Tokusen Gallery -4th Zoroku Mashimizuexhibition -Masahiro Kadowaki oil painting exhibition -Toshihiro Munakata ceramics exhibition Bijutsu Salon -Aran Yasuoka yoga painting exhibition Art Square -Seizo Tamano sculpture exhibition Craft Salon -Permanent exhibition

"When making shippo-yaki (Japanese cloisonne enamel vases), you can only fire one work at a time. Therefore, each piece is a unique, wholly singular work of art," says artist Yoko Yoshimura. This was one of the characteristics of shippo-yaki that Yoshimura was drawn to, and this idea has been driving her practice for years. She usually employs floral motifs in her work, and this exhibition features works that incorporate these floral motifs referencing the Manyoushu (the oldest extant collection of Japanese poetry), including about 80 vases, bowls, plates and much more. [Image: "Splendor" 16 x 23.4cm]

Exhibition centered on the idea of hospitality, where the gallery owner becomes the host and the gallery visitors his guests. The artists chosen for this show collaborated with the host in order to create this space, in an experiment to rediscover traditional Japanese modes of hospitality. [Image: Hiroko Masuko, "Fly" (2008) Pen, ink, watson paper, 80.5 x 100.0cm]

Stars in a basket, daydreaming cats, mysterious animals... Hironori Mori and Yuriko Ito from Atelier Mantenboshi created this dream world filled with stars and cats. A total of 20 acrylic paintings and ceramic objects will be on view and for sale.

This is the young ceramicist Ryotaro Kato's first solo exhibition in Tokyo, the grandson of the former living national treasure Takuo Kato. Kato makes Minoyaki pottery, which comes from Koubee kiln, founded in 1804. This exhibition showcases mainly tea bowls, including "sabikuro" pieces with iron glazes, Konahiki, Shino, Oribe and Persian pieces as well. All of the works include inscriptions by Kato himself, as well as several other artists and cultural figures.

Shippo (cloisonne) is a decorative technique of ceramic making using glass powder to create beautiful patterns. In Japan, shippo flourished in the middle ages throughout the modern period. Especially in the 19th century in Obari, ever since Tsunekichi Kaji invented a yusen shippo (wired shippo) which enabled ceramists a sort of painter-like approach, shippo became even more gorgeously ornate. In the modern era, these Japanese shippo wares became quite popular in Europe, and this was also the time when Japanese artisans were well motivated to create shippo masterpieces in order to present the high quality of Japanese craft internationally. This exhibition mainly consists of collections of Kiyomizu Sannenzaka Museum in Kyoto, which holds the largest collections of modern shippo, featuring masterpieces from the Meiji period.

Celebrating the launch of the latest issue of Jeu de Paume's "Children's Rooms in Copenhagen", this exhibition presents photo panels of adorable children's rooms in Copenhagen, hometown of Hans Christian Andersen, famous author of children's stories. These children's rooms are furnished lovingly and cozily by their parents, an attitude that is perhaps uniquely northern European. In addition, accessories found at Copenhagen's flea markets, as well as work by the popular Danish ceramicist Anne Black will be on view and for sale.

Compared to countries which have a preference for the bright glare of sunlight, Japanese people seem to be fond of the moon. On display at this edition of "Tea Ceremony on a Moonlight Night" are tea utensils on the theme of "life", designed by various artists. [Image: Shiro Tsujimura]

Iro-e (overglaze enameled) refers to porcelain made by painting motifs or patterns in various colored glazes on top of a white glaze on porcelain that has been fired at around 1350°C and then firing it again at a low temperature of around 900°C. Red, yellow, green, blue, purple. These iro-e motifs and patterns, which lend vivid color to a range of vessels, first began to appear on Imari ware produced in the 1640s in the Arita region of present day Saga Prefecture. According to Oboe, a text handed down in the Kakiemon family, the founder of the Kakiemon family received instruction from Chinese ceramicists shortly before 1647, and succeeded in developing the technique through a process of trial and error. As it is thought that Imari ware first began to be produced in the 1610s, this means that the iro-e technique was developed in the short span of just 30 years. However, the term iro-e covers a wide range of styles, and the technique underwent a series of complex and splendid changes. First came the old Kutani style, which was richly colored and brimming with vigor, then came the Kakiemon style, with its clever use of white underglaze, and the Kinrande style, whose abundant use of gold color brings to mind the liveliness of the Genroku era. Old Imari ware went through various changes in relation to such things as its purpose, function, and even the fashion of the day, and developed in a magnificent fashion. This exhibition focuses on old Imari and iro-e wares and includes around 100 carefully selected pieces. It is hoped that visitors gain an appreciation of the changing colorful beauty of the times as exhibited in these handsome old Imari and iro-e wares.

Osamu Kojima has been making ceramics for almost 15 years, exhibiting his work widely both in Japan and abroad. In recent years, his works have come to resemble coagulated, black lava flows with a commanding presence and sense of materiality. Consisting of earth that has been compacted and shaped into a mass measuring one meter in every direction and weighing up to one ton, Kojima's work has the appearance of a pile of soil that has accumulated since ancient times, finished with a vivid glaze that seems to flow like magma and yet also sparkles with a glassy, mineral-like quality. Such pieces communicate something of the rich, fertile quality of soil, entrancing the viewer. Kojima has participated in several artist-in-residence programs that afforded him the chance and environment to create such large works. While previously carrying the limits of size to their extremes, Kojima's newer work was of a more modest size, measuring 3-40cm across, that could be held up by one person. While these new works have become able to be easily exhibited within the space of a typical gallery, the impression of lava is intact, with its sense of surging energy and concentrated density, a lively, swelling motion, and looking as if it would scald you if you touched it. However, also present is a hitherto absent sense of intimacy. According to Kojima, he fires his kiln twice a day to finish his pieces, and the number he makes influences and transforms the energy it takes to make these large scale works. The jet black rockiness of the clay's texture, along with the polished, gem-like green or purple glaze, are some of the special qualities of Kojima's work. He has also carried out similar experiments with white porcelain clay to create art objects with a somewhat different flavor. Prior to this exhibition, Kojima's large and smaller pieces were exhibited together at the INAX Tile Museum's "New Sensibilities in Ceramics Series" exhibition held in May 2008 (Tokoname, Aichi), winning much acclaim. This exhibition in the Galleria Ceramica showcases about 10 smaller works. Artist talk: September 5th (Fri) 18:30-19:00

From the museum collection, a total of 60 paintings (master poet paintings and fragments of picture scrolls), written documents (calligraphy and old sutras) and ceramics from Li Dynasty Korea will be on display. -Special Exhibition National Treasure "Murasaki Shikibu Diary Picture Scroll" Dates: October 11th (Sat)-19th (Sun) -Museum Talk Children Art Lecture "Murasaki Shikibu, Diary and Picture Scroll" Dates & Times: October 13th (Mon, Holiday)/ October 18th (Sat) 14:00-15:00 (Doors open at 13:30) Location: Gotoh Museum Annex Auditorium *Free Admission/ 100 seats (first-come-first-served basis) *Aimed at elementary and junior high school students.

The Hakone Open-Air Museum’s Picasso Collection consists of a substantial number of Picasso’s ceramic creations, purchased from his eldest daughter Maya Picasso, as well as his paintings, prints, sculptures, gold objets d’art. They are permanently exhibited to the public. The photographs of David Douglas Duncan, who documented the artist’s last 17years, also play a vital role in this collection.

This is a small but permanent program of the Crafts Gallery to present works of Bearers of Important Intangible Cultural Assets (living national treasures) and other leading artists and designers at home and abroad. Masterpieces to be shown include ceramics, glassworks, lacquerware, wood and bamboo works, textiles, dolls, metal works and designs.

Works, studies, sketches, ceramics, kimonos, artworks by friends, letters, bamboo crafts, and other belongings of Yokoyama Taikan are on display. Exhibits will change every three months. Closed during summer, winter, and rain season. May be closed in heavy snow or hurricane.

Tokusen Gallery -Jun Amemiya sculpture exhibition -Zenzo Fukushima ceramics exhibition Bijutsu Salon -Joji Yamashita Bizen ceramics exhibition Art Square -Morigama-kai ceramics exhibition Craft Salon -Morigama-kai ceramics exhibition

-Kazuo Mizoguchi Oil Painting Exhibition Born in 1936, graduated from Tokyo Gakugei University, selected in the Asai Award Exhibition twice, Mizoguchi currently lives in Chiba. About 40 of his landscape paintings are on view. -Jon Wong Son-fee Ceramic Exhibition