The Current State of Japanese Art as Considered by the Catalyst of the Jakuchu Boom: Bunka Kunsho Recipient Nobuo Tsuji
Art historian Nobuo Tsuji, recipient of the Bunka Kunsho, discusses his role in sparking the Jakuchu boom and the current state of Japanese art.Summary
Nobuo Tsuji, a Japanese art historian and Professor Emeritus at the University of Tokyo, recently received the 2025 Bunka Kunsho (Order of Culture). He is renowned for shedding light on previously overlooked Edo-period painters like Ito Jakuchu, whose work helped ignite the 'Jakuchu Boom.' Tsuji reflected that his 1970 book, "Kiso no Keifu" (Genealogy of Eccentricity), which featured six such artists, helped shift perceptions of Edo painting history, though he feels it was half a century ago. Having enjoyed drawing until high school, he noted that understanding the difficulty of painting aided his art historical research, drawing parallels between the self-taught styles of Van Gogh and Jakuchu. His entry into studying 'eccentric' artists began when his supervisor recommended Iwasa Matabei for his master's thesis. Tsuji was drawn to the non-ordinary worlds in scrolls like the "Yamanaka Tokiwa Monogatari Emaki." Even at 93, he remains eager to continue his research.
(Source：朝日新聞)