Summer vacation, when daytime temperatures stay above 30°C and heatstroke alerts are issued day after day.
It’s tough to spend long periods outdoors, but you still want to make summer vacation memories, don’t you?
About a 10-minute walk from JR Kurashiki Station toward City Hall, and close to the Bikan Historical Area, Kurashiki City Art Museum is one of the facilities in a cultural district that includes Kurashiki Central Library and Kurashiki Museum of Natural History. It is currently exhibiting works by Noboru Baba, familiar to many through the beloved children’s picture-book series “The 11 Cats,” which children can enjoy too.
I visited the exhibition “The Complete Noboru Baba Exhibition: Drew, Made, Enjoyed—Nyago!” with a member of its organizing committee. Nearly 600 visitors of all ages come each day, and here I’ll introduce some highlights.
The information provided was current when this article was published in August 2024. Please note that it may differ from current information.
What is “The Complete Noboru Baba Exhibition: Drew, Made, Enjoyed—Nyago!”?
“The Complete Noboru Baba Exhibition: Drew, Made, Enjoyed—Nyago!” is an exhibition held at Kurashiki City Art Museum from Friday, July 26 to Sunday, September 1, 2024. This year (2024) marks the 145th anniversary of the founding of the Sanyo Shimbun, so the exhibition is hosted by Kurashiki City and the “Complete Noboru Baba Exhibition Organizing Committee,” established by Sanyo Shimbun and Kurashiki City Art Museum.
This project is a touring exhibition that began at the Nerima Art Museum in Nerima Ward, Tokyo, where Baba Noboru had his studio, to mark the 20th anniversary of his death.
The exhibition is packed with content for adults to enjoy, including the “The 11 Cats” series, beloved by a wide range of ages from children to adults, as well as traces of Baba’s creative work before his debut and sketchbooks discovered after his death.
For details, see the image below.
The venue on Thursday, August 22
Having previously worked in the preschool department of a special-needs school, I love original picture-book illustrations, so I was very much looking forward to this exhibition being held at Kurashiki City Art Museum.
Since the exhibition opened, I’ve visited once in July and about three times since the start of August. Whenever I visit, there are many children at the venue, making for a heartwarming sight.
On the morning of August 22, after the Obon holiday, I visited the exhibition with Onoue Mayu, a member of the Complete Noboru Baba Exhibition organizing committee. She showed me the highlights of the venue, which I’ll introduce here.
Photography is prohibited at the Complete Noboru Baba Exhibition, except in certain areas. Special permission was granted for photography this time.
An exhibition enjoyed by people of all ages
The “The 11 Cats” series is a picture-book series. Since the exhibition is being held during summer vacation, it was expected that many children would visit.
Once it actually opened, however, there were not only children, but also young couples, people whose children had grown up, and many men visiting on their own, as well as women.
According to Onoue, many visitors of all ages came to see the exhibition carrying plush toys of characters from “The 11 Cats” picture-book series or wearing clothes and bags featuring the characters. She said this made her realize that Noboru Baba’s works are supported by a wide range of people, regardless of generation or gender.
I also saw many participants wearing “The 11 Cats” merchandise at the commemorative lecture held on Saturday, July 27, which I attended, and at the picture-book reading held on Sunday, August 18.
Noboru Baba was reportedly open-minded about making merchandise and using his characters even during his lifetime. The characters from “The 11 Cats” picture-book series also appear on Kurashiki City Library user cards and the vehicles of the mobile library, so they may be familiar to Kurashiki City residents as well.
The venue is full of ways for children to move around and immerse themselves in Noboru Baba’s works, including a hot-air balloon from the picture book The 11 Cats and the Albatross, the cats’ house, The 11 Cats’ Marathon picture scroll, and a picture-book corner.
There is also a corner where visitors can learn about archival footage and lithography, the printing method used for early Koguma-sha picture books, offering plenty to pique adults’ intellectual curiosity too.
Lithography: A type of printmaking. By layering plates and colors (multicolor printing), this technique produces complex hues. The Complete Noboru Baba Exhibition uses the picture book The 11 Cats and the Albatross as an example.
Noboru Baba’s appeal goes beyond the “The 11 Cats” picture-book series
The exhibition’s promotional flyers prominently feature illustrations from the “11 Piki no Neko” picture-book series, so you may think of Baba Noboru as “the man who drew cats.” Many visitors to the special exhibition have come looking forward to seeing the original illustrations from the “11 Piki no Neko” series.
However, as you take your time looking around the exhibition, you’ll find that the display drawing the most visitors to a halt for a closer look is a set of study notebooks that Baba Noboru actually used as a student.
Rather than simply copying what was written on the board, each notebook contains knowledge Baba gained from his teachers’ lessons and his own observations, written in neat, legible handwriting. Many visitors who see the notebooks reportedly leave comments expressing surprise and admiration, wondering, “Was Baba Noboru’s distinctive world made possible by his strong academic foundation and broad knowledge?”
Baba Noboru also reportedly said throughout his life, “I’m not a picture-book author; I’m a manga artist drawing picture books,” and he left behind many manga works. Original artwork from his manga is also on display in this special exhibition, and visitors can be seen all around, engrossed in reading and chuckling at the comics.
He also had close ties with fellow manga artists. The exhibition includes works featuring characters drawn by manga artist friends such as Takashi Yanase for Baba Noboru’s memorial exhibition.
The exhibition venue displays more than just original artwork. It also features three-dimensional works made by Baba Noboru, who enjoyed drawing and making things even outside of work.
The familiar characters, moving about as they please beyond the confines of a story, are all one of a kind. Some works were temporarily taken off display due to the Nankai Trough Earthquake Extra Information (Megaquake Advisory) issued during the exhibition, but now that it has been lifted, all the works are available to view.
An exhibition where you can take home a tangible summer vacation memory
The abundance of photo spots and special exhibition merchandise is another highlight of this exhibition.
Summer vacation memories are all the more enjoyable when you can capture them in photos and look back on them again and again.
Children in particular are more likely to remember things when they have visual information, such as photos and illustrations, as well as audio. Photos are allowed at the cat house, which is a big hit with children, at the coloring corner, and in front of the sign in the entrance hall, so you can capture the joy and excitement on your children’s faces.
The shop by the venue exit was also bustling with visitors. The denim bags from the collaboration with Betty Smith, a denim brand from Kojima, Kurashiki City, are original items available only at the Kurashiki venue.
As of Thursday, August 22, the large tote bags were sold out, but they are reportedly being restocked. Those who live far away and can’t make it to the venue can also inquire by phone, so be sure to check the website.
Whenever I visit the venue, one thing that catches my eye is the name sticker. There’s always a line in front of this machine, which lets you print your name or a favorite phrase alongside a character from the “11 Piki no Neko” picture-book series.
On August 22, the line had just cleared, so I tried making a sticker with my own name. There are 20 background designs, and you can also choose the font. I got so absorbed that I ended up spending nearly five minutes making a name sticker with just three characters.
From the Writer
Since August 22 was a weekday after the Obon holidays, you might expect the venue to be quiet. But visitors of all ages—from babies in strollers to groups of older women enjoying a get-together—were having a great time, making for a wide range of age groups.
The venue is said to be busiest from around 10 a.m. to noon and after 2 p.m., so it is also recommended for families with children. You can apparently enjoy the exhibition at a more leisurely pace just after opening and around lunchtime.
September 1 (Sunday) is the last day to see precious works by Noboru Baba in Kurashiki, including the original illustrations for the picture book Momotaro, shown for the first time at Kurashiki City Art Museum. Why not make “The Complete Noboru Baba Exhibition: Drew, Made, Enjoyed, Nyago!” part of your final summer vacation memories?
Articles about Kurashiki City Art Museum
The Complete Noboru Baba Exhibition: Drawn, Made, Enjoyed—Nyago! Information
| Name | The Complete Noboru Baba Exhibition: Drawn, Made, Enjoyed—Nyago! |
|---|---|
| Dates | Saturday, July 26–Sunday, September 1, 2024 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. *Admission until 4:30 p.m. |
| Location | 2-6-1 Chuo, Kurashiki City |
| Admission (tax included) | General admission: ¥1,100; high school and university students: ¥900; elementary and junior high school students: ¥500 *For discounted admission, please present proof of age or affiliation, such as an ID or student ID. *Free admission for visitors with a disability certificate and one accompanying person *Elementary and junior high school students living in Kurashiki City receive free admission by presenting an Ikiiki Passport or student ID. *Elementary school students receive free admission by presenting a Takahashi River Basin Passport (excluding weekdays). |
| Website | The Complete Noboru Baba Exhibition: Drawn, Made, Enjoyed—Nyago! |
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