[exhibitions] The Deep

National Museum of Nature and Science (Ueno, Tokyo, Japan)


The website:
http://www.kahaku.go.jp/english/

The exhibition website (in Japanese):
http://deep-sea.jp

In the deep, there are a lot of strange creatures that I cannot imagine.

In this exhibition, we can touch the technology to explore the deep, and see the creatures.

Now human can go to the deep, but it is still not easy.

Scientists made many machines to know what is in the deep.

In here, we can see models of these equipment. Also, we can learn the latest study by scientists.

I like the creatures in the deep because all of them has unique design's bodies.

There are strange fishes, big pill bug, and giant cuttlefishes.

I do not get bored when I see their mysterious lives.

This exhibition has a huge amount of zoological specimens of them.

When I saw them, I really wondered that why they have unique bodies. It is nearly an alien.

The deep is hard environment to live, but there are a lot of creatures in the sea.

They always device themselves to live, and evolve.

I feel human is a very tiny existence in this planet.

It was very interesting exhibition for me because I cannot go to the deep even though I take interests in it.

Q-pot. CAFE

Q-pot. CAFE (Harajuku, Tokyo, Japan)


Web site:
http://www.q-potcafe.jp

In Japan, there are a lot of unique cafes.
Some of them emphasize the inside design of cafe.

Q-pot. is a bland of accessories in Japan.

The design of accessories are based on sweets, and they are very real.

In this cafe, customers can enjoy sweets that are designed by the accessories.

I went there with my friend who likes this bland.

There are some sections in the cafe, for example, a  biscuit area,  and a whip cream area.

We entered in a chocolate area. All of them, from a table to the wall paper were designed as chocolate.

I was very surprised these interiors because all of them looks like real sweets.

A cafe is for enjoying sweets, but in here, we can also enjoy the environment, especially for girls.

It can make a luxurious time for all customers to have fun the tea time.

In this room, the sweets will be more delicious.

Even though in the toilet, it has a good design.

All of the motif of the interiors is teeth.

When I saw this room, I feel that they really pay attention to invite customers.

Some people may say that designing interiors is not needed to live.

However, I think it is necessary to think about the other people.

Good design makes people happy. It is not only interiors but also everything.

I want to move people's feelings with my design.

[exhibitions] Flowers in Bloom: The Culture of Gardening in Edo

Edo-Tokyo Museum [Ryogoku, Tokyo, Japan]


Website:
http://www.edo-tokyo-museum.or.jp/english/

The exhibition website (in Japanese):
http://www.edo-engei.jp

During Edo period (about 400-150 years ago), many Japanese enjoy gardening.

In this exhibition, we can see how they enjoy the cultures and what were they doing about gardening.

At that time, people did not have photograph, so they recorded their daily lives on Ukiyoe.

Ukiyoe is Japanese wooden printing pictures.

In this exhibition, a lot of Ukiyoes that are related with flowers were showed.

There are Kuniyoshi Utagawa's Ukiyoe. Kuniyoshi is my favorite Ukiyoe artist.

I like his pictures because they have dynamic colours and designs.

I think they are very cool and modern even though they were printed more than 150 years ago.

There are a lot of flower shops in the Ukiyoes.

People in Edo enjoyed beautiful flowers, and also they tried to make rare planets.

In spring, they went to picnic to see cherry blossoms.

This culture was not only for rich people but also ordinary people in Edo (now's Tokyo).

I like to see flowers because I love the colours of them. They make me comfortable.

I think growing plants is a necessary culture for people. People feel pleasure when the plants grow and bloom the flowers.

Japanese flowers are not showy, but I like the modesty and beautiful flowers.

[shows] Kabuki

Nerima Bunka Centre (Nerima, Tokyo, Japan)


Introduction about the program (in Japanese):
http://www2.ntj.jac.go.jp/dglib/contents/learn/exp3/index.jsp

Kabuki is a traditional play in Japan. All of the actors on the stage are male.
Because they use special and traditional words, it is sometimes difficult to understand. That's why, young people tend to not see Kabuki.
However, I like Japanese culture very much, so I went to see it this summer.
Usually, the programs of Kabuki are very long. I saw a short program because I am a beginner.

The first program, Kenuki, is very funny program.
One man meets a beautiful princess, but she has one trouble. She wants to get marry, but sometimes her hair dances. Therefore, she always cries.
He solved the problem with funny actions, and he wins bad people.

The second program, Yoshitsune Senbonzakura, is one of the famous program for beginners.
One man comes to meet a princess, but she feels he is something strange for his actions.
When she plays a traditional Japanese drum, suddenly the man begins to dance. She is surprised and asks the reason for him.
To tell the truth, he is a child fox, and his mother was killed to make the drum. He cries and ask her to give the drum for him.
Finally, she decides to give him it, and he is pleased with it.


Fortunately, our seats were very good position. It was center of the first line.
Therefore, I could enjoy not only the play but also their clothes, their movements and impressions.

Their actions are really powerful, and I was overwhelm them.

My favourite seen is the dancing of the fox. It was really cute even though the actor is a man.

I was moved their passion and quality.

I prefer to see Kabuki. If I have an opportunity to see it, I want to go again.

[exhibitions] Gyokudo Kawai

Yamatane Museum of Art (Ebisu, Tokyo, Japan)


English page:
http://www.yamatane-museum.jp/english/index.html

The exhibition page (in Japanese):
http://www.yamatane-museum.jp/exh/2013/140.html
Some pictures are in this page.

This museum has a lot of Japanese-style paintings, called Nihonga.
I visited the exhibition of Gyokudo Kawai, who was one of the famous Nihonga artist in 1800-1900s.

Nihonga differ from Ukiyoe.
It is used natural painting materials, so the impression of pictures is very soft, like watercolours.
However, the colours are very quiet and delicate.
Young people may say it is boring, but I think they are really beautiful.

Gyokudo liked to draw nature and daily lives of people.
I was really impressed the trees and the smoke.
His trees are real, but I feel a kindness. I thought he really love natures when I saw his paintings.
Also, the colors of smokes are sensitive but it just cannot be ignored.

Young Japanese tend to not like old style Japanese arts, but I want to tell them the great artist.

[exhibitions] Leo Lionni

Bunkamura (Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan)


English page:
http://www.bunkamura.co.jp/english/index.html

The exhibition page (in Japanese):
http://www.bunkamura.co.jp/museum/exhibition/13_lionni/index.html

Leo Lionni is one of the most popular children's book artists in Japan.

When I was a child, I always read his books because the characters are very charming for me.

I remembered a lot of things about his books when I saw his pictures in this exhibition.

I read a lot of his books, and I remembered that I liked his stones.

At that time, I did not know the reasons, but I learned that he liked to draw stones. I was surprised.

He is still my favourite artist.
He is good to use variety kinds of medias. Because of the reason, I can enjoyed his pictures very much.