kansai & the seto inland sea in art 2014 by samues leung

SAMUES LEUNG

KANSAI & The Seto Inland Sea

(Setonaikai) in ART 2014

There is nothing better than an exclusively “art-for-art-sake” journey to nearly all the 22 Art Museums in various cities, appreciating Japanese culture and art in

different art forms, ranging from ancient to modern, within one journey.

It was not until 2014 when I planned to stay for a longer while in the fascinating city Kyoto where I had been

for a couple of times, trying to take a different, more comprehensive approach on my art journey. I am always

interested in exploring more opportunities to learn and capture the sense of Wabi-Sabi and its

philosophies that I want to employ and incorporate in my artwork.

I believe there is nothing better than an exclusively “art-for-art-sake” journey to nearly all the Art Museums in

various cities, appreciating Japanese culture and art in different art forms, ranging from ancient to modern,

within one journey. It is relaxing to concentrate on viewing and admiring artwork along the way, while I can

enjoy my free-driving experience, without being bound by a hectic itinerary and away from the hustle and

bustle of popular sightseeing and shopping spots!

This art journey started from Kobe (神戸) and carried through a route covering several cities less known to

tourists, namely Okayama(岡山市), Kasaoka (笠岡市), Kurashiki (倉敖市), especially Seto Inland sea (瀨戶內

海). The most amazing driving experience for me is when taking the car ferry from Okayama to Naoshima (直

島) and across the Great Seto Bridge (瀬戸大橋), and finally drove from Takamatsu (高松市) to Tokushima

(德島) before returning to Kobe (神戸) through Ohnaruto Bridge (大嗚門橋).

Travelling over 800km, I visited more than 10 cities and 20 Museums. Unfortunately, 2 of them were closed

during my visit. Nevertheless, before I went to Kyoto (京都) for my further studies, I had visited another

museum in Nara and a heritage temple in Uji. In this art book, I recorded some of their exhibits in order to

showcase the types of arts that have impressed me most throughout my journey.

I grasped the chance of studying the ceramics in Kyoto while visiting some famous temples and art galleries.

Thanks for my Gallery friend there, I found 2 respectable Japanese artists of my great interest. None of them

introduced Wabi-Sabi art but I can learn a lot from their artwork, in a sense of their “spiritual way”, and the

forms and materials they have been working on.

Of course, due to the limitation of coverage, I can only include some selected photos and information in the

book but I would say, from my deep memory of the journey, I will be eager and able to transform my travelling

and learning experience into my artwork in the future, having a myriad of mesmerizing images, or words,

imprinted on my mind.

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1) Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art (兵庫縣市立美術館)

2) Yokoo Tadanori Museum of Contemporary Art (橫美忠則現代美術館)

3) BBPlaza Museum of Art (BBプラザ美術館)

4) City Kobe Museum (神戸市立博物館)

5) Kobe - Ijinkan Foreign Residences Museum (神户北野異人館)

6) Okayama, Orient Museum (岡山市立美術館)

7) Hayashibara Museum (岡山市林原美術館)

8) Naoshima - Bennsse House (直島 Bennsse House )

9) Naoshima - Lee Ufan Museum (直島李禹煥美術館)

10) Naoshima - Chichun Art Museum (直島地中美術館)

11) Ohara Art Musem (倉敖縣大原美術館)

12) Kurashiki City Art Museum (倉敖市立美術館)

13) City Kasaoka, Okayama Chikkyo Art Museum (笠岡市立竹喬美術館)

14) City iBara Okayama Denchu Art Museum (井原市立田中美術館)

15) The Kagawa Museum of Art (香川県立歷史博物館)

16) Takamatsu City, Kagawa, Museum (高松市立美術館)

17) Marugame Genichiro-Inokuma Museum of Contemporary Art (丸亀市猪熊弦一郎現代美術館)

18) Tokushima Prefectural Art Museum (德島県立近代美術館)

19) Nara City Museum (奈良美術館)

20) Uji, Kyoto Prefecture, Byōdō-in temple (京都府宇治市平等院)

21) Kyoto Municipal Museum of Art (京都市美術館)

22) Honen-in Temple (京都法然院)

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The journey started from Kobe

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(1) Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art (兵庫縣市立美術館)

The Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art, designed by Tadao Ando, who represents the Japanese architecture world, is full of features as attractive as the works in the museum. The museum is designed to fuse art with music ,play, dancese and other events. The structure of the building produces various complex spatial experiences. Each part of the building shows different views of reflected light and shadow. The calm entrance hall guides you with a meditative atmosphere and in contrast sunshine falling on the exhibition spaces through the glazed terrace creates a more lively atmosphere. In addition, the juxtaposition of the museum like a huge maze and surrounding sea amuses with views that change from morning to evening and through the seasons. The design of the building can at times seem complex but in fact this complexity is one of the joys of visiting this museum.

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Segal George (1924-2000 ) Rush Hour, 1981

小野和則 ONO KAZUNORI (1941-)

時間採集 I, ii, iii, iv

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(2) Yokoo Tadanori Museum of Contemporary Art 橫美忠則現代美術館

The Yokoo Tadanori Museum of Contemporary Art was opened in November 2012 in the refurbished west wing of the Oji Branch of the Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art (formerly, the Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Modern Art, designed by Murano Togo). The museum’s primary objectives are to maintain the collection of works that were donated and deposited by Yokoo Tadanori, an artist born in Nishiwaki, Hyogo, and to make them widely accessible to the general public. While primarily using the collection to call attention to Yokoo’s internationally-acclaimed art both inside and outside Japan, the museum holds a diverse range of exhibitions featuring artists in a variety of fields with links to Yokoo and themes related to Yokoo’s works. In addition to fulfilling ordinary functions such as presenting displays and conserving works, the museum contains several unique facilities. The Archive Room, for example, contains an enormous number of reference materials related to the artist and implements a variety of surveys and other research. This vast store of information reveals the secrets of Yokoo’s creations, reflects his extensive associations with many notable figures, and constitutes an invaluable resource for postwar cultural history. Moreover, the Open Studio presents a host of different events, including lectures, workshops, concerts, and public productions of art, aimed at all generations, from children to adults.

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BBプラザ美術館は、株式会社シマブンコーポレーションの創業100周年記念事業の一環として、2009年7月、

ここ神戸に開館いたしました。当館のコレクションは、日本を代表する近・現代の画家をはじめ、フランスの巨匠たちによる絵画や版画、彫刻作品により形成されております。

当館は「暮らしの中にアートを」を標榜し、多くの方が当館所蔵作品一点一点との親しみを深めていただければと考えております。そして新たなる出会いを求め、地域社会における芸術文化振興の一助となるべく、開かれた美術館づくりを今後ともめざしてまいります。

(3) BB Plaza Museum of Art BBプラザ美術館

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Kobe City Museum was opened to the public in 1982. Before that time, there were two municipal facilities in the category of museum on the human culture, that were Municipal Archaeological Art Museum and Municipal Namban Art Museum. The establishment of Kobe City Museum was a start of a comprehensive museum on the human culture and the above-mentioned two museums came to form part of this new museum. Thus, Kobe City Museum took over all collections and activities of the two as well as framing its new theme of activity. From the view point that Kobe had been an international harbor since old years and had been playing a role as the gate and indow of cultural intercourse between foreign countries and Japan, the fundamental theme of the new Museum was settled as international Culture Exchange - Contact between Eastern and western Cultures and Their Changes by the Interaction".

神戸市立博物館（こうべしりつはくぶつかん）的前身是神戶市立南蠻美術館。和神戶市立考古館於1982年合並建成的。是修建和擴建在1935年建成的舊橫濱正金銀行神戶支店的基礎上的。1998年被指定為登

陸級保護文物。博物館的基本主題為國際文化交流——東西文化的接觸與變遷。收藏有含國寶21件，重點文物76件，共計38000件收藏品。其中特別有名的是16世紀到17世紀的南蠻繪畫。這些屏風或卷軸

上的繪畫的靈感來源於傳教士帶來的歐洲文藝複興藝術，部分作品描繪出當時葡萄牙艦隊登陸日本的場景，因為容易受損，所以這些繪畫一年僅展出40天（7月末到9

月初）在剩餘階段，隻能欣賞複製品以及參觀有關神戶考古和曆史的其他展品。

(4) City Kobe Museum 神戸市立博物館

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Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849) was an ukiyo-e artist active in the late Edo period. For seventy years, until his death in his ninetieth year, he was relentless in his experimentation with new artistic styles. While ukiyo-e prints are loved and admired over the world, Hokusai’s work is especially popular, a favorite of dedicated collectors and researchers in Europe and America as well as Japan. His work is found in museum collections worldwide. Hokusai was also the only Japanese individual chosen by Life magazine for its list of the hundred most important events and individuals in the last millennium. This exhibition presents a selection of works by Hokusai, the pride of Japan, from the world-famous collection of Japanese art at the Museum of Fine Arts(MFA), Boston. Curated by Nagata Seiji, the foremost authority in Hokusai studies, it also includes jewels from the MFA collection in this rigorously selected group of 142 works with truly amazing colors, including works of extreme rarity to be seen nowhere else. Here you will experience a view of Hokusai that will exceed your most vivid imagination.

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« Longue vue » Série : Sept manies des jeunes femmes sans élégance Fūryū nakute nanakuse Tōmegane Ère Kyōwa (1801-1804) Estampe nishiki-e, format ōban 36,5 × 25,4 cm Signature : Kakō ga Éditeur : Tsuta-ya Jūzaburō collection particulière © Galerie Sebastian Izzard LLC

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*Minamoto no Tametomo+ Tametomo dans l’île Tametomo zu Ère Bunka, an VIII (1811), dernier jour du dernier mois Kakémono, kempon 156,5 × 104 cm Signature : Katsushika Hokusai Taito ga Sceau : Raishin Londres, The British Museum © The British Museum, Londres, dist. Rmn-Grand palais / The Trustees of the British Museum

« Chōshi dans la province de Sōshū » Série : Mille images de la mer Chie no umi Sōshū chōshi Vers le début de l’ère Tempō (vers 1830-1834) Estampe nishiki-e, format chūban 18,2 × 25,6 cm Signature : Saki no Hokusai Iitsu hitsu Éditeur : Mori-ya Jihei Paris, Musée national des arts asiatiques-Guimet © Rmn-Grand Palais (musée Guimet, Paris) / Thierry Olivier

Deux carpes Koi Ère Tempō, an II (1831) Estampe nishiki-e, format uchiwa-e 23,2 × 28,7 cm Signature : Hokusai Aratame Iitsu hitsu Sceau : non identifié Paris, Musée national des arts asiatiques - Guimet © Rmn-Grand Palais (musée Guimet, Paris) / Thierry Ollivier

9 Key Terms You Should Know Before Seeing The Massive Hokusai Exhibition

Hokusai, the 18th century Japanese artist, created a dizzying amount of artwork throughout his lifetime. Working primarily in woodblock prints, though partaking in painting and drawing as well, Hokusai created work well into old age, memorably claiming "all he had done before the age of 70 was not worth bothering with." An exhibition currently at the Grand Palais in Paris spans the six periods in Hokusai’s life, presenting a massive compendium comprised of over 500 works, many of which likely won't make it out of Japan again. The show is divided into two phases to protect the most fragile works, replacing some of the prints with equivalent images part of the way through.

Hokusai, arguably the world's most famous Japanese artist, stood out from his contemporaries for his interest in everyday life. Instead of solely depicting glamorous geishas and heroic samurais, Hokusai rendered everyday workers, fisherman, and other urban scenarios that weren't yet immortalized through art. He also incorporated aspects of European composition into his otherwise traditional Japanese images, yielding advanced hybrids that existed nowhere else in the world. For those anywhere near Paris, this exhibition is a must. And before you go, check out our brief guide to key terms that will make your visit all the clearer. If you're reading this on the wrong continent, the art vocabulary refresher will hopefully still come in handy. 1. Ukiyo-e is the genre of woodblock prints and paintings popular in Japan from the 1600s to the 1800s. The term comes from the word "ukiyo" which means "floating world," referencing the hedonistic pleasures of the burgeoning merchant class. Also, it's the medium for which Hokusai is best known. 2. The Edo period is the time between 1603 and 1868 in Japanese history, marked by economic growth and a new interest in art, culture, sex and more decadent pleasure. Tableau des moeurs féminines du temps

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3. Shunrō is the first of Hokusai's alternate names. Hokusai frequently changed his name, and such a shift was often associated with a rupture in style. 4. Shunga literally means "picture of spring," and "spring" is Japanese slang for sex. Thus, shunga are those naughty prints that playfully depict doing the dirty, sometimes with an octopus involved. Although the works were often extremely graphic, they were enjoyed by virtually all social groups and created by the most respected of artists, including Hokusai. The Dream of the Fisherman's Wife 5. Kabuki actors partake in a stylized, Japanese dance-drama in extreme makeup -- the word is often interpreted as "avant-garde." Kabuki actors were the subject of Hokusai's first series of prints, which he created in 1779. 6. Surimono, literally translating to "printed thing," is another type of Japanese woodblock print. Unlike ukiyo-e prints, which aimed for mass readership, surimono were privately published and rarely sold to the public. This often allowed Surimono to be more experimental than their more populist counterparts.

The Great Wave off Kanagawa

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7. Mount Fuji is a strangely symmetrical mountain, which happens to be the highest in Japan. Over the years it has inspired many artists and poets, including Hokusai who, at 66 years old, embarked on an ukiyo-e series "Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji," for which he is best known. This series includes Hokusai's most famed print, "The Great Wave off Kanagawa.“ 8. Hokusai Manga is a collection of around 4,000 sketches made by Hokusai, depicting everything from plants to landscapes to supernatural visions. The series, defined by Hokusai as "Brush gone wild," has no relation to the Japanese comic form going by the same name. Hokusai Manga. Carnets de croquis divers de Hokusai 9. Japonism references the lasting effect Hokusai had on later generations of Western artists. First named in 1872, Japonism is a style inspired by ukiyo-e woodblock prints' vivid colors, lack of perspective and compositional experimentation. Artists including Vincent van Gogh, Claude Monet, Paul Gauguin and many more incorporated these elements into their Impressionism-era works.

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(5) Kobe - Ijinkan Foreign Residences Museum 北野町異人館 Kitano-cho (北野町, Kitanochō) is a city district at the foot of the Rokko mountain range where many foreign merchants and diplomats settled after the Port of Kobe was opened to foreign trade in the second half of the19th century. More than a dozen of the former mansions, known as Ijinkan, remain in the area and are open to the public as museums. Most of the houses charge an admission fee between 550 to 750 yen, while combination tickets are available to see multiple houses. The entire district is pleasant to walk through and offers a variety of cafes, restaurants and boutiques, making it a favorite among young Japanese couples. 在神戶市內,尤其是座落在俯視海港高台上的北野至今仍留存著明治時代遺留下來的異人館(為外國人的居住所建的房子。主要採用了西洋風格的建築)。隨著1968年神戶海港的開放而發展起來的這個城市里,在明治時代已有很多外國人來日居住此地,作為外國人的住宅異人館開始逐漸建起來。當時共建了二百棟以上的異人館。現在僅剩下大約六十棟左右的西洋建築,其中二十幾棟的異人館對外進行開放。萊茵館和英國館等三十四棟西洋建築已被指定為傳統建築物,風見雞館和萌黃之館等也有一些已被指定為重要文化遺產。每個館各有獨特風格,有著許多賞心悅目的景點。有些異人館內經營咖啡屋和飯店,其中時尚且高雅的咖啡屋和商店也不少。在這裡可以體驗到充滿異國風情的文化與歷史,是個神戶屈指的觀光景點。

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The Uroko House is named after fish scales because of its overlapping shingled siding. Inside you will find a collection of antique furniture and household items in one part of the house and a small museum with paintings by Russian modern artists in the other. There are also nice views over Kobe from the museum's top floor.

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The 6th to 7th Museum visit started from Okayama City

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(6) Okayama, Orient Museum 岡山市立美術館

Okayama Orient Museum (岡山市立オリエント美術館 Okayama Shiritsu Oriento Bijutsukan) is a museum of Ancient Near Eastern, Roman provincial, Byzantine, Sassanian, and Islamic Art in Okayama, Okayama Prefecture, Japan. As of 2007 there were some 4,852 items, including winged Assyrian reliefs.The museum is a prize-winning design by Okada & Associates. Okayama Orient Museum was constructed on the occasion when 1,947 Middle Eastern works of art were donated to the City of Okayama by the Okayama Gakuen Education Foundation (by the late chief director, Mr. Shinjiro Yasuhara). These works were passionately collected by Mr. Yasuhara under the guidance of the late professor emeritus, Namio Egami and the late professor Shinji Fukai of The University of Tokyo, both acquaintances of Mr. Yasuhara. Therefore, the collection is scholarly systematic and contains various kinds of materials which are indispensable in the understanding of the culture and history of the Orient.

(7) Hayashibara Museum 岡山市林原美術館

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The 8th to 10th Museum visit started from Naoshima Island

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Traveling to Naoshima Island by car ferry. So expensive. The fee is charged by the length of the car. The ticket can be used for same day return or next day.

Uno Port

Took the last slot of ferry back to Uno port. 7:00 p.m.

渡輪慢慢駛進直島宮浦港，歡迎我們的是草間彌生的紅南瓜，在彼岸，即使天氣陰沉灰黯，紅南瓜仍是瑰麗燦爛，如此鮮明的作品，很難想像是長期飽受精神疾病之苦的藝術家的作品。直島可說是瀨戶內藝術島之首，所有人因為仰慕安藤忠雄、草間彌生或是其它許許多多在此創作的藝術家而來。雖說直島早已躍為世界知名的藝術文化之島，但卻有個鮮為人知的悲苦過往。過去，直島曾受嚴重工業銅污染，幾乎淪落為廢島，直到有一天受到恩人賞識終能成就藝術之島美名。 Benesse，Ben = well、esse = being，好好過日子，Helping people "live well" 讓人們過美好的生活，這是打開 Benesse 企業的網頁時立即跳出來的文字，他們如此述說著企業理念。這也可以往前追溯到 1987 年時，Benesse 企業的福武總一郎邀請安藤忠雄前往直島時，所闡述的理念。他們當時在直島所見到令人不忍卒睹的景象早已改觀，草木不生的荒廢島嶼已不復存，人跡鮮見的彌留之地轉變成人們與大自然、藝術融合的極境所在。直島在「2013 瀨戶內國際藝術祭」中扮演重要角色，有南瓜、有安藤忠雄，還有 Benesse House Museum (姑且翻譯為 "貝尼斯之家美術館"，但我之後的文章還是直接寫原文就好)、地中美術館、李禹煥美術館、Art House Project (家屋計畫)、直島錢湯「I♥湯」，以及諸多作品。若在瀨戶內海只能參觀一個島，那我想只能選擇直島了。) 因為 Benesse House Museum 可買到南瓜所有的相關紀念品，是來到直島必買，而且南瓜商品實在太讓人愛不釋手，造成不分國藉與老少的排隊搶購，所以在看完紅、黃南瓜之後，即使無充份預算到 Benesse House Museum 住宿，也要到那兒享用不算貴的精緻午餐便當定食，再買些南瓜回家，才能不枉費來直島走一趟啦！草間彌生的黃南瓜在島嶼之南，以下會先看到宮浦港前的紅南瓜。

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Naoshima Island

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Public art in Naoshima by KIMIYO Mishima Another Rebirth 2005~ N, 2001, Iron, ceramic, recycled material

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8) Naoshima - Bennsse House (直島 Bennsse House ) Benesse House Museum opened in 1992 as a facility integrating a museum with a hotel, based on the concept "Coexistence of nature, art and architecture." The facility consists of four buildings, all designed by Tadao Ando: Museum, Oval (opened in 1995), Park and Beach (both opened in 2006). The Museum, which performs the complex's principal function of displaying art, is an imposing structure open to the outside world, and visitors can sense the presence of nature even inside the building. In addition to the works in its collection, the Museum also contains permanent site-specific installations that artists have created specially for this building, locating the installations on their own and designing the works for those spaces. In fact, the Museum's artworks are found not just within its galleries, but in all parts of the building, as well as in scattered locations along the seashore that borders the complex and in the nearby forest. One of the pleasures of visiting Benesse House is unexpectedly encountering works of art, not only within the walls of the Museum but also while strolling around the grounds, enjoying the abundant natural beauty of the Inland Sea region.

9) Naoshima - Lee Ufan Museum (直島李禹煥美術館) A museum resulting from collaboration between the internationally acclaimed artist Lee Ufan, presently based mainly in Europe, and the architect Tadao Ando.

The Ando-designed semi-underground structure houses paintings and sculptures by Lee spanning a period from the 1970s to the present day. Lee's works resonate with Ando's building, giving visitors an impression of both stillness and dynamism. Positioned in isolation in a valley surrounded by mountains and sea, the museum offers a harmony between nature, architecture, and art, where visitors will be offered an opportunity to return to their original natures and to find time for quiet reflection in a society overflowing with material goods. At the museums on Naoshima, the art and architecture were designed to harmonize with nature, in some cases being built into hillsides to literally become part of the scenery. Most of the museums have wide-ranging collections, but the Lee Ufan Museum is dedicated to this Korean artist; along with the building, designed by storied Japanese architect Ando Tadao, his simple, understated works are perfectly suited to this setting.

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Installation - Relatum by Lee Ufan

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Art of Composition

Opened in time for the 2010 Setouchi Triennale, the Lee Ufan Museum (李禹煥美術館, Ri Ūfan Bijutsukan) is one of the more recent additions to Naoshima. The museum features works by the Korean contemporary artist Lee Ufan, who was born in Korea but has been working and teaching in Japan. On display are large installations made of stone, concrete and huge slabs of iron, as well as a number of paintings from earlier in his career. The museum building was designed by the Japanese architect Ando Tadao, who also designed the other museums on the island, namely the nearby Benesse House and Chichu Art Museum. Just like his other works on the island, the Lee Ufan Museum building mixes geometrically shaped reinforced concrete with nature and open spaces that accentuate the artwork displayed within.

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"Relatum – a signal" by Lee Ufan at Lee Ufan Museum, Naoshima.

Lee Ufan (Korean: 이 우 환 , Hanja: 李禹煥 , Korean pronunciation: *iːuhwan+ born 1936 in Haman County, in South Kyongsang province in Korea) is a Korean[1] minimalist painter and sculptor[2] artist and academic, honored by the government of Japan for having "contributed to the development of contemporary art in Japan."[3] The art of this artist, who has long been based in Japan, is rooted in an Eastern appreciation of the nature of materials and also in modern European phenomenology. The origin of Mono-ha may be found in Lee‘s article "Sonzai to mu wo koete Sekine Nobuo ron (Beyond Being and Nothingness - A Thesis on Sekine Nobuo."[4] Once this initial impetus given, Mono-ha congealed with the participation of the students of the sculptor Saito Yoshishige, who was teaching at Tama University of Art at the time. One evidence may be found in the book [ba, so, toki] (場相時, place phase time)(Spring, 1970).[5] Lee, the main theorist of the Mono-ha (“School of Things”) tendency in Japan in the late 1960s and early 1970s, was trained as a philosopher.[6] As a painter, Lee contributed to 'Korean Monotone Art'(Dansaekzo Yesool, 單色調藝術),[7] the first artistic movement in 20th century Korea to be promoted in Japan. He advocates a methodology of de-westernization and demodernization in both theory and practice as an antidote to the Eurocentric thought of 1960s postwar Japanese society. Lee divides his time between Kamakura, Japan and Paris, France.

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Live in a way that leaves no regrets.

10) The Chichu Art Museum (地中美術館) Chichū Bijutsukan (lit. "art museum in the earth") is a museum built directly into a southern portion of the island of Naoshima in Kagawa Prefecture, Japan. The entire museum is built under the ground! And all artwork installations has been built in the customized space and the museum architectures. It was designed by architect Tadao Ando and opened its doors to the public on July 18, 2004.

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To ensure that the museum does not affect the beautiful scenery of Naoshima, the majority of the building is located underground. Despite its positioning, it receives an abundance of natural light, changing the appearance of the artworks and the ambience of the space itself with the passage of the days and the seasons.

An art space containing a sphere 2.2 meters in diameter and 27 gilded wooden geometric forms was created under the direction of Walter De Maria, an artist who conceives an entire space as an artwork. The viewer experiences this space exclusively in the natural light from the ceiling, which produces dramatic changes in the room's illumination, depending on the hour.

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James Turrell presents light in itself as art. The museum has selected three works from representative series created by Turrell from the beginning of his career to the present, enabling visitors to experience the changes in his work throughout the years. Open Sky (2004，Naoshima) can be viewed at anytime, but a special sunset viewing, Night Program, is also available.

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Projection piece by James Turrel

“I make spaces that apprehend light for our perception, and in some ways gather it, or seem to hold it…my work is more about your seeing than it is about my seeing, although it is a product of my seeing.” — James Turrell

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Was scared, scared, scared to the bone by James Turrell

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Using concrete, the main material employed in Tadao Ando's architecture, iron, glass, and wood, the design of the Chichu Art Museum is reduced to the very limit. Built entirely underground, the museum balances the contradictory qualities of non-monumentality and architecturally.

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Five paintings from the Water Lilies series produced by the great Impressionist painter Claude Monet in his last years can be enjoyed in the natural light of the museum. The size of the room, its design, and the materials used were selected to integrate Monet's works with the surrounding space.

A water Lilies smaller river and garden for visitors which is located near by the Museum

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The 11th to 12th Museum visit started from Kurashiki (倉敷市)

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Kurashiki (倉敷市 Kurashiki-shi?) is a historic city located in western Okayama Prefecture, Japan, sitting on the Takahashi River, on the coast of the Inland Sea. As of December 2012, the city has an estimated population of 477,983 and a population density of 1,350 persons per km². The total area is 354.71 km². The old merchant quarter is called the Bikan historical area. It contains many fine examples of 17th century wooden warehouses (kura, 倉) painted white with traditional black tiles, along a canal framed with weeping willows and filled with koi. The area has no electric poles in order to make it more closely resemble the look of the Meiji period. One of the city's former town halls was located in the Kurashiki Kan, a European style building constructed in 1917. In 1998 a theme park called Tivoli (after the park of the same name in Copenhagen) opened near Kurashiki Station. After ten years of operation it was closed in 2008, with a massive debt.

The Great Seto Bridge connects the city to Sakaide in Kagawa Prefecture across the Inland Sea.

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Kurashiki is the home of Japan's first museum for Western art, the Ohara Museum of Art. Established in 1930 by Magosaburō Ōhara, it contains paintings by El Greco, Monet,Matisse, Gauguin, and Renoir. The collection also presents fine examples of Asian and contemporary art. The main building is designed in the style of Neoclassicism.

11) Hayashibara Museum 倉敷市林原美術館

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In 1930, to commemorate Kojima Torajiro, a Western-style painter who died the previous year, Kurashiki entrepreneur, Ohara Magosaburo, founded the Ohara Museum of Art. This private museum, featuring Western art, is the oldest in Japan. Magosaburo, well-known as a collector of Japanese art, highly respected Torajiro's talent and his humble attitude towords art, and sent Torajiro to Europe three times. Torajiro studied art in Europe and, at the same time, with Magosaburo's superb European artwork, choosing pieces through the sense of beauty that he possessed as a Japanese artist. Torajiro, who had a spirit typical of Meiji Era, felt there was a struggle between the highlights of Western art and his Japanese aesthetic sense, when he carefully chose artwork. He prudently chose masterpieces by El Greco, Gauguin, Monet, Matisse and other artists and brought them to Kurashiki, which are now the main features of the Ohara Museum of Art. His collection of Chinese and Egyptian art reveals the conflict of beauty between Western and Oriental art that he faced, where he tried to seek the essence of art. The Ohara Museum of Art plays an active role in Kurashiki, expanding the collection to include both modern and contemporary art from the West and Japan, as well as pieces by artists who served Mingei Movement (Japanese Folk Art Movement). Now the museum is well known to the world as a private museum with its own character, reflecting Japanese culture. The Ohara Museum of Art, in addintion to opening the eyes of children and adults on site, soends time and energy on distance learning programs through the information communication technology(IT).As an art museum that will actively live through the 21st century, it also serves for broad activities cultivating the frontier of art. Art Lectures are held every summer, and Gallery Concerts, inviting world-class musicians, are part of its activities.

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The Burghers of Calais Jean Daire, 1884 RODIN Auguste

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The garden between the main Museum premises and its branch

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Landscape of La Ferte-Milon, 1855-65, COROT, Jean-Baptiste-Camille

Highnoon in the Alps SEGANTINI Giovanni 1892

Italian Woman with Tambourine GUERIN Charles 1911

Wood cutter, 1910, HODLER Ferinand

Path, 1918, EUGENE Laermans

Claude Monet, one of the prominent impressionism artists was born in Paris and spent his early years in Le Havre, a port town at the estuary of La Seine. He met a seascape painter, Eugene Boudin there and decided to go to Paris to become an artist due to his influence. In Paris he met Sisley, Renoir, Pisaro among others to form a group of impressionism and explored ways to capture natural light outdoors. Throughout his life, his interests were always in nature that constantly changes under natural light. He created many series of works on the same motif that were painted at different times of the day in an attempt to contain changes of light and colors. In particular, Monet very ardently painted series of "Waterlilies" in the later years in his life. He created a pond of waterlilies in his garden of his home in Giverny and was totally absorbed in the production. This "Waterlilies" has just water alone depicted throughout the entire canvas. The picture painted elaborately with bright colors tells us about the water that changed from one hour to another with the sun light, the reflection of the shades of trees and their leaves and ripples on the surface that arose under the winds. Anecdote In 1920 Torajiro Kojima visited Monet at his Giverny home outskirts of Paris with his best friend, Toyosaku Saito. Monet was 79 then and almost lost his sight by cataract. He was painting with his face very close to the canvas. Monet already resided at the pinnacle of the art world at that time. He was unattainable for most artists including Kojima. But Monet loved Japanese Ukiyoe for its bold structure and colors as well as Japan to the point to have a Japanese garden in his own home. Kojima and Saito earnestly asked him to sell them a painting "for Japanese painters". Going against the general practice in which they contacted an art dealer to negotiate with a first-class artist, they directly negotiated with Monet himself. He might be moved by the enthusiasm of the Japanese. He promised to sell them a painting, saying, "I am working on a big project. Come again in a month time." When Kojima visited him one month later, he made several paintings including "Waterlilies" ready for him to choose from "for Japanese artists". Kojima selected this "Waterlilies" out of them. In June, 2000, that came to Ohara Museum of Art are some roots separated from waterlilies in the pond in Monet's garden in Giverny. They bloom from June to October every year. Why don't you go visit the pond to enjoy them after seeing the art works?

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Waterlilies, 1906, MONET Claude

19th-century warehouses in the Bikan district of Kurashiki

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Kurashiki City Art Museum was originally built as The Kurashiki City Hall designed by famous architect TANGE Kenzo in 1960. When new city hall was built, the building was designed to remodel into a municipal art museum by donation to Kurashiki-city from home-grown Japanese-style artist, IKEDA Yoson. The museum opened at once with Kurashiki-City Library and Kurashiki Museum of Natural History as cultural zone in 1983. Kurashiki City Art Museum collects about 11,000 pieces of works. There are about 8,000 items of Japanese-style artist, IKEDA Yoson, and we have collected great variety of works including pieces of the artists related to Kurashiki. We have mainly collection of domestic works, Japanese paintings, oil paintings, watercolors, prints, drawings, sculpture, crafts.

12) Kurashiki City Art Museum (倉敖市立美術館)

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SAITO Shinichi [Walnuts]

OKAZAKI Kazuo [HISASHI]

OKAZAKI Kazuo [Electric Bulb(Paper Weight)]

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The 13th to 14th Museum visit started from Kasaoka City (笠岡市)

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13) City Kasaoka - Okayama Chikkyo Art Museum 笠岡市立竹喬美

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小平市平櫛田中彫刻美術館は、日本近代彫刻の巨匠・平櫛田中の作品を保存・展示し、ながくその功績を顕彰するとともに、市民文化の向上を図ることを目的として、昭和59年に平櫛田中の旧宅を公開し、「小平市平櫛田中館」として開館しました。その後、平成6年に展示館を新築し、平成17年に遺族から作品の寄贈を受けたことを機に、平成18年4月に館名を「小平市平櫛田中彫刻美術館」へ変更し、現在に至っています。

主な美術館活動として、田中が遺した彫刻、書、資料を中心とする通常展示のほか、平櫛田中と関係の深い作家の作品紹介を中心とする特別展（2年に1回の隔年開催）を開催し、田中芸術への理解が深められるような企画・展示を行っています。また、春と秋の2回開催するお茶会や、夏休みに小学生とその保護者を対象としたワークショップ「親子で美術館」もご好評いただいております。近年では美術館ボランティアを組織し、市民との協働により美術館活動のさらなる活性化と充実を目指しております。 PS. Unfortunately, the Museum was closed when we visited.

14) City iBara, Okayama, Denchu Art Museum (井原市立田中美術館)

鏡獅子 1965, S40)年木彫彩色高58.0cm

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楠公, 1954, 木彫彩色, 高14.0cm 法堂二笑高, 1910, 木彫右:66.0cm、左:53.7cm

尋牛(じんぎゅう), 制作年不詳木彫高47.5cm

気楽坊（きらくぼう）, 1961(S36)年木彫高19.5cm

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The Great Seto Bridge (瀬戸大橋 Seto Ōhashi)

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The Great Seto Bridge (瀬戸大橋 Seto Ōhashi)

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The Great Seto Bridge (瀬戸大橋 Seto Ōhashi) is a series of double deck bridges

connecting Okayama and Kagawa prefectures in Japan across a series of five small islands in the Seto Inland Sea.

Built over the period 1978–88, it is one of the three routes of the Honshū–Shikoku Bridge

Project connecting Honshū and Shikoku islands, and the only one with railroad connections included. At 13.1

kilometers (8.1 mi), it ranks as the world's longest two-tiered bridge system.

Crossing the bridge takes about 20 minutes by car or train. The ferry crossing before the bridge was built took

about an hour. The non-discounted toll from Kojima, Kurashiki (Okayama Prefecture on the Honshu side)

toSakaide (Kagawa Prefecture on the Shikoku side) is ¥3,500, and vice-versa. 瀨戶大橋是日本一座位於本州（岡山縣倉敷市）到四國（香川縣坂出市）之間，跨越瀨戶內海的橋樑，屬於本州四國連絡橋路網的三條路線之一。瀨戶大橋是沿島連接岡山和香川縣之間5個島的6座橋的總稱，橋樑全長達9.4km。全橋由多座吊橋、斜張橋與梁橋連結，構成壯觀的橋樑群。該橋在1978年（昭和53年）10月10日開工，施工耗時近10年，到1988年（昭和63年）4月10日始全面通車。該橋為公路鐵路兩用橋，上層為4車道的高速公路（瀨戶中央自動車道），下層為JR四國瀨戶大橋線。

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The 15th to 17th Museum visit started from Takamatsu City (高松市)

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15) The Kagawa Museum of Art (香川県立歷史博物館)

With the Seto Inland Sea to the north and Mt.Yashima to the east, The Kagawa Museum is located in a scenic beauty spot with rich cultural and historical environment. The museum is also adjacent to transport terminals such as JR Takamatsu Station and Takamatsu Port, as well as tourist attaractions and public facilities including Tamamo Park(Takamatsu Castle Ruins) and Kagawa Citizen's Hall. This museum is a general museum with the function of both a history museum and an art museum. It is a focal point for Kagawa's culture with a wide array of activities through exhibition, propagation, investigative research, and other events. In addition, as annexes to the museum, there are Kagawa Prefectural Cultural Hall for various cultural events, and Seto Inland Sea Folk History Museum with full of information about the folk customs around the Seto Inland Sea. PS. Unfortunately, the Museum was closed when we visit.

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16) Takamatsu City, Kagawa, Museum (高松市立美術館)

On August, 1988, the Takamatsu City Museum of Art opened as an urban museum that is centrally located on Konyamachi Street in downtown Takamatsu. Since then, as an arts and culture hub of Takamatsu, it has offered various art experiences through the special exhibitions and “Museum Live” performances made available to the visitors.

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Lovers Lovers #04 2011, Nobuki Onishi

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1: 1 scale animated human sculpture with movable gesture

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Beicho Android, 2012, Hiroshi Ishiguro

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Red Shoes Diary 2008, Sai Hashizume

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The Marugame Genichiro-Inokuma Museum of Contemporary Art (MIMOCA) was opened in 1991 with the full cooperation of the artist Genichiro Inokuma, who was closely associated with the city of Marugame, as one of Japan's most unique "station-front museums." While honoring Inokuma's output as an artist, the museum was intended to be a convenient and open place that would be comfortable and relaxing to visit while also promoting art and culture. In addition to housing and displaying a permanent collection that contains some 20,000 of Inokuma's works, donated by the artist himself, the museum stages several special exhibitions a year focusing primarily on contemporary art. Moreover, the museum is actively involved in programs such as lectures and concerts, and workshops intended to foster sensitivity and creativity among children. PS. Unfortunately, the Museum was closed when we visited.

17) Marugame Genichiro-Inokuma Museum of Contemporary Art 丸亀市猪熊弦一郎現代美術館

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Genichiro Inokuma: Painting Freely Facebook Facebook Twitter Date: 14 Jun. 2014 - 23 Sep. 2014 Organized by Marugame Genichiro-Inokuma Museum of Contemporary Art, The MIMOCA Foundation

Exhibition event: Genichiro Inokuma: All Kinds of Shapes and Forms

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The 18th Museum visit in Tokushima Prefectural (德島県)

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Driving from Takamatsu City, Kagawa, (高松市) to Kokushima City (德島県,德島市)

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18) Tokushima Prefectural Art Museum (德島県立近代美術館)

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Introduction to the Museum This is a general museum covering the fields of cultural sciences (archeology, history, folklore and pre-modern art) and natural history (geology, zoology and botany) . Permanent exhibitions consist of a General Exhibition, Departmental Exhibitions and La Plata Memorial Hall Exhibition. The General Exhibition, based on the theme of "nature and history of Tokushima," moves chronologically beginning with the birth of the Japanese Islands in a way that enables visitors to understand the history and natural features of Tokushima. The Departmental Exhibition treats various sub]ects in detail. La Plata Memorial Hail displays specimens of extinct animals from South America that were donated by La Plata University in Argentina. This museum also conducts public educaiion activities in which anyone can easily participate. These include making earthenware vessels, outdoor nature observation, and preparation of specimens.

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Driving from Tokushima to Kobe through Ohnaruto Bridge

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Driving from Tokushima to Kobe through Ohnaruto Bridge

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Ohnaruto Bridge is a suspension bridge with 876 m of the center span length, crossing Naruto Strait which is famous for an eddying current. The final shape of the Bridge will be a two-story structure for both highway with 6 lanes and railway with 2 tracks which are applicable to a bullet train. At present, only 4 lanes for highway are in service, and in the future, another 2 tracks for highway and 2 tracks for railway will be added on the bridge structure.

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Ohnaruto Bridge

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Car park and café point

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Museum visit in Nara City Museum (奈良)

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The Japanese sika deer is very famous there. In the legend of Kasuga Shrine, Nara deer is the mythological god, Takemikazuchi, who guard the capital of 平城京.

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19) Nara City Museum (奈良美術館)

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Museum visit in Uji City (宇治市)

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平等院是藤原頼通於1052年(日本永承7年）創立的寺廟，山號「朝日山」，正尊「阿彌陀如來」。特色包括表現極樂世界的「鳳凰堂」、日本平安時代屈指可數的佛像雕刻師－定朝精心雕刻的木造「阿彌陀如來坐像」、以及日本三銘鐘之一的「梵鐘」等多種日本國家至寶，被指定為世界文化遺産。平等院位置於京都南邊郊外的宇治。宇治山明水秀，自日本平安時代初期，這裡便是貴族熱愛的別墅聖地。998年(日本長德4年)藤原道長由源重信收購建於9世紀後半的「宇治殿」別墅，之後再由兒子的藤原賴通繼承。日本平安時代後期，日本普遍流行的「末法思想」，指佛法因時間久遠逐漸衰退，當時流傳著釋迦牟尼圓寂第2,000年後，會進入「佛法衰廢、天災人禍、人間混亂」的「末法時期」。雖然釋迦牟尼圓寂時期有眾多學說，當時民眾深信1052年(日本永承7年)即為「末法時期」元年，許多貴族為了去世後能到極樂世界，開始接二連三的營造祭拜極樂世界的教主－阿彌陀如來的佛堂。當時藤原頼通為了也能到達極樂世界，於1052年(日本永承7年)將父親的「宇治殿」別墅改建為天台宗的寺院－平等院，於1053年(日本永承8年)建造阿彌陀堂以安置阿彌陀如來坐像，也就是現在的鳳凰堂。日本平安時代後期除了平等院之外，皇室貴族開始大規模建設寺院。其中有藤原道長於1020年(日本寬仁4年)建設的無量壽院(日後的法成寺)；11世紀後半至12世紀之間，以白河天皇建設的「法勝寺」為首，尊勝寺、最勝寺、圓勝寺、成勝寺、延勝寺等所謂「六勝寺」，也相繼建築於今京都市的左京區岡崎地區。但當年建築的這些殿宇皆已被燒毀，只能從歷史教科書的描述追憶昔日丰采。如今平安時代貴族創建的寺院中，尚能留存殿宇、佛像、壁畫、庭園的寺院極少，也使今日的平等院成為無可替代的珍貴文化遺產。就平等院的分布格局來看：東邊太陽昇起的「朝日山」有東方極樂世界的「藥師如來」，代表過去；中央的「阿字池」代表現世；象徵西方極樂世界的「鳳凰堂」代表未來，使平等院成為極樂世界式庭園。藤原父子們掌握政權50年，榮華富貴從平等院的擺設與維護一覽無疑。據說當時規模很大，但在1336年(日本建武3年)楠木正成燒毀大半的殿宇，加上「應仁之亂」後更加衰退，如今留存的殿宇僅剩阿彌陀堂(現在的鳳凰堂) 、日本鐮倉時代(1185年~1333年)重建的「觀音堂」以及鐘樓。

20) Uji, Kyoto Prefecture, Byōdō-in temple 京都府宇治市平等院

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為平等院的正殿，其優美姿態成為10圓日幣的圖案，由遠處看像漂浮於水面。起初鳳凰堂稱為「阿彌陀堂」，於日本江戶時代(1603年~1867年)改名。其中堂、左右的翼廊以及尾廊猶如展翅的鳳凰，中堂屋頂兩端設有鳳凰像，因而改名。據說前人由倒映在「阿字池」上的鳳凰堂可看見西方極樂世界中阿彌陀的殿宇。堂內供奉1053年製作的「木造阿彌陀如來坐像」正尊、「雲中供養菩薩像」等。鳳凰堂、阿彌陀如來正尊、雲中供養菩薩像以及正尊頭上的「天蓋」等，皆是日本國寶。

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In 1052, Fujiwara no Yorimichi, eldest son of Fujiwara no Michinaga, who was Kanpaku (the Chief Advisor to the Emperor), the most powerful aristocrat at the time, transformed a villa that Minamoto no Shigenobu, Minister of the Left, had inherited from his wife into a Buddhist temple called Byodoin. The year 1052 was regarded as the first year of the Decadent Age of the Dharma, a dark period of moral decline before the arrival of the future Buddha. Both noblemen and priests were caught up in the pessimism associated with this doctrine, and the beliefs of Pure Land Buddhism that hoped for a peaceful death and rebirth in Paradise became widely popular at all levels of society. The completion of the Amida Hall or the Phoenix Hall was celebrated in the following year, 1053, and an especially opulent Seated Statue of Amitabha Tathagata sculpted by Jocho, the most highly regarded master sculptor of Buddhist images of the Heian Period, was enshrined inside the hall. The building, with its Buddhist images constructed nearly 1,000 years ago, is presented here today and is listed as a World Heritage Site.

一千年前，当时掌管大权的关白藤原道长接受了左大臣源重信夫人转让的一处别墅，藤原道长之子赖通于永承七年（公元1052年）将该别墅改建为佛教寺院，称之为平等院。永承七年被视为末法初

年，末法思想深入贵族和僧侣之心，祈愿极乐往生的净土信仰广布流传于社会各阶层。次年，即天喜元年（公元1053年），平等院的阿弥陀堂（凤凰堂）落成，堂内安置了由平安时代最高之佛师定

朝制作的高一丈六的阿弥陀如来坐像，华贵至极。建于约一千年前的建筑物和佛像传至今日，并被列入世界遗产。

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阿弥陀如来坐像像高278.8cm

髪際高242.1cm 木造、漆箔

雲中供養菩薩像楽器

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If you want to pray for blessings by those master’s writing in Japanese Tempos , it is required to buy an exclusive writing pad for doing so.

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Museum visit in Kyoto (京都市)

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京都市美術館（日語：きょうとしびじゅつかん）是位於日本京都府京都市岡崎公園的美術館。開館於1933年（昭和8年）開館。京都市美術館的建設計劃始於1928年（昭和3年），目的是為紀念昭和天皇的即位大

典在京都舉行，當時計劃名為大禮紀念京都美術館。建築的設計者是前田健二郎。京都是美術館是繼東京都美術館之後日本第二座公立美術館。展品主要是明治時期之後至1990年（平成2年）的日本畫、

洋畫畫、工藝作品。京都市美術館每年也舉辦多次大型特展以及大學的畢業作品展。而報社主辦的大規模特展則成為京都市美術館主要的集客來源。

21) Kyoto Municipal Museum of Art (京都市美術館)

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22) Honen-in Temple (京都法然院)

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When we are upset, it’s easy to blame others. However, the true cause f our feelings is

within us. For example, imagine yourself as a glass of water, Now, imagine past negative

experience as sediment at the bottom of your glass.

Next, think of others as spoon. When one stirs, the sediment clouds your water. It may

appear that the spoon caused the water to cloud – but if there were no sediment, the

water could remain clear no matter what. The key, then, is to identify our sediment and

actively work to remove it.

Josei Toda

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LISTEN

THINK

ACCEPT

PRACTICE

BELIEVE

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The mission of religion is to help people manifest the power within

themselves to overcome their difficulties and be happy

Japanese proverb

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Your behavior while people are watching is important.

However, your behavior while no one is watching is more

important, for it reveals your true character.

Japanese proverb

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Strive to achieve whatever you think you cannot, for it is on the path

toward your impossible dream that you will find what your truly seek.

Japanese proverb

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The true nature of your life exists everywhere at once across all space and

time - for the nature of your life is the nature of the universe itself

Japanese proverb

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The person who confesses ignorance shows it once; the person who

conceals it shows it many times.

Japanese proverb

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Everything people say or do is ultimately rooted in the

belief that those actions will lead them to happiness.

Japanese proverb

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Influenced by Shoichi Ida and Takesada Matsutani I am very much influenced by the works of two Japanese contemporary artists, namely Shoichi Ida and Takesada Matsutani, during this tour in Japan. Not to mention the common element of Wabi-Sabi in their works, they also share some similarities in their remarkable energy and dynamics in making art, exemplified by the diversity of materials used for media. In my view, they are not only making paintings, but also experience them both physically and mentally. What I learnt from them and have applied to my new work are their experimental attitude towards media, and the keenness to explore the relationships between different materials (such as ink and color, wood, plant, textile, paper, stones, sand, etc.) as well as the theory of "Surface and the “Between” suggested by Shoichi Ida. There is even a philosophical dimension to it that I appreciate, that is, the material never compromises the spirit, whereas the spirit never dominates the material. I am influenced by Shinichiro Osaki, “When the material remains in act and exposes its characteristics, it starts telling a story, and even cries out. To make fullest use of the material is to make use of the spirit.”

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Installation work by Takesada Matsutani

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Installation work by Takesada Matsutani

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Painting work by Shoichi IDA

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Installation work by Shoichi IDA

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Some copies of postcard/poster collected from local art scene …

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Snap shots of cityscape ……

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Café Fish Restaurant, harbor front, Kobe, Japan

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Harbor front in Kobe City, Japan

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Be concerned more with how you live than with how long.

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Kiyomizu-dera (清水寺), officially Otowa-san Kiyomizu-dera (音羽山清水寺) is an independent Buddhist temple in eastern Kyoto. The temple is part of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto (Kyoto, Uji and Otsu Cities) UNESCO World Heritage site. (It should not be confused with Kiyomizu-dera in Yasugi, Shimane which is part of the 33-temple route of the Chūgoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage through western Japan.) 清水寺是一座位於日本京都府京都市東山區清水的寺院，於778年（寶龜9年）前後由延鎮上人起造。清水寺的山號為音羽山，主要供奉千手觀音，原本屬於法相宗這一宗派但目前已獨立，成為北法相宗的大本山。清水寺與北山鹿苑寺（金閣寺）、嵐山天龍寺等同為京都境內最著名的名勝古蹟，一年四季前來朝拜的香客或來訪的觀光客是絡驛不絕。除此之外，清水寺也與石山寺（滋賀縣大津市），長谷寺（奈良縣櫻井市）等寺廟並列，自古以來就一直以嗣奉觀音的廟宇而為人所熟知，也是西國三十三箇所（在關西地區參拜33所觀音廟的巡訪活動）中第16所寺廟。自平安時代以來，就經常出現於日本文學作品當中。1994年，清水寺以身為古都京都的文化財之一部分，列名至世界文化遺產中。

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You create your memories and experience, not the other way around.

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銀閣寺屬於臨濟宗相國寺派，是東山文化的代表性寺院，山號東山，由室町幕府第8代将軍足利義政建於1482年，正式名稱為慈照寺。世界遺產，國寶。因為足利義政在寺院內建了一座觀音殿，這座觀音殿又稱作銀閣，所以包含觀音殿在內的全體寺院俗稱「銀閣寺」。雖被稱為銀閣寺，但不像有數層金箔裝飾的金閣寺，銀閣寺並沒有使用銀箔。據說當初銀閣寺計畫使用銀箔裝飾觀音殿但是創建人足利義政在建築途中去世，雖有眾多說法但沒有人知道真情。

Ginlea Ku-Ji Tempo 銀閣寺

Kamogawa River in Kyoto 鴨川 - 京都

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When I visited the city of Marugame , I dropped by a sewing shop and met a kind lady. I expressed my interest in purchasing a wooden stand in her shop but she said that that was a gift given by her friend. Hence she didn’t want to sell it to me but she gave it to me for free, then I insisted to pay a little money… … So lovely she was, she gave me a Japanese cloth … She is so sincere and nice. It is a deep memory of my journey!

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I was so happy to buy lot of Washi (和紙) in Kyoto and Nara, which is a style of paper that was first made in Japan. Washi is commonly made using fibers from the bark of the gampi tree, the mitsumata shrub (Edgeworthia chrysantha), or the paper mulberry, but also can be made using bamboo, hemp, rice, and wheat. The word "washi" comes from wa 'Japanese' and shi 'paper', and the term is used to describe paper made by hand in the traditional manner. Washi is one of the UNESCO’s Intangible cultural heritage objects. Washi is generally tougher than ordinary paper made from wood pulp, and is used in many traditional arts. Origami, Shodo, and Ukiyo-e were all produced using washi. Washi was also used to make various everyday goods like clothes, household goods, and toys as well as vestments and ritual objects for Shinto priests and statues of Buddha. It was even used to make wreaths that were given to winners in the 1998 Winter Paralympics. Several kinds of washi, referred to collectively as Japanese tissue, are used in the conservation and mending of books.

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Making ceramic was one of the key activities on my wish list in the journey.

Luckily I met a good master who taught me some elementary skills allowing

me to continue my practice afterwards.

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My experience in Kyoto about ceramic making - it was my funny

learning experience that to produce the effect of imperfection

“naturally” we do have to follow the standard ways and make our

work towards perfection, first, for the endearing taint of

imperfection to surface of its own accord…. It may or may not

come as expected, or in the expected form, as it is the

unconscious result of incredible coincidence of timing, or aging,

and interaction with the natural environment. And yet, it is exactly

the unpredictability and uncontrollability in its formation that

makes the imperfection so genuine and beautiful.

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The learning process is always more important than what is being learned.

I really blessed for such a great opportunity to enjoy an intensive art journey

along with my wife in this research based and learning art knowledge, visiting

museums and tasting many delicious foods. I can’t ask for more! This was a

wonderful present in my life.

Enjoying the journey is even better than arriving at the destinations!

The trouble is you think you have time ….. Buddha Blessing! I have had time to make my dream come true.

kansai & the seto inland sea in art 2014 by samues leung

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