国際共同利用・共同研究拠点関連

Based on the research cooperation agreement of the Art Research Center (ARC), Ritsumeikan University, with Nara Prefecture, a digital archiving project on Taimadera Temple in Katsuragi, Nara, has been conducted by the ARC faculty member Prof. Tanaka (College of Information Science and Engineering, RU) and his team for the purpose of preserving cultural heritages.

On August 21, 2022, Prof. Tanaka presented the research outcomes of his project on the ultra-high-quality see-through 3D visualization of Taimadera Temple--a national treasure-- at a roundtable event at the Nara Prefecture Historical and Artistic Culture Complex, which was held as part of the special exhibition 'Researching Cultural Heritages' （「文化財研究中！―なら歴史芸術文化村×連携４大学―」). 3D measurements of the entire temple precincts, mainly the Kondou Hall and the West Pagoda, have been taken, with the number of laser-scanned point cloud data exceeding several billion points.

Furthermore, Prof. Tanaka introduced the ARC-iJAC international joint research project on the digital archiving of the Borobudur Temple Compounds in Indonesia--a UNESCO World Heritage Site--to the audience. This project has been conducted in cooperation with the Research Center for Area Studies, National Research and Innovation Agency (PRW-BRIN), Indonesia (previously: Research Center for Area Studies, Indonesian Institute of Sciences (P2W-LIPI)).

The research outcomes of the ARC, as well as those of three other universities researching various cultural heritages in Nara, are showcased as part of the special exhibition held at the Nara Prefecture Historical and Artistic Culture Complex between July 23 and September 19, 2022.

Related article: An Interview with Prof. Satoshi Tanaka (College of Information Science and Engineering) on Visualizing Large-Scale Cultural Heritage

Related event: Special Exhibition 'Researching Cultural Heritages' at the Nara Prefecture Historical and Artistic Culture Complex

On August 25, 2022, the Art Research Center (ARC), Ritsumeikan University, received the Digital Archive Japan Award (DAJ).

The Digital Archive Japan Award (DAJ) is an award system newly established by Japan Search, an online platform operated by the National Diet Library, Japan, for aggregating metadata of digital resources of various fields, including book/publication, official documents, and art.

The DAJ Award has been designed to widely introduce to society the initiatives that integrate digital archives into daily life, such as the promotion of digitization, open contents, and the provision of new services using digital technology to create momentum for their utilization. The ARC is honored to be one of the first recipients of this award.

The award ceremony was held at the Digital Archive Fest 2022 (「デジタルアーカイブフェス2022」)--hosted by the National Diet Library and the Cabinet Office--where industry, academia, and government officials gathered to discuss cutting-edge case studies and commended good practices for promoting digital archiving in Japan.

The ARC received this award for its role as an international link for Japanese art and culture by publishing online databases--including ukiyo-e, early Japanese books, and banzuke-related contents--while collaborating with various domestic and international institutions and individuals to enhance the discoverability of such contents and presenting a model in this field of the art and culture. Furthermore, the ARC was recognized for its efforts in developing metadata and providing access to pages that contain terms and conditions of use for each institution.

In his acceptance speech, Professor Ryo Akama, Director of the Art Research Center (ARC), expressed that, for a quarter of a century since its establishment in 1998, the center has been taking digital archives as the foundation for its research activities. On the day, Associate Professor Takaaki Kaneko delivered the award acceptance speech in Prof. Akama's place.

He highlighted that the center has been accumulating a vast amount of contents while mainly targeting overseas museums. "The excellent mechanisms of Japan Search have allowed us to clearly position ourselves as an international link," said Professor Akama.

He expressed his intention to take the Digital Archive Japan Award (DAJ) to provide information on domestic cultural resources and areas other than ukiyo-e, early Japanese books, and banzuke-related contents to further respond to the needs of users worldwide.

Related links:

Japan Search: https://jpsearch.go.jp/

・shiRUto「文系学問の未来を担う「デジタル人文学」(前編)　知られざる価値を見出す仕事」https://shiruto.jp/culture/1799/

・【大学院生の挑戦】空白の江戸中期・天明歌舞伎の実態を解明する～デジタルアーカイブを駆使し、全世界に散らばった浮世絵を統合的に分析～ http://www.ritsumei.ac.jp/news/detail/?id=2694

On August 8, 2022, the Tokyo Shimbun featured an article on the release of the pre-war programs of the Kabuki-za Theatre in the Shochiku Otani Library's Shibai Banzuke Browsing System (松竹大谷図書館所蔵・芝居番付検索閲覧システム).

As part of the FY 2022 ARC-iJAC project of the Shochiku Otani Library and based on an agreement between the library and the Art Research Center (ARC), the digitized programs have been integrated into the Shochiku Otani Library's Shibai Banzuke Browsing System (松竹大谷図書館所蔵・芝居番付検索閲覧システム), developed and made available to the public by the ARC.

Shochiku Otani Library <Shibai Banzuke Browsing System>
< https://www.dh-jac.net/db1/ban/search_shochiku.php?enter=shochiku&lang=en >

Related article>>

Based on a research cooperation agreement with Nara Prefecture, the project on the digital archiving and 3D visualization of Taimadera Temple in Nara--a national treasure--has been conducted by the ARC faculty member Prof. Satoshi Tanaka (College of Information Science and Engineering, RU) and his team.

Their research results, along with those of three other universities, will be showcased as part of the special exhibition 'Researching Cultural Heritages' at the Nara Prefecture Historical and Artistic Culture Complex between July 23 and September 19, 2022.

Special exhibition ''Researching Cultural Heritages--Cooperation of Nara Prefecture Historical and Artistic Culture Complex with 4 Universities'

Date: July 23 (Sat) - September 19 (Mon), 2022

Time: 9 am - 5 pm (entry until 4.30 pm)

Location: Nara Prefecture Historical and Artistic Culture Complex, Exhibition Room (B1 floor)

Entrance fee: Free entry

Organizer: Nara Prefecture Historical and Artistic Culture Complex

Co-organizers: Tenri University; Art Research Center (ARC), Ritsumeikan University; Nara Prefectural University; Tokyo University of the Arts

>> See official website of the Nara Prefecture Historical and Artistic Culture Complex for details.

About the Event

The Art Research Center (ARC) and Hoosiers Corporation held the Byobu Matsuri, or Folding Screen Festival--a traditional event related to the Gion Matsuri--at the Nagae Family Residence in Kyoto from July 14-16, 2022.

The Nagae Family Residence is a tangible cultural property designated by Kyoto City. Under the theme of 'Traveling,' folding screens, picture scrolls, and other artworks selected by students of the College of Letters, Ritsumeikan University, had been showcased at the residence this year.

Date: July 14 - 16, 2022

Venue: Nagae Family Residence, Kyoto

Time: 10:00-19:00 (last admission at 18:30)

*Note: Closed for visitors between 18:00 and 19:00 on July 15 due to a private reservation.

Reservations: Not required

Admission fee: 700 yen (to be used for preservation and repair of the house)

Related website: http://www.nagaeke.jp/

Background

The Nagae family were merchants of the kimono fabric. Their family residence, which was rebuilt and renovated after a big fire in 1864, served both as a working and living space for many generations.

The ARC has been digital-archiving the collection belonging to the Nagae Family Residence after Ritsumeikan University received it as a donation. Subsequently, the ARC has become involved in planning and managing the Byobu Matsuri held annually at the residence.

Based on an industry-academia collaboration with Hoosiers Corporation, with which Ritsumeikan University concluded a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in May 2015, this activity is to preserve and utilize the Nagae Family Residence for the development and promotion of education and research.

About the Event

The Art Research Center (ARC) and Hoosiers Corporation will be holding the Byobu Matsuri, or Folding Screen Festival--a traditional custom of the Gion Matsuri--at the Nagae Family Residence in Kyoto from July 14-16, 2022.

The Nagae Family Residence is a designated tangible cultural property by the City of Kyoto. Under the theme of 'Traveling', folding screens, picture scrolls, and other visual materials selected by students of the College of Letters, Ritsumeikan University, will be showcased at the residence this year.

Date: July 14 - 16, 2022

Venue: Nagae Family Residence, Kyoto

Time: 10:00-19:00 (last admission at 18:30)

*Note: Closed for visitors between 18:00 and 19:00 on July 15 due to a private reservation.

Reservations: Not required

Admission fee: 700 yen (to be used for preservation and repair of the house)

Related website: http://www.nagaeke.jp/

Background

The Nagae family were merchants of the kimono fabric. Their family residence, built between the late Edo period and the Taishō period, served both as a working and living space for many generations.

The ARC has been digital-archiving the collection belonging to the Nagae Family Residence after Ritsumeikan University received it as a donation. Subsequently, the ARC has become involved in planning and managing the Byobu Matsuri held annually at the residence.

This activity is based on an industry-academia collaboration with Hoosiers Corporation, concluded with a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in May 2015, to preserve and utilize the Nagae Family Residence for the development and promotion of education and research.

Background:
Professor Hans Bjarne Thomsen has held the Chair for East Asian Art History at the Institute of Art History, University of Zurich, since 2007. His publications include Japanese Woodblock Prints from the Ernst Grosse Collection (2019). Supported by the International Joint Digital Archiving Center for Japanese Art and Culture (ARC-iJAC), Art Research Center, Prof. Thomsen conducted his research project 'Tracing the Reception of Japanese Art in the West: Case Study of Freiburg im Breisgau' in FY 2021, followed by the project 'Tracing the Reception of Japanese Art in the West: The Case of Monte Verità' in FY 2022.

Professor Thomsen, thank you very much for your time today. How did you first connect with the Art Research Center (ARC)?

Prof. Thomsen: I met Professor Akama in Geneva more than a decade ago. Since then, we have embarked on several projects digitizing and cataloging Japanese woodblock prints at the Print Cabinet in Geneva.

Thanks to the efforts of the ARC in digital archiving of these prints, we have held two exhibitions at the Print Cabinet--one on kabuki prints in 2014 and the other on surimono prints that is currently ongoing.

In 2016, the University of Zurich also held a three-day international symposium on katagami in Zurich where several ARC faculty members presented their research.

You are the leader of two ARC-iJAC international joint research projects. 'Tracing the Reception of Japanese Art in the West: Case Study of Freiburg im Breisgau' was conducted in the fiscal year of 2021, while you examine the case of Monte Verità in the current fiscal year. Could you tell us your motivation for these projects?

Prof. Thomsen: There has been a prolonged interest in academia to study Japanese art outside of Japan that goes back to the 1970s. However, the focus has mainly been on meibutsu (名物) and their connections to Japan.

My research interest lies not only in finding and identifying objects that have been traditionally seen as meibutsu but to expand on this. Some Japanese art collections across Germany and Switzerland, such as the collections left behind by Ernst Grosse (1862-1927) and Baron Eduard von der Heydt (1882-1964), have been little explored.

As part of our ARC-iJAC projects, we have been digital archiving and cataloging these artworks as we intend to not only examine their connection and existence within Japanese art history but place them in context of both their Japanese origin and a piece of local Swiss/ German history.

In your ARC-iJAC projects, you also investigate the art collectors and other agents involved in bringing artworks from Japan to Europe. Could you tell us why?

Prof. Thomsen: We hope to get a better understanding of the roles these various pioneers held in spreading public and academic knowledge of Japanese art.

In graduate schools, the students typically look at the most recent texts, whereas older ones are neglected because they are considered 'old history'.

We are inclined to think that there is a sudden burst of light, and we know everything about a subject--but it builds over time. The gradual growth of knowledge on certain subjects tends to be ignored in the West.

Japanese collections had been brought to Europe for particular reasons--the art collectors could have considered them interesting, and perhaps important. The motivations and individual stories of these collectors--two key persons were Ernst Grosse and Baron Eduard von der Heydt--should not be forgotten.

For instance, despite his early influence in East Asian art studies and contributions to the establishment of the Japanese art collections in the West, the role of Ernst Grosse has largely been forgotten. Furthermore, many other people, including middlemen, were involved in the process of knowledge transfer of Japanese art in the West. It was not a simple process.

To 'resurrect' these histories of learning, we should give credit to these pioneers.

Has there been something particularly fascinating that you found regarding these pioneers?

Prof. Thomsen: For instance, as opposed to Ernst Grosse, von der Heydt had never been to Japan. So, where did he buy his artworks, and how did they arrive there?

Furthermore, von der Heydt gave his East Asian art collection to Museum Rietberg in Zurich. However, some key pieces, including a fine collection of Japanese woodblock prints, never went to Rietberg. Instead, they have remained at his home, a modernist-style Bauhaus building in Monte Verità where they have been largely forgotten and become a part of hotel decoration.

So, what are the pieces he did not give to Museum Rietberg, and what does this tell us about the status of these objects?

We would like to address some of these questions as part of our ARC-iJAC projects, directed toward rediscovering a forgotten history of the reception of Japanese art in the West.

We intend to fully digitize and catalog the collections of Grosse and von der Heydt that have been lost to the public.

Could you please tell us more about your post-COVID plans?

Prof. Thomsen: I plan to continue working with Japanese art collections here in Europe. In the last fifteen years since joining the University of Zurich, I have had the pleasure working with more than 50 different museums--including museums in Switzerland, Germany, Ukraine, France, and Italy.

Regarding our ARC-iJAC projects, we faced the problem during the pandemic that we could not enter the museums for a long time. Therefore, many of the Japanese artworks Ernst Grosse left behind still remain in cardboard boxes. Once we get permission from the museums, I plan to take higher-quality images of the objects that we can replace and add to our ARC database.

I am excited that there is still an incredible research potential in these art collections in Freiburg and Monte Verità, and I hope to continue the delightful research collaboration with the ARC for many years to come.

(This interview was conducted by Yinzi Emily Li.)

As part of its FY 2022 ARC-iJAC project, the Shochiku Otani Library released a digital archive of pre-war theater programs of the Kabuki-za Theater in Tokyo on July 1, 2022.

Based on an agreement between the library and the Art Research Center (ARC), these digitized programs have been integrated into the Shochiku Otani Library's Shibai Banzuke Browsing System (松竹大谷図書館所蔵・芝居番付検索閲覧システム), developed and made available to the public by the ARC.

Shochiku Otani Library <Shibai Banzuke Browsing System>
< https://www.dh-jac.net/db1/ban/search_shochiku.php?enter=shochiku&lang=en >

In 2020, the library launched a crowdfunding initiative to raise funds for digitizing and preserving approximately 1,180 volumes of pre-war theater programs--also known as sujigaki (筋書)--of the Kabuki-za Theater (歌舞伎座).

With this release, it has been possible to search and browse the Kabuki-za Theater sujigaki programs from the theater's establishment in Meiji 22 (1889) to the pre-war period on the web.

The Shibai Banzuke Portal Database made available by the ARC allows users to simultaneously search not only the ARC's own banzuke collection but also those of the Shochiku Otani Library and other institutions.

Along with the release of the sujigaki of the Kabuki-za held by the Shochiku Otani Library, the pre-war sujigaki of the Imperial Theater in Tokyo (帝国劇場) in the ARC collection are also made available for viewing.

We strive to continue our efforts to facilitate research in Japanese theater studies through digital archives.

On July 7, 2022, the Kyoto Shimbun featured an article on the Kyoto News Archive, a digital archiving project led by Professor Keiji Yano (College of Letters, Ritsumeikan University).

The Kyoto News Archive was released in the ARC Virtual Institute on June 24, 2022:
< ARC Virtual Institute: The Kyoto News Archive >

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