From October 13 to November 3, 2023, the Tsuzuri Project hosted an exhibition entitled “Masterpieces from the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art” at Kenninji Temple in Kyoto. The exhibition was attended by large numbers of visitors from both Japan and overseas.

Held to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art, which is famed for its rich array of Japanese art, Masterpieces from the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art featured high-resolution facsimiles of 19 of the museum’s masterpieces. Its strict no loans policy means that, ordinarily, its prized artworks can only be seen by visitors to the museum. However, by creating extremely accurate high-resolution facsimiles of the works—which included the “Waves at Matsushima”, by Tawaraya Sotatsu, and numerous other masterpieces that would almost certainly be designated as National Treasures if held in Japanese collections—the Tsuzuri Project enabled them to be viewed in their homeland. The facsimiles were put on display at Kenninji Temple, the oldest Zen temple in Kyoto, where they could be appreciated without glass cases and under natural light.

A special nighttime viewings was held as part of a joint project with the art magazine Waraku, while Frank Feltens, a curator of Japanese art at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art, gave a gallery talk. Participants paid careful attention to the paintings as he discussed the context in which the paintings were created, and pointed out aspects of the works particularly worthy of note.

Feedback for the exhibition was overwhelmingly positive, with visitors commenting: “I was glad to be able to see so many superb artworks that the Smithsonian does not allow to be loaned,” “These facsimiles could easily be mistaken for originals—I have nothing but admiration for the project’s technologies,” “I was able to appreciate the paintings under natural light, feeling the breezes pass through Kenninji Temple—it was a decadent experience,” and “I felt as though I had stepped back in time.”

*For an event report on the joint project with Waraku, please click on the following link (in Japanese only):
https://intojapanwaraku.com/art/229318/

From October 11 to November 16, 2023, the Tsuzuri Project hosted an exhibition entitled “The Beauty of Japanese Culture through High Resolution Facsimiles” at Canon Gallery S, in Shinagawa, Tokyo. The exhibition featured eight high-resolution facsimiles created using the Tsuzuri Project’s technologies.

This exhibition was the fourth installment of the “Canon Gallery 50th Anniversary Series of Special Exhibitions,” which commemorate the gallery’s 50th anniversary in February 2023. It provided visitors with an opportunity to appreciate high-resolution facsimiles of widely known masterpieces of Japanese art, including the National Treasure the “Wind and Thunder Gods,” by Tawaraya Sotatsu, a pair of folding screens that make use of gold foil; the National Treasure the “Pine Forest,” by Hasegawa Tohaku, a pair of folding screens painted in different shades of ink; and the “Birds and Animals in the Flower Garden”, by Ito Jakuchu, and the “Beauty Looking Back,” by Hishikawa Moronobu, two vibrant pieces painted with mineral pigments. The “Wind and Thunder Gods,” by Ogata Korin, and the “Flowering Plants of Summer and Autumn” by Sakai Hoitsu, two artworks painted on either side of a double-sided folding screen, were also on display, without the protection of glass casing. It was a spectacular collection of the finest Japanese art. In an innovation only made possible because the artwork was a facsimile, the “Pine Forest” exhibit also featured projection-mapping, enabling visitors to experience the world of the artwork through music and video.

During the exhibition, Director Koji Tanabe of Kyoto Culture Association, a co-organizer of the Tsuzuri Project, gave gallery talks in which he recalled happenings related to the creation of the high-resolution facsimiles, and discussed the exhibits and the stories they told. Attendees listened intently to his words, while appreciating the works of art he discussed.

Feedback for the exhibition was overwhelmingly positive, with visitors commenting: “It’s rare to be able to see these works up close—I was impressed,” “It was incredible to be able to see the two versions of the “Wind and Thunder Gods” by Sotatsu and Korin up close and in the same space,” and “The projection mapping was wonderful—the atmosphere was very peaceful.”

Archive Page of the exhibitions (the Canon Gallery S website)＊Japanese only

From April 26 to May 28, 2023, Canon held the “High-Resolution Facsimiles x Video Experience: National Treasures Come to Fukushima!,” an exhibition of high-resolution facsimiles of five National Treasures created with the technology of the Tsuzuri Project at the Fukushima City Museum of Photography, jointly with Fukushima City.

This exhibition features high-resolution facsimiles of five representative Japanese National Treasure folding screens: “The Wind and Thunder Gods,” “Pine Forest,” “Amusements under the Blossoms,” “Scenes in and around the Capital (Uesugi version),” and “Scenes in and around the Capital (Funaki version)”*. The exhibition provided visitors with a unique viewing experience, such as viewing the works without glass cases, which is difficult with original cultural properties, and projection mapping, which allows visitors to enjoy the world depicted in the works with sound and images. Visitors commented, “It was great to see the works up close,” and “I enjoyed the fusion of Japanese art and projection mapping.”

Other events included a viewing tour by Professor Shuji Nagayoshi, a member of the Japan Art Academy's Community Cooperation Education Promotion Program Committee, and a workshop to create original postcards of The Wind and Thunder Gods using gold leaf imitation, allowing visitors to enjoy an experience of Japanese culture.

* “The Wind and Thunder Gods” (Original: Kenninji Temple Collection)
“Pine Forest,” “Amusements under the Blossoms,” “Scenes in and around the Capital (Funaki version)” (Original: Tokyo National Museum collection)
“Scenes in and around the Capital (Uesugi version)” (Original: Yonezawa City Uesugi Museum Collection)

Over two days, December 13 and 14, 2022, an interactive art appreciation class was held online with about 120 sixth graders participating, using high-resolution facsimiles produced by the Tsuzuri Project at Ritsumeikan Primary School in Kyoto, together with the curator of the Freer Gallery of Art in the US, which owns the original works.

The class featured high-resolution facsimiles of “The Wind and Thunder Gods” (original owned by the Kenninji Temple), and “Waves at Matsushima” and “Dragon and Clouds” (both originals owned by the Freer Gallery of Art), by genius painter Tawaraya Sotatsu who was active in Kyoto during the Edo era, and the children were full of admiration for the illuminated folding screens in the pitch-dark gymnasium. The original works are only able to be seen through glass cases, but here there was nothing to block the works, so the children were able to take time to appreciate pieces from their favorite spot, both up close and from a distance.

In response to questions from the curator about their thoughts regarding the expression of the wind and thunder gods in the piece “The Wind and Thunder Gods,” children shared their opinions that “I think they’re smiling, so I think they’re a friend,” and “it looks like they’re looking down on us as humans.” The children offered various observations and impressions through their dialog with the curator, learning through this lesson that there was no one right answer when it came to their feelings about art appreciation.

The Tokyo National Museum 150th Anniversary Special Thematic Exhibition “Museum of the Future” was held between October 18 and December 11, 2022, to experience Japanese art with a new appreciation using digital technologies.

At the Second Gallery sponsored by Canon, “Through the Four Seasons: High-Resolution Facsimiles of Folding Screens,” high-resolution facsimiles of the national treasures “Amusements under the Blossoms,” “Cooling Off,” “Viewing Maple Leaves,” and “Pine Forest” (all originals owned by the Tokyo National Museum), created using technology from the Tsuzuri Project, were used, and projection mapping was used to project images in each work. The exhibit was composed in a way that allowed visitors to experience the seasons in which it was painted. This fusion of works and digital technologies allowed for close-up appreciation not normally possible with the original cultural assets, providing a viewing experience as if the painted landscape were close at hand.

Also, given how well “Through the Four Seasons: High-Resolution Facsimiles of Folding Screens” was received by the public, the same content will be on display as the “The Door to Japanese Art: The Four Seasons” from January 2 to March 12, 2023, in Room T3 of the Tokyo National Museum Main Building.

Many people visited the exhibition, taking their time to admire the four seasons of Japan. See the video below for projection mapping that shows the worlds of these works.

An exhibition of 24 high resolution facsimiles created with technologies from the “Tsuzuri Project,” titled “Let's Enjoy Japanese Paintings – Approaching Japan's Masterpieces through High-resolution Facsimiles” (hosted by the Yonezawa City Uesugi Museum) was held at the Yonezawa City Uesugi Museum* in Yamagata from Saturday, August 6 to Sunday, September 11.

Hundreds of years ago, numerous masterpieces by prominent artists such as Kano Eitoku, Tawaraya Sotatsu, Ogata Korin, and Katsushika Hokusai were taken abroad, and even those remaining in Japan were restricted for their protection, providing very limited opportunities to see them. The Tsuzuri Project brings together Canon’s latest digital imaging technologies and traditional Kyoto craftsmanship to produce high resolution facsimiles that are as faithful as possible to the original.

This exhibition featured high resolution facsimiles of national treasures and important cultural properties, and treasured Japanese paintings that had been taken abroad, such as Kano Eitoku’s “Scenes in and around Kyoto, Uesugi version” and Tawaraya Sotatsu’s “The Wind and Thunder Gods,” and visitors were able to get up close to appreciate these works without a glass case.

Many people visited the exhibition and enjoyed the opportunity that would never have been possible with the originals. You can see a video of the event below.

*Yonezawa City Uesugi Museum houses Eitoku Kano’s “Scenes in and around Kyoto (Rakuchu Rakugai-zu), Uesugi version,” which was selected as the first work of the “Tsuzuri Project” that started in 2007.

On Thursday, July 28, at the “NIKKEI STEAM 2022 SYMPOSIUM” hosted by Nikkei Osaka Head Office, an art appreciation workshop using high-resolution facsimiles of “The Wind and Thunder Gods” and “Waves of Matsushima” was held. The lecturer was Yukiho Suenaga*, who, as a junior high and high school art teacher, focused on “expanding one’s views” through art. Her book, Thinking of Art from the Age of 13 (DIAMOND, Inc.／ISBN：9784478109182), which contains the contents of this class aimed at the general public, is a bestseller with more than 170,000 copies sold.

In the workshop, the participants, which were of different generations, ranging from high school students to adults, experienced appreciation of art “through their own answers”, using Tawaraya Sotatsu’s “The Wind and Thunder Gods” and “Waves of Matsushima” as subjects.

First, each participant carefully observed each work, wrote down their thoughts and realization, and asked themselves, “What is the source of this feeling?” “What do I feel from there?” Next, they contradicted their own view to consider other perspectives and asked themselves, “What if this was not the case...?” Finally, based on these views, they held short discussions, and shared their written interpretations of the works with the other participants and held dialogues.

By following this method, the participants studied each work intently, and there were in fact a variety of “one’s own answers” from the participants. For “Waves of Matsushima”, one participant came up with the story of the earth god appearing in the rough waters of the Sea of Japan and calming the waves; another participant likened the work to the cosmos inside a bowl of ramen, and felt that it represented love for ramen. For “The Wind and Thunder Gods”, there were as many opinions as there were participants—some thought it depicted the wind and thunder gods fighting, another thought they were playing tricks on each other, and yet another participant thought they were fishing together.

Ms. Suenaga remarked, “Japanese art looks different depending on who is viewing it. This idea must have been rooted since the ancient days. While cherishing the point that one should adopt their own view, it is also important to explore the possibility of different views by constantly contradicting your own viewpoint.”

*Yukiho Suenaga: Profile
Art teacher/Artist
Graduated with undergraduate degree from Musashino University, College of Art and Design, Department of Sculpture; completed a degree from Tokyo Gakugei University, Graduate School of Education (Art Education). She is currently an instructor at Urawa University, Department of Education for Children, and is also an individual researcher at Tokyo Gakugei University.
Ms. Suenaga has expanded exploratory art classes at junior high schools and high schools with a focus on “expanding one’s views” through art. Currently, She conducts more than 100 activities per year related to art thinking, such as education in art and design to nurture creativity in children, lectures at various educational institutions, seminars for adults, etc. Participants provided feedback such as, “I didn’t know art was so fun!” and “I now understand the basics behind thinking about things.”
She authored the book Thinking of Art from the Age of 13 (Diamond, Inc.／ ISBN：9784478109182), which is a bestseller with more than 160,000 copies

*Yukiho Suenaga: Profile
Art teacher/Artist
Graduated with undergraduate degree from Musashino University, College of Art and Design, Department of Sculpture; completed a degree from Tokyo Gakugei University, Graduate School of Education (Art Education). She is currently an instructor at Urawa University, Department of Education for Children, and is also an individual researcher at Tokyo Gakugei University.
Ms. Suenaga has expanded exploratory art classes at junior high schools and high schools with a focus on “expanding one’s views” through art. Currently, She conducts more than 100 activities per year related to art thinking, such as education in art and design to nurture creativity in children, lectures at various educational institutions, seminars for adults, etc. Participants provided feedback such as, “I didn’t know art was so fun!” and “I now understand the basics behind thinking about things.”
She authored the book Thinking of Art from the Age of 13 (Diamond, Inc.／ ISBN：9784478109182), which is a bestseller with more than 160,000 copies

On July 1 - 2, 2020, “National Treasure – Amusement under the Blossoms”, an event hosted by the National Center for the Promotion of Cultural Properties (CPCP) for a new screen experience using high resolution facsimile, was held at the Tokyo National Museum.

The National Treasure “Amusement under the Blossoms” is artwork from the 17th century that depicts noblewomen dancing under fully bloomed cherry blossoms. The center panels of the right screen were destroyed in the Great Kanto Earthquake, and presently, blank washi Japanese paper is used in their place to make up the screen. As part of a joint research project with CPCP, a high resolution facsimile was produced using the techniques cultivated through the Tsuzuri Project, and work to restore the destroyed portion was carried out.

The destroyed portion had depicted a festive party scene featuring noblewomen, which serves as the main theme of the screen, and a record of the entire image on a glass photographic plate taken around 1911 remains. This glass photographic plate was scanned, the black-and-white data that was obtained was compared with the surviving portions, gradation corrections were made and then color reproduction was performed.

With regard to the color reproduction, the colors of drawings that overlap between the destroyed portion and surviving portions, such as the background and cherry blossom tree, were captured by extracting the color of the surviving portions and coloring was carried out for those portions under supervision by researchers at the Tokyo National Museum. While referring to the partial copy of the original work that remains as the only clue, only the parts for which the colors could be determined were colored, and other parts were left in black and white.

The high resolution facsimile that reproduced the destroyed portion was planned on being exhibited as part of the special exhibition “The World of Traditional Performing Arts” at the Tokyo National Museum, but due to the coronavirus outbreak, this exhibition has been put on hold. An exhibit for the high resolution facsimile of “Amusement under the Blossoms” was held upon recruiting visitors for this experience. During the limited-visitors exhibit, the artwork was exhibited in a whimsical space onto which cherry blossoms in full bloom were projected using projection mapping. Over the course of the two days, 72 people making up 55 groups were able to experience a dream-like space.

On November 3 (Sat.), 2018, the facsimile of the “Pine Trees” folding screen (from the collection of Tokyo National Museum) was used for a workshop held at the Okyokan Teahouse in the garden of Tokyo National Museum.

The workshop consisted of a session for families with children and a session for adults, attended by a total of 38 participants.
The workshop gave participants the opportunity to experience how the screens were originally used, as they were invited to think about how the screens can be arranged, and the specialist staff with expert knowledge in the field of art recreated their ideas. Participants were also able to enjoy viewing the screens in a number of different ways, including in darkness, natural light, and lighting resembling candlelight.

The Tokyo National Museum held the interactive family-oriented program, Diving into Screen Paintings: A New Way to Experience Japanese Art, between July 4 and September 3, 2017 in Honkan Rooms T4 and T5.

The exhibition was designed to give visitors a new way to experience and enjoy Japanese art made possible by high-resolution reproductions.

Room T5 showcased a high-resolution facsimile of Pine Trees, held by the Tokyo National Museum. On entering the dim venue, visitors passed under curtains with projections of pine trees, drawing them into the world of Hasegawa Tohaku’s Pine Trees folding screens. The installation even included a breeze carrying the scent of pines to heighten the experience.

A 4K projector displayed exceedingly lifelike 4K images, intended to evoke the atmosphere of the folding screens, on a semicircular screen five meters in height and 15 meters in diameter. By sitting on tatami mats in front of the Pine Trees reproduction with no exhibition cases to interfere with the experience, visitors were able to view the folding screens as they were meant to be seen. Such an experience would not be possible with the original national treasures.

Room T4 featured a high-resolution facsimile of Cranes, held by the Freer Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. (The Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum holds the reproduction.) Visiting kids shouted in delight at the interactive installation, in which projected cranes flapped their wings when visitors approach them. The cranes, projected on large screens, moved in response to visitors’ movements, after which they appeared to return back inside the folding screens.

Around 82,000 people visited the exhibition during its run, including many overseas visitors.

Watch the videos below to get a sense of the wonderful installations.

On October 22 (Sat.), 2016, the facsimile of the “Pine Trees” folding screen (from the collection of Tokyo National Museum) was used for a family-oriented workshop held at the Kujokan Teahouse in the garden of Tokyo National Museum.

The workshop consisted of a morning and an afternoon session, attended by nine groups and seven groups respectively, with a total of 40 participants.
The workshop gave participants the opportunity to experience how the screens were originally used, as they were invited to think about how the screens can be arranged, and the specialist staff with expert knowledge in the field of art recreated their ideas.
Participants were also able to enjoy viewing the screens in a number of different ways, including in darkness, natural light, and lighting resembling candlelight.

On October 13 (Thu.), 2016, staff from Mitsui Memorial Museum visited Minami Rokugo Junior High School in Ota ward, Tokyo, to hold a class using the facsimile of “Pine Trees in the Snow” (from the collection of Mitsui Memorial Museum) created by the Tsuzuri Project.

The class was attended by six classes of second year students—234 students in total. While folding screens are normally first seen in the light, staff place importance on students’ first glimpse of the work, by using the unique method of setting the screen up closed, darkening the room, and then unfolding the screen before students’ eyes.

This class is held as part of educational initiatives related to the Olympic and Paralympics, and students also considered ways of introducing the appeal of folding screens to people from overseas.

On March 26 (Sat.), 2016, the facsimile of the “Pine Trees” folding screen (from the collection of Tokyo National Museum) was used for a family-oriented workshop held at the Okyokan Teahouse in the garden of Tokyo National Museum.

The workshop consisted of a morning and an afternoon session, attended by nine groups and nine groups respectively, with a total of 48 participants.
The workshop gave participants the opportunity to experience how the screens were originally used, as they were invited to think about how the screens can be arranged, and the specialist staff with expert knowledge in the field of art recreated their ideas. Participants were also able to enjoy viewing the screens in a number of different ways, including in darkness, natural light, and lighting resembling candlelight.