last update Feb 22, 2010 (Mon) 09:07:34
There will be no excursions. But we can recommend several places to visit, before or after the Conference.
Please bear in mind that the well-known masterpieces in the collections of Japanese museums are, unlike other museums like Louvre, Prado, Alte Pinakothek or National Galleries, NOT ALWAYS on exhibition for preservation purposes.
Museum : Tokyo National Museum (Ueno, Tokyo) ca. 90min from the venue of the Conference.
Hasegawa Tôhaku is one of the greatest painters of Japan, who lived exactly in the "Grand Voyage Era". Some of his masterpieces, like "Pine Tree" (above), are considered to be one of the best accomplishments throughout the history of Japanese fine-arts.
As his paintings are scattered all around Japan, this exhibition, commemorating his 4th centenary, will be a quite rare occasion, where most of his masterpieces are assembled in one place in order to get an overview of his art.
You are advised to visit also the main building to see the "Thousand-Handed Goddess of Mercy" of the 12th centuries,
and the "Depiction of contemporary Kyoto" (17th centuries)
Museum : Idemitsu Museum (Hibiya, Tokyo) ca. 90min from the venue of the Conference, ca. 15min from the Tokyo National Museum.
Porcelain is one of the finest part of Japanese art, which was greatly influenced by China and Korea at first, but has developed its own style during the 15th to 17th centuries, together with "Tea Ceremony".
Idemitsu Museum holds one of the best pieces that represent these centuries, some of which are beyond comparison and classified as National Treasures.
Merits a visit. If you are interested in the "Tea Ceremony", it's a must.
Museum : Seikado Bunko Art Museum (Setagaya, Tokyo) ca. 60min from the venue of the Conference
If you are interested in the porcelain and the "Tea Ceremony", you are incredibly lucky to visit Japan in this season.
The Seikado Bunko Museum exhibits its world-famous "YÔHEN" tea bowl (above, Southern Song period) for 7 weeks. There are only 3 examples extant of "YÔHEN" tea bowls in the world, and the one in the Seikado Bunko Museum is esteemed as being the best of these three.
Photographs can hardly represent the mystic reflections of this tea bowl. This is a rare opportunity to closely appreciate this treasure of the world. It is rarely on exhibition, only once every 3 or 4 years, for a limited period.
Other pieces of this collection are also on exhibition, each of them merits a visit.
Museum : Museum of Oriental Ceramics (Kitahama, Osaka). Located in Osaka, the 2nd greatest city of Japan. ca. 3 hours from Tokyo.
Northern Song(北宋) is considered to be the highest point in the history of Chinese ceramics, and Ru ware (汝窯) is the best part among them. The extant example of Ru ware is quite scarce, only around 70 pieces in the world. This exhibition reveals the results of the excavation of Ru ware, still under investigation, together with one of the finest pieces of Ru ware.
The museum has been build solely for exhibiting a private collection (of Late Mr. Ataka) of the Chinese and Korean ceramics. The museum has an incomparable serene atmosphere, permits plenty of natural (not artificial) lights without damaging the collection, and holds exquisite pieces of Chinese and Korean porcelains, most of which are classified as National Treasures or Important Artistic Materials of Japan.
This beautiful museum is just 30 minutes' ride from Kyoto. If you plan to visit Kyoto or Nara, visiting this museum in addition is strongly recommended.
Heijô palace, Nara (leaflet)
In his year of 2010, we are celebrating the 13th centenary of this ancient palace, which was founded in 710 AD, and was discarded in 794 AD.
Unfortunately, the museums are closed until April (in preparation for the ceremonies),
but you can still visit the excavation site of the palace remains itself.
If you plan to visit Nara, it will be interesting to visit this place.
Museum : Meiji-Mura Historical Museum, (Inuyama, Nagoya). ca. 2 hours from Tokyo.
This is not a museum building, but a campus, where the architectures of Meiji ( 1868 to 1912 ) period of Japan have been relocated and preserved just as they stood more than 100 year ago.
the list of the buildings preserved (NB. They are not miniatures : they are REAL ones that have been relocated)
There are even restaurants, of 100 years ago, where they serve the menu of 100 years ago.
Ancient trains and street cars are still active here.
It is a great fun to visit this campus to get a glimpse of the beginning of the Modern Japan in vivo.
National Theater for Kabuki
will perform a Kabuki play "Kinmon Gosann no Kiri" during March, 2010,
which is one of the most favorite pieces of the traditional Kabuki plays.
ticket center
On the 14h (Sun), 2010, Hôshô Nôgakudô Nô theatre (no English pages) will perform 3 Nô plays (Seiôbo, Miyama, Tsuchigumo), with one of the most excellent contemporary players.
| Seiôbo | Tsuchigumo |
 |
 |
On the 19h (Fri), 2010, evening, National Nô theater will perform a Nô play (Saigyô-zakura) with Katayama Yûsetsu (a National Master Performer).
| Saigyô-zakura |
|
Good restaurants of Japanese cooking are located much more in Kyoto than in Tokyo.
It is not easy to make reservations there,
as the best restaurants accept very limited number of guests (e.g. 6 to 12) one evening,
and (lamentably) they tend to refuse guests unless introduced by existing clients.
Most restaurants of Japanese traditional cooking do not speak English.
Most restaurants of Japanese cooking serve only a set menu, no a-la-carte selection,
and if they have a menu at all, it may be written only in Japanese, like this one.
They are also expensive, ca. 10000 to 40000 JPY (110 to 440 USD) per person.
If you like a bit more casual way to get in touch with the Japanese cooking tradition, restaurants in larger department-stores or in eminent hotels are recommended. They speak English (sort of), and have English menus (sometimes). Prices vary in the range of 3500 to 20000 JPY per person. Reservation desirable.