In Brief
Long-Lost Chapter of the World’s First Novel Found in a Tokyo Home
Before now, only four of 54 chapters from the Tale of Genji had been confirmed as original transcriptions.
Japan
Books
How Victorian Intellectuals Idealized Japan and Its Culture
The undercurrent of the book is the link between Japonisme, aesthetics, and queer culture: Admiring Japan was, in several cases, shorthand for queerness and a dainty homoeroticism.
Art
The Cultural Legacy of Animals in Japanese Art Over 17 Centuries
With more than 300 works drawn from 66 Japanese institutions and 30 American collections, this is likely one of the largest exhibitions of Japanese art that a generation of Americans will ever see.
In Brief
Artists Demand Removal of Their Works From Aichi Trienniale in Open Letter
The letter, signed by 10 artists participating in the triennial, called the decision to close the exhibition After ‘Freedom of Expression?’ an "unacceptable act of censorship."
In Brief
Freedom of Speech Exhibition in Japan Closed Due to Censorship
After organizers received threats of violence, an exhibition at the 2019 Aichi Triennale was shuttered. The controversy stemmed from a statue of a Korean "comfort woman," highlighting the history of sexual slavery during World War II.
Film
Exploring the Isolations of Age, Disability, and Depression in Japan
A trio of documentaries playing at this year's Japan Cuts festival tackle different facets of social alienation.
In Brief
Man Sets Japanese Animation Studio Ablaze, Killing 33 and Injuring 36
A 41-year-old man howled, “You die!" as he attacked workers at Kyoto Animation this morning by setting the building ablaze. Police are still investigating his motive.
Art
A German Artist’s Notes From Underground
Mischa Leinkauf’s images of subterranean urban worlds are formally arresting and packed with metaphorical meaning.
In Brief
Denied Entry, Cats Try to Paw Past Japanese Museum Security Guard
The cunning kitties came to Hiroshima Onomichi City Museum of Art two years ago for a feline-centric exhibition and never left, demanding free entry.
In Brief
Art History Parades Around the Streets of Japan Ahead of Halloween
"Beast Jesus" is finally getting his due alongside works by Picasso, Vermeer, and Munch.
Art
Seeing Japan Through the Eyes of Frank Lloyd Wright
The architect's photographs from his first trip to Japan reveal his fascination with a country that played a large role in the development of his work.
In Brief
In a Historic First, Australia Agrees to Return Ainu Remains to Japan
It would be the first repatriation of remains to the indigenous people by a foreign country.