Tour Report on Jan. 20(Meiji Shrine and Harajuku)/Ueno Park Tour on Feb.11

Many thanks for joining our tour to Meiji Shrine and Harajuku area on January 20. Weather was perfect. We welcomed seven friendly guests from Australia,Portugal and America.I hope all of you refreshed your body and mind at the Shrine in the beginning of 2019.

On our tour route there is Ota Memorial Museum of Art specializing in Ukiyo-e wood block printing between Takeshita Street and Omotesando street. They have 12,000 pieces and change the exhibition almost every month.
During the Edo period a variety of figures and trends were depicted in Ukiyo-e. They are beautiful landscapes, everyday life of commoners, actors and courtesans. Current performance displays many works of people, children and animals illustrating their cute(kawaii) and funny (Okashii) behaviors. We may be able to share the same feeling as the Edo people. The exhibition continues until January 27. In February the Museum will show Ohara Koson’s woodblock prints of birds and flowers.

Ukiyo-e is a style of woodblock printing created and developed in Japan about 300 years ago during the Edo period. The major artists are Utamaro,Hiroshige and Hokusai. The low price of the new artwork attracted customers. When Ukiyo-e printing was used as wrapping papers for the ceramics and lacquer ware Japan exported to Europe, people in Europe were amazed at the freshness of printing, bright multi-color and bold composition. Ukiyo-e impacted the painters such as van Gogh and the French Impressionists.
TFWT will have another walking tour at Ueno Park starting on February 11. Ueno Park is full of tourist attractions including trees, museums, monuments, statues, pagodas, temples and shrines. The tour will be held on a trial basis for the time being. Please visit our website and click the tour calendar for details. We will be looking forward to seeing you in Ueno as well.
(posted by Yoshi)