The Yokai Art Museum, which often works with local artists and community organizers in the ‘maze town’ of Shodoshima in Kagawa Prefecture, is currently holding the ‘Folklore Exhibition’ at the Naoki Onogawa Museum of Art. Six new works inspired by the Setouchi region are on display until December 26, 2021.
Naoki Onogawa creates incredible sculptures made from tiny origami cranes that are folded one by one using only 1cm paper–and they’re made without tweezers! After experiencing the Tohoku Earthquake in 2011 when he was a student, he visited Rikuzentakata City in Iwate Prefecture a year after the disaster. Shocked and deeply impacted by what he saw, he began making origami cranes. The way he utilizes cranes is not as the traditional symbol of peace, but as solemn prayers to encase his feelings that have no other outlet. His works have a delicate and mysterious beauty that pulls in visitors and makes them think about the meaning of life itself.
His new works, six of which were inspired by the Setouchi area, were on display at the Setouchi Municipal Museum of Art from March 9 to May 5, 2021.
My History with Paper Cranes | A Message from Naoki Onogawa
“Origami was my passion when I was a child. The origami crane is one of the most famous forms of traditional origami, and as I spent time making them, I started to feel that I could channel my emotions into them. It started to become a habit, then an obsession. I couldn’t stop. There was no endpoint or goal in mind, I just made them as often as I could.
In 2011, the Tohoku Earthquake happened. In April of the following year, I visited Rikuzentakata City to listen to the community’s stories and to see the devastation firsthand. It was terrifying to see how helpless human beings are in the face of nature, but even still, I was struck by how strong human beings could be to persevere. No matter our age, race, gender, or status, we all face the major threats of nature, while also living in harmony with it. At that time, I was very aware that it was important to live in the moment. Beside a school building that had been totally destroyed by the tsunami, I saw a thousand paper cranes.
It was akin to a solitary ritual. The paper cranes were used to express those feelings that had nowhere else to go and to pray for those who had been lost. I can’t really put it into words, but the cranes I make now might have come from those solemn prayers. This is the place for my cranes now. When I look at them now, I think that origami cranes are incredibly precious, and hide something mysterious within them. They are the ultimate beauty in my mind.
Each of us has our own personal journey with these paper cranes. It’s up to each person to decide how he or she feels and how his or her thoughts are layered. I just hope that while looking at these works people will find their hearts moved.”
Information
Naoki Onogawa Folklore Exhibition
Address: Naoki Onogawa Museum of Art (289-33 Aza-Higashi-Motohama Kou, Tonosho, Shode-gun, Kagawa)
Running: November 26 – December 26, 2021
Hours: 10:00-18:00 (Last Entry at 17:00) *Closed Wednesdays
Admission:
Adults: ¥1,500 / Middle School Students: ¥750 / Elementary School Children and Younger: Free
Official Site: http://shl-olive.co.jp/
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Model, DJ, and photographer Hikari Shibata will hold her first photo exhibition in five years, THROUGH THE WINDOW, at the FLOAT Gallery in Tokyo for four days starting September 8, 2023.
The exhibition’s title was inspired by Shibata’s shyness, which has always led her to photograph landscapes rather than people. Many photos were taken through windows, and both the view and reflections are meaningful and personal to Shibata herself.
This year’s exhibition features photos of daily life taken in Copenhagen, Denmark’s largest city, where Shibata stayed for a total of three weeks in March 2023. It will also feature photographs snapped in Berlin, Los Angeles, and New York City.
Shibata will visit the gallery in person to present her creations. In addition to the sale of exhibited photographs, guests will also be able to purchase T-shirts, hats, and Shibata’s first photobook, the latter of which is available in limited quantities. The self-published 112-page hardcover book was entirely designed by Shibata herself. T-shirts will be available in two colors and feature the title of the exhibition, while hats will come in three colors with an embroidered graphic image of the sun reflected in a window.
Information
THROUGH THE WINDOW (Hikari Shibata Photo Exhibition)
Running: September 8-11, 2023 / 13:00-20:00
Venue: FLOAT (3-1-9 Megurohoncho, Meguro-ku, Tokyo)
*Please be aware that admission may be restricted in the event of crowding.[Profile]
Hikari Shibata
Born in Kanagawa in 1997, Shibata is a model, DJ, and fashion director, known for sharing her life and unique fashion sense on social media. Her interest in photography dates to her high school days, and along with her work in Japan and abroad, she’s handled visuals for apparel brands and CD jackets. This will be her fourth photo exhibition.YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@peepinsidehead5862
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shibatahikari/
PEEP INSIDE HEAD: https://peepinsidehead.com/ -
Starting March 4, the permanent museum teamLab Forest Fukuoka will transform its artwork into a stunning spring theme. Guests will be able to enjoy gorgeous cherry blossoms for a limited time, and starting March 24, the Catching and Collecting Forest will also be transformed in the same way.
TeamLab’s works are created in real time by procedural generation, meaning that they are always changing and evolving. Each work changes depending on the season.
▼Starting March 4
Both Shifting Valley, Living Creatures of Flowers, Symbiotic Lives – A Whole Year per Year and Animals of Flowers, Symbiotic Lives II – A Whole Year per Year are only available to see during spring. Come and see animals made entirely of cherry blossoms as they roam through the museum!
The work titled Soft Terrain in Granular Topography shows multicolored grains of light pouring from the sky, while Flutter of Butterflies, Ephemeral Life surrounds visitors with brightly colored butterflies
▼Starting March 24
In the Catching and Collecting Forest, visitors can explore with their smartphones and catch various animals made entirely of cherry blossoms.
Information
teamLab Forest Fukuoka – SBI SECURITIES Co., Ltd.
Venue: BOSS E･ZO FUKUOKA 5F, Next to Fukuoka PayPal Dome
Address: 2-2-6 Jigyohama, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka
Official Site: http://forest.teamlab.art -
©永井豪／ダイナミック企画 ©ダイナミック企画・東映アニメーション ©ダイナミック企画 ©東映アニメーション ©松本零士／零時社・東映アニメーション
From March 21 until April 5, 2023, Matsuzakaya Nagoya will host The World of Super Robot & Hero: Kazuhiro Ochi Art Exhibition, celebrating the creator’s 45th anniversary as an artist. Ochi is well-known for his work on Mobile Suit Gundam and dozens of other popular anime series, from Martian Successor Nadesico to Urusei Yatsura.
Ochi has personally selected over 100 items to be put on display at the exhibition, including illustrations from Mazinger Z and Devilman, both of which are celebrating their 50th anniversaries. Fans can also expect to see illustrations from the newly-announced UFO Robot Grendizer project along with original sketches, promotional materials, and much more.
Available merchandise will include an art book signed by Kazuhiro Ochi himself, prints, and character goods. New Cutie Honey and Cosmic Fantasy products will also be available for purchase.
The animator himself will also be in attendance on select days, so don’t miss this rare opportunity to meet an anime legend!
Guests spending over ¥5,000 (including tax) at the exhibition during days in which Ochi is in attendance will receive an autographed illustration card only available at the Nagoya venue.
Exhibition Merch at a Glance
©Go Nagai／Dynamic Planning Illustration by K.Ochi
©KAZUHIRO OCHI
イラスト／越智一裕 ©永井豪／ダイナミック企画
Information
The World of Super Robot & Hero: Kazuhiro Ochi Art Exhibition
Running: March 21 – April 5, 2023
Hours: 10:00-18:00
Venue: Matsuzakaya Nagoya Main Buiding 7F, Large Event Hall
Details & Merchandise Information: https://edition-88.com/blogs/blog/ochikazuhiro-ten-nagoya_event-info
Purchase Goods: https://edition-88.com/
Kazuhiro Ochi Attendance Schedule
Appearance Dates: March 21, March 25, March 26, April 1, April 2
Hours: 13:00-16:00
*The event will conclude promptly at the listed time.
*The attendance schedule is subject to be changed or canceled depending on various circumstances. -
Hisashi Eguchi’s Illustration Exhibition “Tokyo Girlfriend” Coming to Tokyo Midtown Hibiya, New Works to be Exhibited for the First Time
From March 14 until April 23, 2023, Tokyo Midtown Hibiya will hold Hisashi Eguchi’s Tokyo Girlfriend illustration exhibition, set to show off the artist’s unique perspectives on people and cityscapes. The exhibition will feature new illustrations of the titular girlfriend standing in the streets of Hibiya drawn especially for this exhibition, as well as various other girlfriends both large and small.
GING NANG BOYZ Kimi to Boku no Dai 3ji Taisen-teki Renai Kakumei CD Jacket (2005)
A LONG VACATION - Eiichi Ohtaki 40th Tribute Illustration (2021) ©2023 Eguchi Hisashi
Hisashi Eguchi, a manga artist and illustrator, continues to convey the charm of the city and its people by vividly depicting Tokyo and the many unique happenings within. As Tokyo Midtown Hibiya celebrates its 5th anniversary along with many other nearby businesses, the Tokyo Girlfriend exhibition of illustrations by Hisashi Eguchi is being held to celebrate.
The exhibition will feature a new painting of the mysterious girlfriend standing in the streets of Hibiya, newly created for the Tokyo Midtown Hibiya exhibition. A number of original pieces using Pantone overlay, Eguchi's favorite painting medium in the 80s and 90s, will also be on display for the first time.
During the exhibition period, guests can enjoy autograph sessions, live sketches in which Eguchi himself will draw a portrait of selected subject on the spot, and workshops where he will teach tips on how to be a better illustrator.
Don’t miss your chance to meet one of the greatest illustrators of the modern era!
©2023 Eguchi HisashiInformation
Hisashi Eguchi’s Illustration Exhibition ‘Tokyo Girlfriend’
Running: March 14 – April 23, 2023
Venue: Tokyo Midtown Hibiya
https://www.hibiya.tokyo-midtown.com/jp/ -
From February 11 to February 26, an exhibition inspired by the popular rock band CreepHyp will be held at the PARCO GALLERY on the 6th floor of the Nagoya PARCO West Building. The event is being held to celebrate the 10th anniversary of CreepHyp. The exhibition is themed around a ‘Museum of Voices.’
A person’s voice is said to be a true expression of their personality. This exhibition will give fans a new sense of what CreepHyp is and will feature their music, their MC content, and various radio appearances.
Visitors will be able to listen to the member’s voices, but they’ll also be able to step on them, dive into them, look at them, and experience plenty of other ways to enjoy the band’s content. Completely immersed in this world of voices, this experience promises to be like no other. Come experience it while you can!
The exhibition was largely created by CHOCOLATE, the creative team behind CreepHyp’s past exhibitions. Exclusive merchandise will also be available on-site.
Information
Let Creephyp’s Music Rain Down on You like a Shower Exhibition
Running: February 11 – February 26 (15 days) *Closed on February 15
Venue: Nagoya PARCO West Building 6F, PARCO GALLERY
Tickets: https://eplus.jp/creephyp_exhibition/
*Pre-sale ticket lottery begins on January 21 at noon
Details: https://art.parco.jp/parcogallery/detail/?id=1151 -
Fans of the pop rock band Macaroni Empitsu will want to head to Tokyo from February 17 to March 6, 2023 to enjoy a newly-reworked 10th-anniversary exhibition. Guests are invited to look through various macaroni holes around the exhibition hall to catch glimpses of some curious and rare items only on display for a limited time.
After being held at several locations around Japan, the exhibition will return to Ikebukuro PARCO in Tokyo next month.
Items appearing in the Macaroni Empitsu 10th Anniversary Book -Macaroni Kuronikuru- will be on display, and a short film titled Aspirations will be screened following its premiere in Shibuya.
Graphic designer Shun Sasaki served as the art director for the exhibition.
Fans won’t want to miss out on the exhibition's original merchandise featuring key visuals and lyrics from the band. Come get a glimpse at the history and personal lives of Macaroni Empitsu’s members while you can!
[Comment from Vocalist Hattori] “Macaroni Empitsu’s exhibition is making a triumphant return to Tokyo! New content has been added this time around, so be sure to come fall into the macaroni hole!”
Information
Macaroni Empitsu 10th Anniversary Exhibition in Tokyo
Running: February 17 – March 6, 2023
Venue: Ikebukuro PARCO 7F / PARCO FACTORY
Hours: 11:00 – 21:00 *Admission permitted up to 30 minutes prior to closing
*Closing at 18:00 on March 6
Admission: ¥500 (Tax Included) *Reservations required. For more information, check parco.art.
*Free for preschool children
Details: https://art.parco.jp/parcomuseum/detail/?id=1147
*Event details are subject to change without notice.
*Hours of operation are subject to change.<Touring Exhibition Information>
Osaka Venue
Umeda LOFT 4F Event Space
Running: January 13 – February 5, 2023■Release
wheel of life EP
Release Date: March 8, 2023
wheel of life EP Special Site: https://macaroniempitsu-wheeloflife.com/■LIVE
TALTO Night 2023
March 3, 2023 / Zepp Haneda
Performers: SAKANAMON / Macaroni Empitsu / Yayuyo / WON
*Opening act plannedOfficial Site: http://macaroniempitsu.com/