Honoring Okakura Tenshin, the "Father of Modern Japanese Art": Tenshin Summit Held in Akakura | Joetsu Myoko Town Information
The Tenshin Summit honoring Okakura Tenshin, the father of modern Japanese art, was held in Myoko, with about 50 people attending a lecture.Summary
The Tenshin Summit, which honors Okakura Tenshin—known as the "Father of Modern Japanese Art"—who spent his later years in Akakura, Myoko City, was held in Myoko City over two days, the 5th and 6th. The summit is hosted annually in rotation by organizations from four regions across Japan connected to Okakura Tenshin, including the Niigata Myoko Okakura Tenshin Commemorative Association. On the 5th, a commemorative lecture was held at Akakura Hotel with about 50 participants. The lecturer was Shuichi Sasagawa, director of the Kobayashi Kokei Memorial Museum. He explained that Okakura Tenshin was involved in founding the Tokyo School of Fine Arts, the predecessor of Tokyo University of the Arts, and nurtured many Japanese painters, which earned him the name "Father of Modern Japanese Art." Sasagawa described Tenshin's achievements as establishing the foundations of a modern art education system and the preservation of cultural properties for the future, as well as creating an environment for freely researching art and a way of communicating Eastern culture from an international perspective. He also introduced Akakura, where Tenshin spent his later years, as a place of daily life with nature, hot springs, and interaction with Takada. Yukio Tsugii, vice president of the Niigata Myoko Okakura Tenshin Commemorative Association, said participants were very pleased with the lecture that reexamined the origins of each region, and noted that while the Tenshin Summit may face a transitional period, they must consider how to continue it forever. Next year's Tenshin Summit is scheduled to be held in Izura, Kitaibaraki City, Ibaraki Prefecture.
(Source：上越妙高タウン情報)