No.202-5

16th Meguro International Exchange Forum -Introduction to Japanese culture-

Edo-Revealed, Digitalized Ukiyo-e Woodblock Prints

Speaker: Mitsunobu SATO (Director of the Hiraki Ukiyo-e Museum) English commentator and interpreter: Mark OSHIMA

(Specialist in Japanese culture) Venue: Meguro Persimmon Hall (Main Hall) Date: October 31, 2003 (Friday) 19:00~

Sponsored by Meguro Board of Education Managed by Meguro UNESCO association, Specially assisted by Hiraki Ukiyo-e Foundation, NHK Promotions Supported by Meguro Ward, Meguro Foundation of Art and Culture, Meguro Museum of Art, National Federation of UNESCO Associations in Japan, ADTX, Linux Caf , Codex Images Inc., Kururinpa Club

View at *Nihonbashi* Bridge (c1833) 　　Series: The Fifty-Three Stages of the *Tokaido* Road

The 16th Meguro International Exchange Forum was held with the co-operation of Hiraki Ukiyo-e Museum and NHK Promotions. Mr. Sato, the director of the Hiraki Ukiyo-e Museum, explained about fifteen pieces of digitalized Ukiyo-e woodblock prints. Each item looked more elaborate and beautiful than we expected of woodblock prints, and this induced the audience's admiration. Each work, as small as 30-50 centimetres, was projected onto a six-metre-wide screen. Some parts were magnified further and the fine, elaborate details depicted were amazing. The beautiful colour and delicate representation adopted in the work let the audience transcend time and visualise the life in the Edo period.

Kitagawa Utamaro: Three Famous Beauties (c1792)

Mr. Sato gave the detailed explanation carefully and in tune with the audience and succeeded in deepening their understanding of the art. The audience admired Mr. Sato’s profound knowledge on the subject. Mr. Mark Oshima, the English commentator and interpreter of this forum, has worked as commentator at the Kabukiza Theater and the National Theater of Japan. He is also a joruri reciter (stage name: Kiyomoto Shimadayu). With the deep understanding gained from such backgrounds, he not only gave accurate interpretations but also conveyed the spirit of Edo culture to the foreign members of the audience. Meguro UNESCO Association hoped to set up ‘culture’ and ‘peace’ as the hidden theme of this forum. Each work selected from hundreds of digitalized Ukiyo-e woodblock prints from the museum matched well with the Association’s intentions. The audience found that art and culture was deeply rooted in the lives of citizens of the Edo period and this was achieved because of the peace stability at the time. (Public Relations Committee: Yukio OKUSAWA)

Utagawa Hiroshige: Night View of Saruwaka-cho (1856) Series: One Hundred Famous Views of *Edo*

Above: Utagawa Hiroshige: Morning

Ukiyo-e woodblock prints are famous the world over and even influenced the artists of 19^th century France that created Impressionism. The daily life of people in the Edo period and the genius of color and design of the artists will come alive before your eyes. This Meguro City International Exchange Forum will present the digitalized works preserved in the Hiraki Ukiyo-e Museum with the cooperation of NHK Promotions. Delicate works that once could only be seen briefly in semi-darkness can now be enlarged and projected, revealing every detail.
(From the program distributed to the audience at the venue:

written by Mark Oshima)