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Revived Japan

@revivedjapan

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Curating the encyclopedia of Japanese culture, arts, and heritage.
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In the early 2000s, amidst a climate of escalating global polarization and cultural division, exacerbated by events such as the 9/11 attacks and the subsequent invasion of Iraq, artist Pierre Sernet sought a way to foster understanding and respect among diverse cultures. This led to the inception of his One series, often referred to as Guerrilla Tea, where he utilized the Japanese tea ceremony as a medium to pursue his mission. Sernet established a “Tea Room,” symbolized by a wooden cube, in various global settings and awaited volunteers to partake in the ceremony, sharing a bowl of matcha prepared before them. "Tea ceremony is based on four concepts: harmony, purity, tranquility, and respect,” Sernet explains. “The idea was to play on the juxtaposition of out-of-context and apparently incompatible cultures or environments in which I would be making tea and sharing my own values. With the cube being used as a conceptual space, I wanted to invite viewers looking at my artworks, and to place their own set of cultural, spiritual, religious, or philosophical values within it." Born in France, having lived in the United States, and now residing in Japan, Sernet views One as a poignant reminder that humanity shares more similarities than differences. By placing the cube in diverse environments, the series explores how universal values transcend cultural boundaries, emphasizing that despite our different worlds, meaningful human connection is always possible. Even beyond the trappings of modern technology. #PierreSernet #GuerrillaTea #OneSeries #JapaneseTeaCeremony #ContemporaryArt #Anthropology #CulturalAnthropology #Photography #Matcha #TeaCeremony #JapaneseCulture by @revivedjapan
Mé is a contemporary art collective whose core members are Haruka Kojin, art director Kenji Minamigawa, and art installer Hirofumi Masui. The team’s simple and impactful name means ‘eye’ (JP: 目) in Japanese as they aim to put a strong emphasis on turning our eyes to the uncertain reality around us and to phenomena which we are not usually aware of. The title ‘Contact’ (JP: 景体, the kanji character ‘景’ means scenery while ‘体’ means body/physical) signifies something we cannot see, something that is midway between scenery and a physical thing. Created to “provoke awareness of the inherent unreliability and uncertainty in the world around us”, the art installation was part of the Mori Art Museum’s Roppongi Crossing: Connections exhibition held in 2019. The installation mimics ocean weaves so perfectly as this incredibly realistic piece looks just like a real body of water flowing towards the viewer. Exhibiting the waves of an ocean in a small and confined room, there is a window located towards the back of the room to allow natural light to illuminate the installation. As the sun moves throughout the day, the reflection on the waves is altered, giving it a new perception. In the beginning, Mé planned on adding details such as floating garbage like plastic bottles. However, a decision was made not to inform the viewer of size and distance. Instead, the work was made to allow viewers to see the work as they liked. The Roppongi Crossing exhibition is held every three years at Mori Art Museum to provide an overall snapshot of the state of the Japanese contemporary art scene. #japaneseart #contemporaryart #art #japaneseculture #culture #museum #moriartmuseum #meicollective #roppongicrossing #tokyo #日本文化 #日本美術 #博物館 #現代美術 #美術 #日本 #東京 by @revivedjapan
The day prior to the start of spring in Japan’s traditional calendar is known as #Setsubun (節分) which translates to ‘seasonal division’. While Setsubun used to refer to a wider range of possible dates, it is now typically celebrated on February 3, with the day after being known as Risshun (立春), the first day of spring in the old calendar. Every year, Japan celebrates Setsubun and Risshun as part of the spring festival. It’s not the official Lunar New Year, but Setsubun is often considered similar because of its cultural links to the end of the previous year and the start of the new spring season. To ward off bad luck and evil spirits for the upcoming year, Setsubun was accompanied by a number of rituals and traditions performed at various levels. Mamemaki (豆撒き), translating to ‘bean scattering’, is the main tradition associated with the celebration of Setsubun where roasted soybeans, also known as Fukumame (福豆), or ‘fortune beans’ are either thrown out the front door or at a family member wearing an Oni (demon or ogre) mask while yelling ‘Devils out! Fortune in!’ (鬼は外! 福は内! Oni wa soto! Fuku wa Uchi!). By chasing away the evil spirits that bring disaster and ill health, the beans are said to symbolically purify the home. Then, it is common to eat one roasted soybean for each year that you’ve lived, and plus one to provide luck for the entire year. While families celebrate at home, major Setsubun events draw massive crowds to shrines across Japan. At Senso-ji in Tokyo and Yasaka Shrine in Kyoto, thousands gather as celebrities, sumo wrestlers, and priests toss roasted soybeans from temple stages. In Kyoto, the event often begins with an apprentice geisha performing a traditional dance before joining in the bean-throwing ritual. There are a lot of additional, sometimes more niche traditions that are part of the celebration and observance of Setsubun. Some of these customs are local, like the Kansai tradition of eating uncut Makizushi rolls known as Ehomaki (lucky direction roll, 恵方巻) in silence while facing the year’s lucky compass direction, which is determined by the zodiac symbol of that year. by @revivedjapan
Yoshitomo Nara (b. 1959, Hirosaki) is one of the most famous Japanese contemporary artists whose work has captivated art lovers around the world. At his core, Nara is a painter but his profession moves across mediums, from photography to large-scale installations and sculptures in ceramic, bronze, and fiber-reinforced plastic. His works reflect a deeply personal connection to his childhood memories, his love of punk rock music, manga, anime, and his observations of everyday life and human nature. His creative process is often accompanied by music, with his studio filled with the heavy sounds from his extensive vinyl collection. This collection was even showcased at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in 2020 as part of the ‘Yoshitomo Nara’ exhibition, covering an entire wall with 352 records. Without a doubt, his most iconic creations are the rebellious girls often set against monochromatic backgrounds with piercing gazes staring straight into your soul. Angry, melancholic, sometimes slyly smiling, they’re more than just recurring characters but the fragments of Nara himself. Each character exudes a mix of defiance and vulnerability, reflecting the tension between strength and fragility that resonates deeply with the human experience. Apart from the exhibition walls, the girls also narrate the album covers of various bands ranging from punk rock to avant-garde jazz, including R.E.M., Fantômas, Bloodthirsty Butchers, and more. But Nara doesn’t stop at the canvas. He has created entire universes through installations like his plywood houses, haunting bronze heads, and the iconic 8.5-meter-high puppy sculpture, Aomori Dog exhibited at the Aomori Museum of Art. His artworks have achieved both critical acclaim and significant commercial success. The painting ‘Knife Behind Back’ (2000) fetched a record-breaking $25 million at Sotheby's Hong Kong, making Nara the most expensive Japanese artist in the market. Another significant sale was ‘Nice to See You Again’ (1996), which fetched $15.4 million at Sotheby's New York in November 2021. To this day, his works remain among the most sought-after treasures for collectors worldwide. [Easter egg in the comments!] by @revivedjapan

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