Robert Day Architects Blog

At any one time, there are hundreds of art exhibitions on in Tokyo. Just check out the listings in Tokyo Art Beat.

We have been very lucky on previous Japan Architecture Tours and been able to see some very interesting art and architecture exhibitions. Most of them are exhibited in fantastic buildings designed by famous architects.

Once again, we are very fortunate with the timing of the October 2010 Japan Architecture Tour and on this trip we will see not only some very interesting architecture exhibitions, but also some top line art exhibitions featuring the works of some of the greats of the art world.

Art Exhibitions include:

Van Gogh: The Adventure of Becoming an Artist exhibition at the National Art Center Tokyo. NACT designed by Kisho Kurokawa

The exhibition gives an impression of the methods and techniques with which Van Gogh developed stylistically and technically, and of those who influenced him in the process.

Man Ray “Unconcerned But Not Indifferent” at the National Museum of Art Osaka. NMAO designed by Cesar Pelli

This exhibition presents more than 400 works from the collection of the Man Ray Trust much of which has never before been publicly presented.

Masahiko Sato “The Definition of Self” at 21-21 Design Sight. 21-21 Design Sight designed by Tadao Ando.

Through hands-on exhibits, a blend of scientific technologies and art works, the exhibition aims to create an opportunity for the visitors to identify their undeniable “self.”

Architecture Exhibitions include:

Sou Fujimoto “Forest, Cloud, Mountain” Exhibition at Watarium Gallery. Watarium designed by Mario Botta.

This exhibition focuses on the work of the noted architect Sou Fujimoto in an attempt to consider the future of Tokyo and architecture in general.

Terunobu Fujimori Exhibition at GA Gallery

This exhibition features work by Terunobu Fujimori, a prominent Japanese architect and architectural historian. On display are sketches, models and documentary videos that shed light on his design processes.

Best of Graduation Works 2010 in Nippon Exhibition at Gallery MA

This is a collection of the best works of Architecture students across Japan who graduated in 2010.

There are so many more art & architecture galleries to chose from, however there just isn’t the time available to visit them all.

The past four Japan Architecture Tours have visited some of the few remaining Frank Lloyd Wright buildings in Japan. This was done in April 2009 when the Tokyo Architecture Tours were expanded to include Kyoto and other parts of west Japan to become the Japan Architecture Tours.

Frank Lloyd Wright designed a number of buildings in Japan during the early part of the 20^th Century. Of these, 6 of them were built and today only the Yamamura House, the Jiyu Gakuen School, The Imperial Hotel and the Hayashi House remain.

The Yamamura House was completed in 1918 and is located in Ashiya near Kobe. We visit the Yodoko Geihinkan, as it is know in Japanese, as a side trip from our base in Kyoto.

It has been restored and is now open to the public.

It was designated by the Japanese Government as an Important Cultural Asset in 1974. It is always a great place to visit.

If you want to know more about Frank Lloyd Wright’s Yamamura House, then visit the website. http://www.yodoko.co.jp/geihinkan/index_e.html

Another Frank Lloyd Wright building we visit from our Kyoto base is The Imperial Hotel. It is now located at Meiji Mura, a large open-air architectural museum at Inuyama, near Nagoya.

The Imperial Hotel was originally built in Tokyo near the Imperial Palace. It was completed in 1923, and the day of it’s official opening coincided with the Great Kanto Earthquake and to Frank Lloyd Wright’s delight, did not suffer any major structural damage.

Eventually, it was demolished 1968 during the rapid post-war economic expansion of Japan.

Fortunately, the front entrance, foyer and lobby areas of The Imperial Hotel were salvaged, dismantled and

eventually rebuilt at Museum Meiji Mura in 1985.

Whilst it may take a long time to get to Meiji Mura, the chance to experience Frank Lloyd Wright’s Imperial Hotel make the trip worth it. Despite being only a fraction of the original building, it is still a thrill to be inside this space.

If you want to know more about Frank Lloyd Wright’s Imperial Hotel and Meiji Mura, then visit the website. http://www.meijimura.com/english/index.html

Another of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Japanese projects the Jiyu Gakuen School in Tokyo. It was built in 1921 and is also an Important Cultural Asset.

Over the years the school has been restored and now open to the public.

As part of the October 2010 Japan Architecture Tour, we will visit this building for the first time. We are looking forward to it very much and it also too might become a regular feature of Robert Day’s Japan Architecture Tours.

If you want to know more about Frank Lloyd Wright’s Jiyu Gakuen School, then visit the website. http://www.jiyu.jp/tatemono/index-e.html

We have not visited the Hayashi House and it is my understanding that it is not open to the public. It is also my understanding that only one room of the Hayashi House remains in it’s original state.