Let’s Enjoy Japanese Paintings – Approaching Japan’s Masterpieces through High-resolution Facsimiles

Special Exhibition of 24 High Resolution Facsimiles created with Technologies from the “Tsuzuri Project” Held at the Yonezawa City Uesugi Museum

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.