Art Time-Traveller

In each episode, the new series ART TIME-TRAVELLER explores a theme from Japan's rich 10,000-year tradition of art. In the prologue, we explore a symbol of Japanese culture, the teahouse, especially focus on the radical ones, like a triangular teahouse and an iron teahouse.

In the late 18th Century, many gifted painters gathered in the center of Kyoto. Of these, an especially unique painter is Ito Jakuchu, famous for his "rooster paintings". Jakuchu's beautifully detailed and colorful paintings were very popular at the time, but gradually faded with the times. In 1953, Jakuchu was rediscovered by a young American in New York, and an exhibition held in Kyoto in 2000 renewed the painter's popularity in Japan, kicking off a worldwide Jakuchu trend. In this episode, we explore Jakuchu's unique life and work, and meet the modern artists he inspired.

500 years ago in civil war era Japan, the samurai armor underwent an "artful" change. Helmet designs evolved to include eccentric rabbit and bear motifs, for one thing. Perhaps not fit for battle but very unique, we look at those helmets, as well as modern armor by contemporary artist Tetsuya Noguchi.

Ink wash painting originated in ancient China and was brought to Japan by Zen Buddhist monks, expressing zen teachings. Over time, a unique Japanese style was born. Most popular is masterpiece Pine Trees by Hasegawa Tohaku. Known for his bright colors, he paints his childhood landscape here in just ink, stirring up nostalgia. We also meet contemporary ink wash painter Hidenori Yamaguchi, who paints his hometown with stunning reality.

Jomon period, the Neolithic Era in Japan, lasted over 10,000 years. It was rich in countless decorative earthenware and eccentric clay figurines. But this culture had been forgotten for a long time and it was thought the Yayoi culture, succeeded Jomon, known for its simple aesthetic, become central to Japanese art, like wabi-sabi and tea ceremony. In the 1950's, one artist rebelled against this norm and declared the vibrant Jomon style as the true essence of Japanese art. The artist, Taro Okamoto, urged modern Japan to revive that energy.

Jizai are metal figurines shaped like animals, but they're no ordinary figurines. Pick them up and notice their arms and legs move, and their bodies twist and turn. The movement is astounding, seeming impossible for metal. Jizai was created by armor makers in the 17th century, and became popular with collectors who vied for them around the world. In Japan, Jizai was forgotten for some time, but a wave of young artists from the current animation and figurine generation, who have been captivated by their exquisite structure, are creating new works for the 21st century.

Around the 16th century, numerous paintings of Kyoto were drawn from a bird's-eye view. Painted on elaborate screens, these Rakuchu Rakugaizu became popular as gifts to feudal lords around Japan. Exceptional in its beauty is Uesugi-bon by Kano Eitoku, currently stored in Yonezawa, Yamagata Prefecture, depicting famous architectural structures and the daily lives of Kyoto residents in a lively fashion. In this episode, we stroll through modern Kyoto with the 400-year-old Rakuchu Rakugaizu as our time-traveling guide. Showing us around is artist Akira Yamaguchi, who specializes in modern bird's-eye view paintings himself.

In the 18th century, ukiyo-e painter Kitagawa Utamaro became very popular with a genre he created called bijinga, or paintings of beautiful geisha and women around town. At first glance, the women in the paintings all look the same, but they represent their society's definition of beauty. The bijinga tradition is said to have ended in the early 20th century, but in recent years, artist Yasunari Ikenaga has gained attention as a bijinga painter. Through his paintings, we dive into beauty and desire as defined by modern Japan.

Since ancient times in Japan, paper stencils called "KATAGAMI" have been used to dye kimonos. From the 17th century, KATAGAMI craftsmen have refined their techniques to create the finest of details in their design. During a time when samurai were forbidden from wearing flashy clothes, kimonos so detailed they looked plain from afar became very popular. Then in the late 19th century, KATAGAMI was exported to the West and valued as art, greatly impacting paintings and design around the world. Now in the 21st century, KATAGAMI's potential as an art is starting to regain attention. In this episode, we dive into the history and worldwide influence of KATAGAMI and meet modern artist Risa Fukui, currently creating a unique world of her own through works cutting paper. Join us as we take a close look at the magnificent works of paper by the Japanese.

Japan's traditional performance art of Noh is an alluring expression of beauty. It originated over 1000 years ago and has continued in its current form, uninterrupted, for 600 years, making it the world's longest existing performance art. Noh is known for the masks worn by actors throughout the performance. The Noh mask has preserved its tradition by perfectly imitating the honmen, or true mask masterpiece, made before the 16th century. But in recent years, Noh mask craftsman Bidou Yamaguchi has been gaining worldwide attention for his masks based on western paintings such as Mona Lisa. He creates these innovative masks using traditional Noh-mask-making techniques. In this episode, we will dive into the beauty of the Noh mask, as tradition and innovation both vie to take center stage.

Japanese art is known for its extremely detailed decoration, especially on small surfaces and objects. For modern Japanese women, this aesthetic is enjoyed in the form of the "nail art". Not limited to Japan, top nail artists have gained strong followings among actresses and singers around the world. A century ago, there was another genre of art characterized by fine detail and color. This art, known as cloisonné, was led by Kyoto-based artist Namikawa Yasuyuki who captivated collectors around the world with his astonishingly detailed designs and use of color. Throughout the long history of cloisonné, originating in ancient Egypt, the refined works of Namikawa have remained popular. But with the industrialization of Japan in the 20th century, this time-consuming art gradually disappeared, making it difficult to reproduce Namikawa's works in modern times. In this episode, popular Japanese nail artist Naoko Takano encounters Namikawa's cloisonné for the first time, and takes her inspiration to her latest nail art design.