Dedicated to the 400th Anniversary of Passing-Away of Lord Tokugawa Ieyasu,
The First Shogun of the Tokugawa Shogunate
At Nikko Toshogu Shrine
The Art Exhibition -MAHORA- by Japanese Artists
Taken on Saturday, October 31, 2015, in front of Nikko Toshogu Shrine. The group photo was taken with the participants of the opening ceremony, including Mr. Hisao Inaba (centre), Chief Priest of Nikko Toshogu Shrine, Mr. Nobutoshi Akao (to the left), Senior Advisor of WAC, and Mr. Hakuju Kuiseko (to the right), member of the Japan Fine Arts Exhibition (Nitten), honorary advisor of the Japan Calligraphic Art Society and advisor of Yomiuri Shohokai.
Overview of the Exhibition
“The Art Exhibition” – MAHORA – by Japanese Artists was held over six days between Saturday, 31 October and Thursday, 5 November, 2015 in the Nikko Toshogu East and West Corridors (national treasures) and Kyakuden (Reception Hall) (designed by Kenzo Tange). 303 pieces of art, including paintings, calligraphies, sculptures and craftworks by notable artists of the Japanese art world, and artists who are at the frontlines of art in Japan and are engaged in international exchange, were exhibited.
The exhibition was co-hosted by the shrine with the World Art and Culture Exchange (hereafter referred to as WAC) as a special event to be dedicated to the 400th anniversary of passing-away of Lord Tokugawa Ieyasu, and the event gained popularity as it attracted 56,398 visitors (according to Nikko Toshogu Shrine) to the East and West Corridors, and Kyakuden.
Opening Ceremony
October 31, 2015, at 11:00
The opening ceremony of “The Art Exhibition – MAHORA – by Japanese Artists”, an event to be dedicated to the 400th anniversary of passing-away of Lord Tokugawa Ieyasu, was held.
On the day, calligrapher Hakuju Kuiseko, to dedicate to the 400th anniversary of passing-away of Lord Tokugawa Ieyasu and also to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, wrote words with a brush, in prayer for world peace, in tune with a performance of Japanese drums by Wadaiko Kids Yurikago (hereafter referred to as Yurikago), a group consisting of a select number of children from Tochigi Prefecture.
The two large characters the calligrapher wrote on a 90 by 181-centimeter paper were “Taihei” (peace).
Mr. Kuiseko remarked that the characters had come from his heart in earnest prayer for world peace, and he gave words of encouragement to the children of Yurikago.
After the calligraphy performance, Mr. Hisao Inaba, Chief Priest of Nikko Toshogu Shrine and the co-host, gave a speech to open the event, followed by the presentation of the catalogue of the dedicated artworks from the representative director of WAC to Chief Priest Inaba.
Mr. Hisao Inaba
Chief Priest of Nikko Toshogu Shrine
Mr. Nobutoshi Akao
Senior Advisor of WAC
Mr. Hiroshi Okutani
(Member of the Dokuritsu Fine Art Association)
Mr. Fumio Saito
Mayor of Nikko City
Mr. Kazuo Kurouchi
Excutive Director of
SHIMOTSUKE
(Newspaper company)
Prayers
All of the artists who submitted works to the exhibition were regarded as artists who made artistic offerings to the 400th anniversary celebration, and those who attended the opening ceremony were offered prayers at the “Shogun Chakuza-no-ma” of the main shrine of Nikko Toshogu.
Prayers were performed by priest Ichiro Yuzawa (hereafter referred to as Priest Yuzawa) of the said shrine, and he prayed for the success of the exhibition and the growth of the artists.
It goes without saying that the power of culture, namely art, had clearly been exhibited, and gratitude must be expressed to all the Japanese artists, whether or not they visited Thailand.
At the opening ceremony, Senior Advisor Nobutoshi Akao greeted HSH Prince Mongkol Yukol and gave his opening address. Senior Advisor Nobutoshi Akao had served as the Japanese Ambassador to Thailand, and there is no doubt that he served as a significant contact for Japan in Thailand. The 60 key figures of Thailand who were in attendance were also aware of this fact, and everyone, including HSH Prince Mongkol Yukol and his consort, listened to the Senior Advisor’s address with respect.
The Senior Advisor’s speech was followed by the opening address of Executive Director Anuwat Boonithee, who was in charge of contact with the royal household. From among the guests, Counsellor Shigenori Kobayashi of the Embassy of Japan in Thailand gave a congratulatory address. When Counsellor Kobayashi spoke in fluent Thai, the key figures of Thailand murmured in surprise.
The opening ceremony concluded with a speech by Kazuo Yamakawa, representing the artists who were visiting Thailand. A farewell dinner was held in the evening, attended by the key figures of Thailand, who had also attended the opening ceremony, which concluded successfully.
Reception – evening on the day of the event
The reception for the exhibition was held at Kinugawa in Nikko City, attended by Priest Yuzawa of Nikko Toshogu Shrine, where he made a speech about the deep relationship between Nikko Toshogu Shrine and art.
The reception began with a speech and toast by Mr. Nobutoshi Akao, Senior Advisor of WAC, and unlike the sombre opening ceremony in the morning, the gathering was an informal and cheerful affair.
Children’s Fureai Art Session was held in front of the Kyakuden
at Nikko Toshogu Shrine.Art Session
November 1st, 2015, at 11:00
At the art session, about five 2-meter square sheets of vellum paper were placed on the ground, and each sheet was worked on by a group of ten, consisting of artists and children, to create a piece of art.
As a representative of the artists participating in the art session, Japanese painter Ms. Shinsen Hashimoto gave an opening speech, and told the participants that the theme of the painting was “the sun”.
The theme came about as the piece submitted to the Art Exhibition by Ms. Hashimoto was “The Sun”, but the artist also mentioned that she was also conscious of life, as it is referred to in the lyrics to “Teno-hira-wo Taiyo-ni”.
As with the art session ”Sakura” (Bloom of Smile 咲笑) – Art Exhibition for Recovery from the Great East Japan Earthquake (April 2013), which was held in the same venue, the event was participated by the children of KILALA Art School in Tochigi Prefecture. Works by the children were also exhibited in the Kyakuden lobby.
The art session was the final human event of the exhibition, but the participants must have felt that the in clusion of children’s energy had added great power to the exhibition that was held for world peace.
Period
31st October-5th November 2015
Venue
Nikko Toshogu East and West Corridors, Kyakuden(Reception Hall)
Co-hosts
Nikko Tosyogu / General Incorporated Association World Art and Culture exchange(WAC)
Supporting Organizations
Tochigi Prefecture / Nikko City / Nikko City Tourist Association
Media
SHIMOTSUKE / THE ASAHI / THE YOMIURI / THE MAINICHI / THE SANKEI / THE TOKYO / KYODO NEWS / TOCHIGI TV / TOCHIGI Broadcasting
Cooperation
THE THAI RED CROSS / Art Schools for Children in Tochigi Prefecture