132 × 196cm]

This exhibition features media installations centering on sound work by Hidetaka Ito and video work by Hiroshi Suzuki, investigating the ambiguity hidden beneath artistic expression that makes use of digital technology. Although simple in execution, these works express a sensitivity and humor in relation to the issues they tackle. Artist talk: July 19th (Sat) 15:00- with Hidetaka Ito, Hiroshi Suzuki and Takuo Komatsuzaki Party: July 19th (Sat) 17:00-19:00 (after artist talk)

Gallery Point is pleased to announce "Heroic", a solo exhibition featuring new works by Hiro Kurata, showing from July 4th through July 26th. Hiro Kurata is an artist who is based in Brooklyn, New York. One of the characteristics that makes his painting unique is the way he renders his figures with some sort of power and movement. The figures looking innocent and strong are often portrayed as a baseball player, heroes from the Greek myths or comical characters from animation works. Kurata spent his childhood going back and forth between the U.S and Japan. The cultural differences between those places have been a natural source for the themes in his paintings. He skillfully digests the gaps between the two countries and expresses it in his work with a sense of cynicism. Depicted in bright pastel colors, the disproportioned figures simultaneously show confidence and sickness. Innocent but frightened by an enemy at the same time, his subjects being covered with macho bodies seem to hide inside extremely weak souls. Thus the heroes Kurata creates give viewers a complex impression within which happiness and nihilistic feeling coexist. Reception: July 4th (Fri) 19:00-21:00

The artist will be at the venue on July 17th, 18th and 26th.

Comment by Art Director Yumi Yamaguchi: Ken Hamaguchi's first solo exhibition will be held at Takahashi Collection. This is breaking news because no one knows his name or even what kind of work he does. This spring, I published "The Power of the Japanese Contemporary Art" (Ascii) in which I introduced Ken Hamaguchi's work, and Mr. Takahashi got interested in his work. He contacted me quite recently. While I respect Takahashi's aesthetic choices and how fast he acts on his decisions, I also admire Hamaguchi's modest attitude as an artist, never overtly promoting himself. In the last 10 years, he focused on completing the 100 works in this series, "Black, Sutra, and the Rest", as well as creating the works of "Heart Sutra" series, a total of 276 pieces. He never rushes himself to further his career, following his own rhythm. When he's in the studio, he never loses his focus. His work has nothing to do with J-pop, popular TV dramas, fashion, or any sorts of trend. In recent years, there are more artists who try to market themselves, but he stands on the other end of the world. Six years ago, I wrote in a book entitled "Introduction to Introductory Contemporary Art" (Kobunsha-shinsyo), "Hamaguchi's work is kitschy, flashy, sexy and chivalrous in a slightly yakuza way, as well as classical and maniacal, and his composition is out of the ordinary." My impression of his work hasn't changed since then. It is quite an experience to view his work in person. Hamaguchi is just about to start his career, and people will see more of his work from now on."

While Kohei Asakura has been working mainly on canvas, this 2nd exhibition centers around his silkscreen prints colorfully depicting nature, animals and the earth that embrace them. "This exhibition's title 'hasshagenia', meaning eternal gift, is language used by native peoples of Alaska. By employing 'tree', an element existing in the cycle of nature, as basic motif of my work, messages carried within the work become something eternal just as a tree returning to the soil," says Asakura. With Asakura's uniquely soft employment of media, magical composition and balanced usage of colors, the dignity of his rather realistic subject matters taken from the contemporary world, where production and consumption seems to continue eternally, will speak to viewers' minds at an unconscious level. Reception Party: July 20th (Sat) 19:00-22:00

Taka Ishii Gallery is pleased to announce our sixth exhibition, and first since 2006, "Emerald" with Dusseldorf-based artist Kyoko Murase. The exhibition will include ten of her new paintings. Through participating in the group exhibition "Vanishing Points - Contemporary Japanese Art" (National Gallery of Modern Art New Delhi, 2007) and the exhibition "Cicadas and Horned Owls" featuring a large wall drawing and paintings (The Sculpture Garden Museum VANGI MUSEO, 2007), Kyoko Murase’s works have become highly acclaimed internationally. In her new works, while past characteristics of Murase’s work - the sense of floating and transparency - are retained, an increasingly vivid and powerful brushwork seem to strongly attract viewers into her world along with the girl’s walk. Her distinctive compositions and colors encourage viewers to reconsider their perception. [Image: "The Cave of Emerald" (2008) Oil on cotton 125 x 140 cm]

[Image: "Tracing the Path of Light" (2006) cotton cloth, glue, white chalk, oil, watercolor, panel 162 × 130cm]

[Image: "Chronological 3" pulp, paper mulberry, goose skin, black lead, lead, gold leaf etching 32 × 24cm]

Reception: June 24th (Tue) 17:00-19:00

Opening party: May 24th, 15:00-18:00

Shotaro Hokari, born in 1985, graduated wit