Exhibition celebrates contributions to art(2)

 Fukami also shared his philosophy on aging, advocating for forgetting one's own age and embracing a sense of freedom. He believes that the moment one becomes aware of their age, they start feeling old. Fukami encourages individuals to forget about their age, not for their own sake, but to lead a long and healthy life while fulfilling their roles and responsibilities in the world.

  Another aspect that Fukami is committed to is building heart-to-heart relationships with people from all over the world through his multifaceted activities. He believes that genuine connections go beyond superficial levels of communication and require engaging with others in various ways.

  The opening ceremony of the exhibition was a vibrant and lively event. It commenced with an energetic samba performance and a lively hula show. Several prominent guests delivered congratulatory speeches, including Peter Phillips, the eldest grandson of the late Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Anne's only son. Phillips spoke about his decade-long friendship with Fukami and highlighted the artist's close relationship with other members of the royal family through his charitable activities. He celebrated Fukami's contributions to education, culture, and sports, particularly his dedication to promoting blind golf based on the belief that sports can transform lives.

  The ceremony was also attended by many current and former politicians, who gave speeches. Notable figures included Shizuka Kamei and Masahiko Komura, who have held several ministerial posts, as well as Ichiro Ozawa, Katsuei Hirasawa, and Muneo Suzuki, respected members of the House of Representatives and the House of Councilors. Additionally, video messages from former prime ministers of various countries, the secretary-general of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, a former archbishop of Canterbury, as well as celebrities, athletes, and leaders from various fields were also featured.

  Fukami expressed his gratitude for the congratulatory messages and pledged to continue taking on new challenges in the coming year. He encouraged the audience, especially the more than 2,500 visitors at the opening ceremony, to have high aspirations regardless of their age. Fukami believes that staying young involves having a sense of mission and a dedication to becoming the person one aims to be, not only for oneself but for the betterment of others and the world. He emphasized the importance of making a social impact, no matter how small, and living a life focused on making the world a better place for others. Fukami urged individuals to maintain a spirit of progress and improvement, as that would keep their energy from ever being depleted.

  Overall, Toshu Fukami's solo exhibition and opening ceremony were vibrant celebrations of art, culture, and connections. Fukami's dedication to his artistic pursuits, his philosophy on aging, and his commitment to making a positive impact on the world were the key themes of the event.

Samba performances opened the exhibition each morning. 
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Exhibition celebrates contributions to art (1)

Toshu Fukami, also known as Haruhisa Handa, gives a speech at the opening ceremony for the 23rd Toshu Fukami Exhibition in Tokyo’s Koto Ward on March 18.
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 Toshu Fukami, also known as Haruhisa Handa, is a well-known artist, entrepreneur, and philanthropist who recently held an opening ceremony for his solo exhibition, Toshu Fukami Exhibition 2023, at Tokyo Big Sight in Tokyo's Koto Ward on March 18. This marked the 23rd exhibition in his career and was held as a commemoration of his birthday. The exhibition ran from March 18 to March 21 and showcased approximately 170 pieces of art. Among them were 55 works painted over the past year, as well as 80 pieces selected by art critics. The event not only featured the exhibition but also included various performances such as samba and hula dancers, a magic show, and animal shows. Each day of the event concluded with an evening disco-themed party.

  The exhibition attracted a significant number of visitors, with over 12,000 people attending the five-day event, which started a day prior to the opening ceremony.

  Toshu Fukami is a versatile artist who engages in a wide range of artistic fields, including calligraphy, different painting styles, singing, opera, and noh. Throughout his career, he has created an impressive total of 3,546 paintings and works of Japanese calligraphy known as "sho" .

  One notable aspect of Fukami's creative process is his remarkable enthusiasm, concentration, and speed. Every year, the number of exhibited works can vary as Fukami may introduce new paintings that have recently dried. Therefore, the brochures handed out to visitors during the event may not always reflect the exact number of works on display.

  Despite his involvement in multiple businesses and leadership roles in various nonprofit organizations such as Worldwide Support for Development, the International Sports Promotion Society, and the International Foundation for Arts and Culture, Fukami, who recently turned 72, has remained dedicated to his artistic pursuits.

  During his speech at the opening ceremony, Fukami expressed his approach to art and emphasized the importance of mindset in pursuing any occupation. He stated that he draws inspiration from his daily life, capturing whatever attracts him. Fukami believes that as long as there are things a painter wants to depict in their work, they can continue to live as a painter. He extended this idea to all occupations, highlighting the significance of one's mindset in sustaining their chosen path. Fukami believes that by overcoming obstacles and continuing one's endeavors, the light of one's soul and value can be found.

Magician and illusionist Tenko Hikita II, also known as Princess Tenko, performs during the exhibition on March 19
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The 18th Tokyo Dai Takigi Noh (5)

  The third performance was “Yoro Shugen”(“Yoro Celebration”), a noh play about a waterfall in Gifu Prefecture that is said to have medicinal water. An imperial messenger sets out on a search for the waterfall and runs into two men who know where it is. They take him to waterfall and the mountain god, performed by Takao Yamauchi, a noh actor who made his stage debut at the age of seven, appears. The story ended with the mountain god’s graceful dance of a prayer for longevity and peace.

                                    Takao Yamauchi plays Yamanokami during "Yoro 'Shugen'"

                                                                                @TTJ  TACHIBANA PUBLISHING

The 18th Tokyo Dai Takigi Noh (4)

 The second part of the program was “Shibiri”(“The Inherited Cramp”), a traditional kyogen piece. Just as Tatsumi explained that kyogen is a form of traditional comic theater that often depicts funny and somehow lovable adults, the characters in this short comedy were both witty.

 The master of a house orders Taro Kaja, performed by Noritoshi Yamamoto, a kyogen-kata(lead comic actor) of the Okura School and a designated Important Intangible Cultural Property, to run an errand to prepare for a sudden visitor. But Kaja refuses to go, saying that he is suffering an attack of his chronic paralysis. The master says:”What a pity. My uncle has invited us to dinner, but you won’t be able to make it.” Kaja replies that he will try to talk sense into his paralysis. The comical dialogue and movements drew laughter from the audience.

The 18th Tokyo Dai Takigi Noh (3)

 

On a stage illuminated by torches, the musician and jiuai (chorus) sat down quietly, and a high shrieking sound from a bamboo flute marked the beginning of the story.

 The first performance was “Kasuga Ryujin”(“The Kasuga Dragon God”). It is a story about a monk who plans to travel abroad and the dragon god who tries to stop him. Myoe Shonin, a Buddhist monk, who decided to travel to scared Buddhist sites in China and India, appears on the stage. He has come to visit Kasuga Shrine in Nara to announce his itinerary.

But an old Shinto priest, performed by Tatsumi, tries to convince him to continue his Buddhist practice in Japan. Tatsumi had explained prior to the performance that traveling abroad meant risking one’s own life because about one-third of vessels sank during voyages in the Kamakura Period (1185 to 1333), when the story set.

The monk finally agrees and gives up his trip and the delighted old priest promises to show him the life story of Buddha and disappears. Then, the dragon god, also performed by Tasumi, appears again and presents Buddhas life story before the eyes of the monk, and vanishes into a pond.

The 18th Tokyo Dai Takigi Noh (2)

 Prior to the programs, Manjiro Tatsumi, a Hosho School shite-kata (lead actor) and a designated Important Intangible Cultural Property, told the audience how to best enjoy noh and what each performance was about. He said, “Noh is the aesthetics of subtraction,” meaning that the simplicity in noh’s stage sets and props as well as noh actors’ movements and dialogues is a result of pursuing minimalistic beauty. He said, “The audience is expected to add their own imagination to what they see on the stage,” emphasizing that it is the power of the audience that makes a small and empty stage of noh an infinite space.

He added that “For over a thousand years, noh theater has been consistently expressing a prayer for peace.”

Tatsumi’s explanation about the programs helped the audience understand the stories even though the actors speak in ancient Japanese.

                                              Dr.Haruhisa Handa performs at the 18th Dai 

                                                  Takigi Noh(Noh by Firelight) in Sep.2018. 

                                                  He could not perform at this year's event due to

                                                   an injury.

                                                   @TTJ TACHIBANA PUBLISHING 

The 18th Tokyo Dai Takigi Noh(1)

　 On the evening of October 16, the 18^th Tokyo Dai Takigi Noh was held at the Citizen’s Plaza located in front of Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building. The event was started in 1998 by the International Foundation for Arts and Culture (IFAC) as a rare opportunity for people to enjoy the art performed by noh professionals free of charge. Except for 2011, the year of the Great East Japan Earthquake, and between 2015 and 2017 while the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building underwent repairs, the event had been held every year until 2018. This is the first time for the performance since the beginning of infection of the COVID-19 pandemic.

 IFAC promotes arts, culture and education through supporting and funding various projects internationally. It was founded by Dr.Haruhisa Handa, also known as Toshu Fukami, who is a philanthropist, business leader, calligrapher, painter and operatic baritone, as well as noh actor of the Hosho School and member of Nogaku Performers’ Association. Dr.Handa studied noh at Doshisha University’s Hosho Noh society under the tutelage of Nihei Kashiwabara and Takashi Tatsumi. This time, the event was supported by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and the Cultural Affairs agency.  

 He was supposed to perform the leading role of “Sagi” (“The Heron”), one of the three performances at this year’s event. However, the program was replaced by a different piece because of his recent knee injury.

 

                              Manjiro Tatsumi plays Ryujin during "Kasuga Ryujin"

                                                                @TTJ TACHIBANA PUBLISHING