JANUARY 2024
Jan 17: The Japan Folk Craft Museum (Nihon Mingei-kan) is tiny but uniquely showcases various handicrafts from all over Japan. It was founded by Soetsu Yanagi, who promoted the Fok Craft (Mingei) movement.
Soetsu paid attention to the healthy and honest beauty in ordinary people’s craftworks made by unknown artisans.
The traditional style building, built in 1936 and designed by Soetsu himself, has a black-tiled roof and a white stucco exterior that is elegant and impressive. As I stepped onto a stone floor at the entrance, I had a nostalgic feeling, because the oak staircase and ceramics and others on display fit into our daily lives.
All on display are simple Japanese classic crafts collected by Soetsu and others. I felt I’d seen them when I was young in my house, probably my mother loved their pieces and collected them in the kitchen board.
I bought a “Mingei Movement” book and Essays by Yanagi Soetsu to learn more about his philosophy. Across the street is a black gatehouse that was brought from Tochigi Prefecture.
“ZAKURO”, a Japanese restaurant in Akasaka is arranged and decorated with Mingei-style paintings and lithographs by Munakata Shiko, a woodblock artist, and ceramics by Kawai Kanjiro and Hamada Shoji.
Jan 10: KEITH HARING
Mori Art Center Gallery is holding an exhibit featuring the work of Keith Haring, a pop artist. I love Keith’s drawings – simple, colorful, and fun.
A long time ago, a mobile phone cover with colorful figures caught my eye at the NY MoMA Design Store. I bought it on impulse. I did not know it was Keith’s design at that time. Even now it’s my treasure.
“Drawing of Walls: A Story of Keith Haring” by Matthew Burgess is a beautifully written biography of Haring’s short life, with colorful illustrations. I came to know how generous a person he was, and how art and children played a central part in his life. It's deeply inspiring!
*****
Keith Haring Art to the Streets
2023.12.9 (Sat) – 2024.2.25 (Sun)
10:00 – 19:00
The Mori Arts Center Gallery is located on the 52nd floor of Roppongi Hills Mori Tower.
6-10-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Jan. 9: Rescue efforts continue but snow hampers in the disaster-hit area in the Noto Peninsula
We worry about snow and rainfall, which raise the risk of further damage as snow on roofs can flatten barely standing homes. Many of the houses in that western coastal region are aging and wooden. Snow accumulations cause traffic disruptions and collapse of buildings.
Evacuators are having to endure the cold. Some people were living out of their cars, or went to a greenhouse as they couldn't find space in designated shelters.
Our sympathies are with the devasted victims and extend our wishes for a speedy recovery.
A Happy New Year 2024
January 2: A Bumpy Start of the Year 2024
Following the magnitude 7.6 quake, which struck near Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture yesterday, a Japan Airlines plane was engulfed in flames after a collision with a Coast Guard aircraft on the runway at Haneda Airport, Tokyo.
All 379 JAL passengers were rescued safely, but five people of a Coast Guard aircraft were killed. We pray for the victims of the accident.
January 1: According to our family tradition, we visited the Hie Shrine in Akasaka to wish for a happy new year. It was a beautiful day on Jan 1 in Tokyo.
A train to Akasaka and the shrine were less crowded than last year, but some worshippers still wore masks to wait in line for worship.
We bought Omikuji fortune slips for other family members. An Omikuji tells your fortune for the year, and there are six levels of luck ranging from Daikichi (great luck) to Daikyo (very bad luck). Mine was "Chukichi" (medium blessing) which is the same as last year and I decided to write more articles on this blog and cherish my luck for 2024.