You can read more about Kenta Oka's tour in Japanese from Kenta Oka's blog. (Fallow the link of 'Event' page from our official website )
Mr.Oka, a well known comedian and also known as an art collector, navigated the guests to 7 to 8 galleries. He had a plot or a theme for each tour and that is how he decided which gallery and what to see.
The theme of the first tour was "What is history? To find the past in works of today." They enjoyed traditional a large Chinese porcelain, small ceramics of Kanzan, contemporary paintings of flags, paintings of Kumanokodo (an old path that leads to three major shrines of Kumano), collaboration of Japanese style living room and contemporary art, contemporary art craft and at the end, the ancient jomon vessels where our Japanese history of art has begun.
The theme of second tour was "Viewing life in art". They enjoyed antiques that could be used in daily life, the coordination of vases and flowers, dishes with meanings and symbols, buddhist art which leads us to the emptiness, contemporary art that expresses the young Japanese of today who are changing directions by informations and fashion and is always connected with someone, design craft works, calligraphy, tea bowls, and at last a traditional japanese painting. The aim for this tour was to think about the caliber of each one. To buy a work of art means to read the flow of life and to ask yourself if you are choosing the one you really need.
The theme (or the question) of the third tour was "Why is there so many antique shops in Kyobashi area?" The first gallery they went was Iidakojitsudo where it used to be a studio of Nansai Maeda (an edo craftsman). The owner talked about the mystery of this area. There is a mark of Hiroshige Ando's (an Ukiyo-e printmaker) House near by. On the same side of the street, there is the house of Kanou family (painter), and across, is the birthplace of Togyu Okumura (painter) and Kiitsu Suzuki (painter) where now stands the Bridgestone Museum. On Showa dori, there was the house of Taro Okamoto's grand father, Katei Okamoto (calligrapher) where Rosanjin Kitaoji stayed as a student. The 2nd floor of Kashima-Arts Co.,Ltd used to be Rosanjin's private restaurant Bishoku Club and studios of Tanyu Kano (painter), Rodo Ougi (tea ceremony house carpenter), Seisai Ougi (craftsman). And last but not least, there was the Chiba Dojyo where Ryoma Sakamoto practiced kendo. The Kyobashi area was full of craftsman and artists. This is the reason why there are so many antique dealers in this area.
The guests enjoyed the story telling of the owner Iidakojitsudo and went on to see the craftsmanship of bamboo baskets, a calligraphy-like paintings, paintings of a contemporary Nihonbashi born artist, ceramics of the edo period, the finest craftsmanship of the Kokutani, and Ebiya Art which is a purveyor to the Imperial Household Agency. They ended the tour enjoying a painting of Nihonbashi area painted from the street of Ebiya Art.
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