Art historian and former director of Ohara Museum of Art, Takashina Shuji, passed away at the age of 92 on October 17, 2024.
On the first anniversary of his passing, October 17, 2025, a memorial symposium titled "Director Takashina Shuji and Ohara Museum of Art" was held at Kurashiki Community Center, organized by Ohara Museum of Art.
We will report on the symposium, where participants reflected on his brilliant achievements and many episodes from his life.
About Director Takashina and Ohara Museum of Art
Director Takashina served as the director of Ohara Museum of Art for 21 years from 2002 to 2023, after holding positions such as professor at the University of Tokyo and director of the National Museum of Western Art.
During his tenure, he received the Order of Cultural Merit in 2005 and the Order of Culture in 2012.
Additionally, from April 2024, he became the first director of the newly established Ohara Art Research Institute, continuing to support Ohara Museum of Art until the end of his life.
Many projects initiated during his tenure continue to this day (2025), with notable examples including the following:
- Special Opening of Yurin-so Villa
- ARKO (Artist in Residence Kurashiki, Ohara)
- AM (Artist Meets) Kurashiki
Special Opening of Yurin-so Villa
A special exhibition held twice a year in spring and autumn at the former villa of the Ohara family, "Yurin-so," located across from Ohara Museum of Art.
Due to its complex structure and the mixture of Japanese, Western, and Chinese architectural styles, experience is required to exhibit works, so mainly veteran artists are invited to participate.
ARKO (Artist in Residence Kurashiki, Ohara)
This program aims to support young artists.
Atelier "Mui-so," which was used by Western painter Kojima Torajiro, who laid the foundation for Ohara Museum of Art, hosts artists for a maximum of three months for residency, followed by an exhibition of works completed within approximately two months after the residency.
AM (Artist Meets) Kurashiki
This project allows artists to create and exhibit works inspired by their encounters with Kurashiki.
In addition to the above, numerous projects have been undertaken, including the Children's Art Museum, various special exhibitions, and exhibitions of Ohara Museum of Art across the country.
About the Symposium
The symposium was moderated by the current director of Ohara Museum of Art, Miura Atsushi, and featured the following panelists who had connections to Director Takashina.
- Kono Motoaki
Professor Emeritus, University of Tokyo - Tsugami Miyuki
Artist - Yanagisawa Hideyuki
Senior Advisor, Ohara Art Foundation
The three panelists shared various episodes about Director Takashina.
Kono Motoaki, one of the panelists, shared that he had a deep friendship with Director Takashina since their time at the University of Tokyo, and due to this connection, he worked hard to hold the "Ohara Museum of Art Exhibition" while serving as the director of the Akita Prefectural Museum of Modern Art.
He is currently actively engaged in writing, including his blog "Jozetsukancho," where he has posted several memorial messages for Director Takashina.
In the discussion, he introduced Director Takashina's book "Theory of Modern Japanese Art History" as a personal selection. This book served as a guide for him in studying modern Japanese art.
Additionally, it was mentioned that Director Takashina was a bundle of curiosity and was well-versed in both high and popular culture by seeing things from a broad perspective.
The anecdotes shared, such as his knowledge not only of Western painting but also of performing arts and popular culture, were surprising and very interesting, reflecting their close relationship.
Since its inception in 2005, ARKO (Artist in Residence Kurashiki, Ohara), Tsugami Miyuki was the first invited artist to undertake a residency in Kurashiki.
In 2003, Tsugami participated in the "VOCA Exhibition," which is held annually at Ueno no Mori Art Museum, and won the highest award, the VOCA Prize.
This led to her invitation to the first ARKO residency, as she met Director Takashina, who was serving as a judge at that time. Since then, she has developed a connection with Ohara Museum of Art and Kurashiki.
In the discussion, she candidly spoke about her feelings towards Ohara Museum of Art and Kurashiki as an artist currently active on the front lines.
One particularly impressive point was that Director Takashina was described as a person who created "spaces."
ARKO is also a project that provides a "space" for young artists to create, and other projects function as a "space" connecting the museum and people, reflecting Director Takashina's legacy as a coordinator.
Hideyuki Yanagisawa from Ohara Museum of Art participated as a panelist.
In 2002, with the appointment of Director Takashina, he transferred from Okayama Prefectural Museum of Art to Ohara Museum of Art as a curator, and currently serves as Senior Advisor of the Ohara Art Foundation.
As one of the closest observers of Director Takashina, he shared anecdotes from the time of the director's appointment.
When Director Takashina was appointed to Ohara Museum of Art, he established the following three basic policies.
- Research on History and Works
Thoroughly investigate the history and collection of the Ohara Museum of Art. - Utilization of Exhibitions
Avoid "leaving out and putting away" exhibitions. - Interest in Multiple Fields
As a researcher, pay attention not only to one area but also to multiple fields.
Based on these basic policies, we are actively conducting collection-themed exhibitions to implement "Utilization of Exhibitions" while simultaneously progressing with the "Research on History and Works" of the exhibited works.
Messages from the Audience
Additionally, many artists who had connections with Director Takashina during his lifetime participated in the venue. Here are some of their stories.
From Kyōji Takubo, an artist and cultural advisor to Kotohira Shrine, he shared about a discussion held in 2020 at the Ohara Museum of Art's Crafts and Eastern Hall between media artist Youichi Ochiai and Director Takashina, saying, "I felt an extraordinary curiosity and youth in the conversation with Mr. Ochiai, who is much younger than my grandchild."
Furthermore, contemporary artist Chie Matsui, who participated in the special opening of Yurin-so Villa in spring 2014 and created an installation (spatial art) on-site, shared the following:
Many other related individuals also shared wonderful stories about Director Takashina.
Conclusion
Since its opening, the Ohara Museum of Art has incorporated living works of art from that era.
Director Takashina's activities at the Ohara Museum of Art were a more concrete realization of the philosophy proposed by Ohara Soichiro, which states, "The museum is something that lives and grows."
Moreover, what I strongly felt through this symposium is that not only did Director Takashina undertake numerous projects that connect to the present, but also that he left behind "human resources" involved in those projects, which may be his greatest achievement.
This connects to the idea of "the vertical axis of history and the horizontal axis of contemporaneity," which Director Takashina often spoke about in his lifetime, and I believe it strengthens the "horizontal axis of contemporaneity" and leads to passing it on to the future.
I hope that, through the efforts of Director Miura and many staff members, we can connect the "vertical axis of history" to the future of the Ohara Museum of Art.
Articles about the Ohara Museum of Art
Data from the Memorial Symposium 'Director Hidetaka Takashina and the Ohara Museum of Art'
| Name | Memorial Symposium 'Director Hidetaka Takashina and the Ohara Museum of Art' |
|---|---|
| Date | October 17, 2025 (Friday) 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM |
| Location | Kurashiki Community Center, Main Hall |
When I created my work at Yurin-so, I was told, "You did a great job." It is rare for a director to speak directly to an artist, so it remains a warm memory in my heart along with my happiness.