Iconic manga artist Machiko Hasegawa is best known as the creator of Sazae-san (“Sazae” literally means turbo cornutus), Ijiwaru basan (“Granny Mischief”), and other masterpieces beloved by generations of Japanese people. The Hasegawa Machiko Memorial Museum opened doors in July 2020, the centennial anniversary of the artist’s birth. The museum, which presents in great detail Machiko’s life and the fascinating world of her works, was built as an annex to the Hasegawa Machiko Art Museum.

This is a series of articles presenting art museums around the world that offer free online access to public domain works (intellectual property not protected by copyright) in their collections. The third installment of the series takes us again to the Rijksmuseum and puts the spotlight on the museum’s rich collection of 17th century still-life paintings from the Dutch Golden Age. In that period, the development of horticulture and the implementation of religious reforms inspired many artists to turn to flowers as a motif in their still-life paintings. This article presents three artists who created numerous floral still lifes. Junko Tanaka, a curator at the Makino Memorial Garden & Museum, explains the characteristics of their paintings.

In Tokyo, there are several traditional Japanese-style gardens that are designated as cultural heritage sites. Although geographically located in downtown Tokyo, these gardens are an oasis of calm amidst the urban hustle and bustle, and provide a refined space to savor Japanese culture. This series of articles presents their changing beauty through the seasons as captured by photographer Norihisa Kushibiki, and explores their historical background and main attractions through the commentary of Edo-Tokyo Museum curator Miho Tanaka.

As the Internet has become the primary modern-day source of information, there still exist numerous free handout periodicals that purposely use the medium of paper to disseminate information. This series of articles explores the multifaceted world of free newspapers, and, with “Change” as its theme, the first installment in the series introduces a complimentary periodical that stands up to the challenge of changing the image of the industry. This article puts the spotlight on Health Graphic Magazine, a free magazine that draws attention with its imaginative and playful cover artwork while being devoted to the highly-specialized themes of health and medical care. We spoke with its chief editor Isao Kadota of AISEI PHARMACY Co., Ltd., the company that publishes the magazine.

This is a series of articles presenting art museums around the world that offer free online access to public domain works (intellectual property not protected by copyright) in their collections. The second article explores the Rijksmuseum and its rich collection composed mainly of Dutch artworks, which spans the period from the Middle Ages through present day. Of special significance, even in such a diverse and expansive collection, are the works of Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675). In this article, art historian and long-time student of Vermeer’s art Yoriko Kobayashi explains several of his paintings of women depicted in domestic interiors.

There are art museums that offer open online access to works in their collections. In this article, we will present the public domain works of the Freer Gallery of Art, which is one of the museums of the Smithsonian Institution, a complex of numerous museums and educational and research centers. The Freer Gallery of Art is home to 7,500 works of art collected by industrialist Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919). Kit Brooks, a curator in charge of the Japanese Art Section at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art, is our guide in this collection of masterpieces that have never left the gallery.

CADAN Yurakucho is a contemporary art gallery that opened doors in a corner of one of Japan’s most vibrant business districts in July 2020. It is unusual to see a contemporary art gallery open at such a prime location, only a minute walk from JR Yurakucho Station and three minutes on foot from Tokyo Metro Hibiya Station, but a deeper look into the background of the gallery reveals a vision of Yurakucho of the future and a prospect for the relationship between art and the city going forward.

We spoke with Tomio Koyama, Representative Director of the Contemporary Art Dealers Association Nippon (CADAN), Yoriyuki Arimitsu of Mitsubishi Estate Company, Limited, who provided the opportunity for the creation of CADAN Yurakucho, and Atsushi Fukai of Culture Vision Japan.

The Koganecho Bazaar 2020, an event which celebrates its 13th anniversary this year, was held on September 11 in the district of Koganecho, Yokohama. It was organized by NPO Koganecho Area Management Center. In addition to planning and running the event, the NPO is also in charge of managing one of Japan’s largest artist-in-residence programs, which attracts approximately 50 groups of artists. For this article, we interviewed Director Shingo Yamano and the NPO’s spokesperson Miki Kanda.

On January 18, 2020, a new art hub called Artizon Museum opened doors in Kyobashi, an area bustling with office worker. It inherits the Ishibashi Foundation collection owned by its predecessor, the Bridgestone Museum of Art, which for more than 65 years welcomed visitors at the same location, as well as its activities, and at the same time raises intriguing possibilities for new museum modalities and innovative ways to showcase art under the concept “Experiencing Creativity.” The present article outlines these initiatives and reports on the contemporary art events and collection exhibitions held at the museum from June 23 (Tuesday) through October 25 (Sunday).

2020 marks the 250th anniversary of the birth of Beethoven, the world-renowned German composer of so many masterpieces everyone knows, including the all-familiar Fifth Symphony with its infamous phrasing and his three major sonatas Pathétique, Moonlight, and Passion. In the first part of this article, we explore the life and roots of this master of classical music.

Located in the Harajuku-Omotesando area, the Ota Memorial Museum of Art is known for its extensive collection of ukiyo-e woodblock prints. The museum is popular with ukiyo-e lovers both in Japan and overseas, and now its official Twitter account is gaining ever more followers for its detailed explanations of the museum’s pieces and introduction of prints featuring charming animals and adorable children. In 2020, the museum’s Twitter page gained a great deal of attention when it tweeted the Kanai anzen o mamoru Junishi no zu (Twelve Animals to Protect the Safety of the Home) （The production year unknown）, an amalgamation of the 12 signs of the Chinese zodiac, as a prayer for the end of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mirai e no Manazashi (“gaze toward the future”) Performance was presented on September 15, 2019 by Inclusive Field for Dance at Ushigome Tansu Kumin Hall in Shinjuku City. Inclusive Field for Dance is a nonprofit organization that engages in creative expressions while respecting each other’s individuality regardless of age, gender, body size, or disability. It holds a regular twice-a-month activity centering around its members who engage in creative work and exchanges along with visitors and other experienced participants. The group also holds performances around Japan and abroad as well as workshops at various locations including educational institutions.

Tokyo Arts and Space Hongo (TOKAS Hongo) presented a lecture and tour entitled “Learning and Experience: History of Hongo Through Architectural Tour ” on February 8, 2020. Participants selected by lottery learned about the history of Hongo as they walked the neighborhood’s streets and toured the local architecture, guided by WADA Nahoko, architect and founding member of Access Point: Architecture – Tokyo, which plans and conducts architecture tours in Tokyo.

Well-versed in a diverse range of disciplines that include not only painting, but subjects from medicine and biology to physics and engineering, the quintessential Renaissance artist Leonardo da Vinci came to be known as the universal genius. Though even today in 2019, 500 years after his death, much remains shrouded in mystery, he has clearly had immeasurable influence through the respect he gained from artists and scholars alike.

Takashi Yanase is known as the father of the popular anime character Anpanman. Yanase’s 100th birthday was marked in 2019 with a commemorative exhibition and the announcement of the first recipient of the Yanase Takashi Cultural Award honoring conscientious art activities for children.

SUPER OPEN STUDIO is an annual event held in the area around Kanagawa Prefecture’s Sagamihara, a city that is home to a number of art colleges, which began in 2013. During the event, studios in and around the city open their doors to the public. We spoke with Masaya Chiba, one of the SUPER OPEN STUDIO founders and this year’s director, and Yukiko Oyama, this year’s director.

Outdoor x Art x City: Trolls in the Park is held in Nishi-Ogikubo, a Tokyo neighborhood that is home to numerous small shops and lush, natural parks. The event features an array of artwork and performances by both Japanese and overseas artists in the streets between Zenpukuji Park and Nishi-Ogikubo Station. Held November 3 (Sunday, national holiday) to 23 (Saturday, national holiday), the work of 55 art groups were focused on the 2019 theme, “whispers.”