Top Story

2018.7.11

Treasures from Kyoto: 300 years of Rinpa creation

Flowers that never wilt ―
From ardent emotions they come,
Eternally in bloom
So beautiful and fragrant...

The words in this poem by Sugawa Nobuyuki (1839-1917) call to mind the blossoming friendship ushered in by the Treaty of Amity and Commerce between France and Japan, signed on October 9, 1858. The treaty focused primarily on economic and diplomatic ties, but as time passed those parameters expanded to welcome artistic influences as well. Through international expositions in the 19th century, France was introduced to a new artistic sensitivity as another way of looking at nature and beauty. French people developed a deep appreciation for works springing from Japan's Rinpa movement. And yet for some reason, the excitement of those years faded away with the passage of time.

Contributed Article

2018.8. 8

Chinese Film Festival 2018
Special Interview in Japan with Directors Xin Yukun and Da Peng

Since 2017, the Japan Foundation, together with UNIJAPAN (Tokyo International Film Festival Secretariat) and the Shanghai International Film & TV Festival Co., Ltd. (Shanghai International Film Festival Secretariat), has been promoting Japan-China exchange programs in commemoration of the 45th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between Japan and China. In May 2017, the "1st Japanese Film Week in Guangzhou" took place. In December, the Japanese Film Festival was held in the Chinese cities of Shanghai, Shenzhen and Kunming, during which nine new films were screened in each city.

Feature Story

Serialized Essay

2018.6. 6

Japonismes 2018 (Vol. 1)

From a Western perspective, Japan lies on the furthest cusp of the Far East, and Europeans were fascinated by this exotic and mysterious Eastern nation. In the Book of the Marvels of the World, Marco Polo describes Japan as "a land of gold," yet it seems the Western attraction to Japan was less motivated by material considerations, and more by its unique culture. Just what is "culture"? It could be defined as the energy that empowers life.

Relay Essay

2018.8.30

Japanese Photography at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art

Sandra Phillips has been contributing to collect/exhibit Japanese photography at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art ever since she joined the museum's department of photography as a curator in 1987. Phillips has also helped disseminate Japanese photography in the world history of photography through her publications and lectures. In recognition of her achievements, she received the Photographic Society of Japan's International Award in 2018. We have received this contribution from Phillips that summarizes her commemorative lecture delivered in May 2018 at the Japan Foundation Headquarters (Tokyo). She was a recipient of the Japan Foundation's Artist Fellowship Program in 2000.

Behind the Scenes

Performing Arts / Books

Most Viewed

JF facebook

Twitter - @Japanfoundation