insights from frontier Japan

An ‘Ura Otaru Baza-Art’ (the other side of Otaru Bazaart) event　began in Otaru on August 11. Work by the world-renowned artist Nara Yoshitomo is exhibited at the venue, which has been visited by many locals.

‘Rice-paddy art’ in which different colored rice is planted in paddy fields to created pictures, is reaching its peak viewing period in the Higashi Takasu district of the city of Asahikawa in central Hokkaido.

　‘Erosion’, an exhibition of work by Umeda Masanori, a contemporary artist that resides in the city of Obihiro in the Tokachi region of eastern Hokkaido, is being held at an outdoor gallery in the Manabe Garden tourist attraction in the city. The installation utilizes garden paths surrounded by countless larch trees.

From April 29 onward, a photograph exhibit by globally famous artist Nara Yoshitomo (61) appeared in 13 shops, including knickknack shops and restaurants, in the cities of Sapporo and Otaru.

Based in the city of Sapporo for 18 years, Anatoly Stavrov has continued to perform while also working to promote Japanese-Russian cultural exchange as an instructor and an artistic director. His efforts have even been recognized by the Russian government, and he was awarded a medal in late January by Foreign Minister Lavrov at the Consulate General of Russia in Sapporo. Stavrov expressed his exuberance, reporting, "Receiving this award is still but one step in the overall journey. I want to produce a multitude of dancers from Japan who can perform worldwide."

A mosaic of Shuri Castle's main building, which was destroyed by fire in Okinawa last year, is on display in front of a shop selling products from the prefecture in an underground mall in Sapporo on the northernmost main island of Hokkaido.

With a focus on introducing the bead and embroidery work of the northern peoples, the temporary exhibit entitled "Embroidery and Beads Decoration Handiwork " featuring collection pieces from the Hokkaido Museum of Northern Peoples (Abashiri City) began on October 31 at the Kushiro Art Museum in eastern Hokkaido's Kushiro City.

An exhibition introducing Kutaniyaki porcelain, which was made 150–160 years ago and brought to Otaru and its surrounding areas by the Kitamae trading ships, is being held at the Otaru City Museum of Art, where visitors are enjoying the vivid colors and delicate patterns.

‘SYNCHRONICITY 2020’, an event in which townscapes are lit-up in sync with images of the popular Vocaloid software character Hatsune Miku, was held at the Kita 3-jo Plaza ‘AKAPLA’ in Chuo-ku, Sapporo on October 16 and 17.