330th Anniversary of Genrok:The Rise of Common people
Art Exhibition “HEISEI” Dedicated to Nikko Toshogu Shrine
Report
Art Exhibition “HEISEI” Dedicated to Nikko Toshogu Shrine was held for four days between September 8 (Tue) and September 11 (Sat), 2018, at the Reception Hall of Nikko Toshogu Shrine.
The exhibition, as its name suggests, was for dedicating outstanding artworks to the shrine. These pieces,excluding 25 pieces for a special exhibition, will be on permanent loan to Nikko City and its surrounding areas next year.
The exhibition was held in expectation of contributing to the prosperity of the “Heisei” culture, taking a hint from “Genroku,” when culture flourished among merchants and common folks 330 years ago.
To follow the example of the prosperity of Genroku culture, the exhibition was held to get the cooperation of eminent artists in the permanent loan project, from which education and social welfare facilities as well as the general public would benefit, while promoting art and culture which would play an important role for the promotion of world peace, born out of local contribution in the last year of Heisei.
With the belief that the value of the art works donated to Nikko Toshogu Shrine will not be adequately capitalised by storing them within the shrine’s compound, Nikko Toshogu Shrine decided to exhibit them in public and educational facilities as well as social welfare institutions, to fulfil the wish of Ieyasu Tokugawa – the deity enshrined – for universal peace by means of art.
Two ceremonies took place so far to offerthe permanent loan of the donated artworks, and they are already exhibited in public, educational and social welfare facilities in various districts. The artworks in the current exhibition will be unveiled and loaned next year at the Third Nikko Toshogu Shrine Permanent Loan Ceremony.
Opening Ceremony
On September 8, 2018, at 14:00, over 120 people attended the ceremony.
They included co-hosts Mr Hisao Inaba, Chief Priest of Nikko Toshogu Shrine, Mr Nobutoshi Akao, Senior Advisor of WAC, Mr Fumitaka Ishikawa, Representative Director of WAC, and Mr Katsumoto Munakata, calligraphy critic of WAC, the guest of honour Mr Takao Saito, Head of Education of Nikko City Education Committee, and 54 exhibitors and their companions.
Mr Minoru Hirota, a permanent representative of Hakujitsu Fine Art Association, dedicated a live painting at the ceremony, and Mr Fuminobu Terakubo, a permanent representative of the said association, provided commentary during Mr. Hirota’s performance. After the live painting was completed, Mr Katsumoto Munakata, calligraphy critic of WAC, gave a general comment.
The ceremony concluded with a special prayer to “celebrate the offering of art”, for which the artists moved to the Main Hall of the shrine to receive the prayer.
The exhibition ended on September 11 at 17:00, attracting over 522 visitors (based on the guestbook entries) in four days, and was extensively reported in the local newspaper Shimotsuke Shimbun.
Mr Minoru Hirota (a permanent representative of Hakujitsu Fine Art Association) creating a live painting, with a female attendant of Toshogu Shrine as the model.
Mr Fuminori Terakubo (a permanent representative of Hakujitsu Fine Art Association) giving commentary on the live painting.
54 artists and three WAC officials participated in the special prayer for dedicating the artworks in the Shogun’s Audience Chamber in the main shrine.
The “Statement of Dedicated Works Accepted” and “Nikko Toshogu Shrine Certificate of Artist Making Regional Contribution” (The photo is of Japanese artist Mr Shigeo Nakajima, who received the certificate. Mr Hisao Inaba, Chief Priest of Nikko Toshogu Shrine is on the right.)
Funds were raised during the four day period of Art Exhibition “HEISEI” dedicated to Nikko Toshogu Shrine.
We would like to sincerely express our gratitude to all those who came to the event and made contributions.
The details of the funds raised and donated are as follows;
￥26,259 raised in aid of 2018 Hokkaido Eastern Iburi Earthquake was donated to the Social Welfare Corporation Community Chest of Hokkaido on September 20, 2018.
￥26,258 raised in aid of July 2018 Japan Floods was donated to the Social Welfare Corporation Central Community Chest of Japan on the same day.
Period: September 8(Sat)- November(Tue.),2018
Venue: Nikko Toshogu Shrine