Hi hi! Jess again!
We’re on a bit of a museum kick over here at Itadakimasu Japan, and I’m having a great time. I don’t pretend to be incredibly versed in art, and I doubt I could speak really intelligently about it, but I do enjoy it all the same. I think art is something uniquely human, and there’s something in it that speaks to some of the deepest parts of my mind. And of course, since everyone is different, different kinds of art will speak to different people in different ways! So I believe it’s important to broaden your experiences and come into contact with all sorts of artistic expression, because the moment you find the thing that speaks to your deepest parts is worth the search.
I’m lucky I don’t have to go very far to find such art. Right here in Tokyo, we have a wide range of museums and installations of every flavor. This spring we visited the ASAKURA Museum of Sculpture, the former home and studio of the man considered to be the father of modern Japanese sculpture, Fumio Asakura.
The museum itself is tucked away down a quiet street in Yanaka, Taito-ku. The short walk from Nippori station is pleasant – we got to do a mini hanami (flower-viewing) along the way, as the cherry blossom trees lining the road were in full bloom (never mind the clouds). They’re Japan’s national flower for good reason!
Almost makes me want to write some poetry!
Filming videos for Itadakimasu Japan has afforded me really wonderful opportunities I wouldn’t have otherwise. We were graciously invited to tour the museum while it was closed to other visitors. Museums are usually quiet places anyway, but there’s something about the lack of people, the stillness and silence, that seems to amplify the emotional experience you have with art. It’s like a further barrier is removed from between you and the artwork itself, that there’s more room for you to explore your newfound relationship with it and what meaning it might be speaking to you. …That’s not just me, right?
At times the quiet just felt like a short and natural pause in conversation – like the sculptures would speak at any moment, as if continuing a sentence after a brief thought.
