IAJS Newsletter- spring 2014

IAJS Newsletter, Spring 2014 1

Issue 3 Spring 2014

Editors Note 2

Upcoming Events 3

IAJS News: A summary of Japan-related academic events in

Israel

6

Special Feature: Voices in Japanese Art Research in Israel 10

Featured Article: The Brush and the Keyboard: On Being an

Artist and a Researcher

13

Collecting Japanese Erotic Art: Interview with Ofer Shagan 18

Japanese Art Collections in Israel 21

New Scholar in Focus: Interview with Reut Harari, PhD Candidate

at Princeton University

29

New Publications: A selection of publications by IAJS members 32

Inside this issue:

The Israeli Association for Japanese Studies Newsletter is a biannual publication that aims to provide in f ormat ion about t he l at es t developments in the field of Japanese Studies in Israel.

We welcome submissions from IAJS

members regarding institutional news,

publications and new researches in the

field of Japanese Studies. Please send

your proposals to the editor at:

[email protected].

IAJS Council 2012-2013 Honorary President: Prof. Emeritus Ben-Ami Shillony (HUJI) Council Members: Dr. Nissim Otmazgin (HUJI) Dr. Michal Daliot-Bul (UH) Dr. Irit Averbuh (TAU) Dr. Sigal Ben-Rafael Galanti

(Beit Berl College & HUJI) Dr. Helena Grinshpun (HUJI) Dr. Alon Levkowitz (HUJI) Dr. Rachel Shaoul (TAU)

The Israeli Association of Japanese Studies (IAJS) is a non-profit organization seeking to encourage Japanese-related research and dialogue as well as to promote Japanese language education in Israel. For more information visit the IAJS website at: www.japan-studies.org

General Editor: Ms. Irit Weinberg

Language Editor: Ms. Nikki Littman

Image: Itsukushima, Aki. Utagawa

Hiroshige II (1829-1869). Section of

emaki-mono, ink and colour on paper,

1850-1858. Tikotin Museum of Art


EDITORS NOTE

Dear Friends of IAJS,

It is with great pleasure that we present the third issue of

the IAJS Newsletter. This issue is dedicated to the

research and exhibition of Japanese art in Israel.

Japanese art is a major focus of interest in Israel, for

laypeople and scholars alike. Israel is the home of the

Tikotin Museum of Japanese Art, the only museum of its

kind in the Middle East, dedicated specifically to Japanese

art and comprising more than 7,000 items. Israel also hosts

a number of other important Japanese art collections,

including the Jacob Pins Collection which features a

number of rare woodblock prints.

In this issue we highlight the commitment of Israeli scholars

and curators to Japanese art. Three Israeli curators

present the Japanese art collections held in their

museums: Dr. Ilana Singer talks of the Tikotin collection;

Ms. Shir Meller-Yamaguchi presents several exhibitions of

Japanese modern art held at the Wilfrid Israel Museum of

Asian Art and Studies; and Ms. Miriam Malachi from the

Israel Museum discusses the Marcel Lorber Department of

Asian Art which includes the Pins Collection of Japanese

Art. In addition, Dr. Shalmit Bejarano conducts an

interview with Mr. Ofer Shagan, an Israeli collector of

Japanese art based in Japan, whose passion for Japanese

art has made his shunga collection one of the biggest in

the world and motivated him to write five books on the

topic.

We also feature an article by Dr. Ayelet Zohar, an artist and

scholar of Japanese art, who talks about the intersection

between the research and the practice of art. In addition,

this issue introduces the recent research of three scholars

of Japanese art in Israel: Dr. Galit Aviman on the Zen

paintings of the monk artists

Hakuin Ekaku and Sengai

Gibon; Dr. Shalmit Bejarano

on the emergence and

development of Kshokuzu,

pictures of rice agriculture

and silk production; and Dr.

Etty Glass Gissis on the artistic and metaphoric role of

mirrors in Ukiyo-e.

The newsletter also includes announcements of upcoming

events related to Japanese studies, as well as reports on

major events of the last six months and announcements of

new publication by IAJS members. Finally, we conclude

with our regular feature: an interview with a promising

young scholar. This time we talk to Ms. Reut Harari, a PhD

candidate at Princeton University. Ms. Hararis research

deals with Japanese medical history from the Meiji era

through to the Pacific War, specifically focusing on: the

relationship between medicine, war, and gender; the place

of medical hierarchies on the battlefield; medical ethics;

and the interaction between military technology, and

medical practices and knowledge.

It was our goal to shed some light on the work being

undertaken in the field of Japanese art in Israel, and we

sincerely hope you will enjoy this issue.

Irit Weinberg

IAJS Newsletter Editor


UPCOMING EVENTS

International Workshop on Japans Anime Industry: Attainments and Prospects

Venue: The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Truman

Institute, May 21, 2014

Keynote Speaker: George Wada, president of Wit Studios

Organizers: Dr. Nissim Otmazgin, Hebrew University and

Dr. Michal Daliot-Bul, University of Haifa

On May 21, 2014, the Department of Asian Studies at the

Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the Louis Frieberg

Center for East Asian Studies will hold an international

workshop entitled Japan's Anime Industry: Attainments

and Prospects, bringing together scholars and

professionals from the anime industry in Japan, Israel, and

beyond. The participants include the famous anime

producer, Mr. George Wada, president of Wit Studios.

Panelists will address topics related to media distribution

and convergence, and the changing structure and the

globalization of the anime industry.

For additional details and program please visit:

http://new.huji.ac.il/en/event/21071

12th Biennial Conference

of Asian Studies in Israel

Venue: University of Haifa, May 25-26, 2014

The 12th Biennial Conference of Asian Studies in Israel will

take place at the University of Haifa on May 25-26, 2014.

The theme of this year's conference is Asia as an Idea/

Asia as a Consolidating Unity and it will focus on the

interactions and intersections between various Asian

countries and cultures, as well as transcultural flows in

Asia. IAJS members will participate in various discussions

and presentations on subjects ranging from the pan-Asian

contextualization of the Thoku disaster, through changes

in Japanese industry and politics in the global age, to

mutual influences in art and popular culture between Japan

and its neighbors.

For additional information please visit:

http://asia.haifa.ac.il/ASI2014/


UPCOMING EVENTS

Prof. Carol Gluck Visits Israel Lecture series and workshop for doctoral students

Venu: The Zalman Shazar Center and the Historical

Society of Israel

Jerusalem, 27.5-1.6.2014

Prof. Carol Gluck of Columbia University, New York, will

give a course of lectures titled "Modern Japan and the

Work of History" in the framework of the lecture series "The

Jerusalem Lectures in History in Memory of Menahem

Stern" established by the Historical Society of Israel. The

lectures schedule is as follows:

Tuesday, May 27, 2014: "The Arrow of Time"

Thursday, May 29, 2014: "The Angel of History"

Sunday, June 6, 2014: "After the Shipwreck"

In addition, on May 28, 214, the Historical Society of Israel

in collaboration with IAJS will host a special workshop in

which Prof. Gluck will meet with doctoral students in the

field of Japanese Studies from all the universities in Israel.

The students will present their research and receive

valuable feedback from this renowned scholar.

Prof. Gluck is a well-known

historian of modern Japan. Among

the works she has authored and

edited are Japan's Modern Myths

(Princeton University Press,

1985), Showa, The Japan of

Hirohito (Norton, 1992), Asia in Western and World History

(M.E. Sharpe, 1997), and Words in Motion: Toward a

Global Lexicon (Duke University Press, 2009).

Performing Japanese Traditions: Temporal and Spatial Reconsideration of Dramatics, Poetics, and Rituals Practices Research Workshop of the Israel Science Foundation

Venue: Tel Aviv University, June 15-17, 2014

Language of the Workshop: English and Japanese (with

translation)

Keynote Speaker: Prof. Mikio Takemoto, Waseda

University, Tokyo

Organizers: Prof. Zvika Serper and Dr. Irit Averbuch, Tel

Aviv University

Sponsors: Israel Science Foundation (ISF); The Japan

Foundation; Center for Japanese Studies,

University of Michigan (Ann Arbor), USA; Tel Aviv

University.

The research workshop will investigate the performative

aspects of Japanese traditions through several prisms, with

the cooperation of a diverse group of prominent scholars

from Japan, Europe, USA, Canada, and Israel. It will focus

mainly on two general fieldsthe performing arts and

religious ritual practicein both their temporal and spatial

dimensions, and will touch upon further performative

aspects of politics, gender, and the arts.

The workshop will open with an examination of the junction

of religious ritual and performing arts, focusing on the

Shugend tradition. It will then explore medieval and

modern esoteric traditions and imperial rites, in both their

political and spatial dimensions. A discussion on the


UPCOMING EVENTS

performative aspects of Zen practice will further the

examination of this focal theme of religious ritual

performance. In the field of the traditional performing arts,

consolidation of performance genres, as well as temporal

changes and transformations of performative elements, will

be explored in relation to N, Kymai, Kabuki, and

Bunraku. A consideration of performative aspects of the

arts in their spatial dimensions will be followed by

discussions on the performance of gender in both

traditional and modern theatres and on the various

possibilities of performing narrations in pre-modern and

modern Japan. The workshop will conclude with an

investigation of the transition of elements from traditional

theatres to cinema.

The workshop is intended to add an essential layer to the

field of performance studies in Japan, and to lay the

groundwork for a conceptual redefinition of the

performative aspect of Japanese culture. The participating

scholars who come from various disciplines will enable a

unique exchange of viewpoints and analytical approaches.

Speakers (in alphabetical order):

Irit Averbuch, Tel-Aviv University

Shalmit Bejarano, Tel-Aviv University

Mari Boyd, Sophia University,Tokyo

Linda Ehrlich, Case Western Reserve University,

Cleveland, Ohio

Aaron Gerow, Yale University, Connecticut

Steven Heine, Florida International University

Erez Joskovich, Tel-Aviv University

Yoriko Kanda , Keiwa Gakuen University, Shibata, Niigata

Susan Klein, University of California, Irvine

Laurence Komniz, Portland State University

Arie Kutz, Tel-Aviv University

Yaara Morris, SOAS, University of London

Mariko Okada, Oberlin University, Tokyo & University of

Michigan

Kimie shima, Kanagawa University, Yokohama

Fumi uchi, Miyagi Gakuin Womens' University, Sendai

Cody Poulton, University of Victoria, Canada

Jacob Raz, Tel Aviv University

Jennifer Robertson, University of Michigan

Stanca Scholz-Cionca, University of Trier, Germany

Gaynor Sekimori, SOAS, University of London

Zvika Serper, Tel Aviv University

Ben-Ami Shillony, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Carol Fisher Sorgenfrei, University of California, Los

Angeles

Mikio Takemoto, Waseda University, Tokyo

Ayelet Zohar, Tel Aviv University


Over the last year, the National Library of Israel (NLI) has

been working on the catalogization and digitization of a

rare collection of Buddhist paintings and prints from the

Bakumatsu era (1853-1867) to the Meiji period (1868-

1912). The hitherto unknown collection of more than

hundred pictures was donated to the library in 1925.

The donor was Elizabeth Anna Gordon (1851-1925) who

visited Japan for the first time in 1891 as part of a world

tour with her husband, the Scottish member of Parliament

John Edward Gordon (1850-1915). The visit impressed the

couple favorably, and upon their return to England, they

joined the Japan Society in London. In 1907 Mrs. Gordon

returned to Japan and, except for one extended visit to her

home country around 1916, she remained in Japan until

her death in Kyoto in 1925.

Mrs. Gordon held a strong interest in religions, especially in

early Christianity and Buddhism which, perhaps influenced

by the conference of world religions in Chicago, she

believed to be related. While in Japan, she enthusiastically

studied Buddhism and collected numerous Buddhist books

and artworks. After her death, a portion on this collection

was donated to the Jewish National Library. A few of the

items were exhibited in 1940, but then, during the 1948

War of Independence, the collection had to be rescued

from the besieged Mount Scopus and placed in the new

library on the Givat Ram campus of the Hebrew University,

where it was first catalogued by librarian Kikue Eppstein.

Thanks to the efforts of Dr. Shalmit Bejarano, a connection

was made with the digitization project Japanese Buddhist

Art in European collections, (JBAE), sponsored by Hsei

University in Tokyo and the University of Zurich. The

generous support of the Japan Foundation and the NLI has

enabled the launching of the digitization of the Elizabeth

Gordon Collection. This project is under the supervision of

Dr. Milka Levy-Rubin, curator of NLI Humanities Collection,

and Shoshana Adelstein, head of the NLI Asian and Africa

Department, with cataloging provided by Naama

Eisenstein. The project is still in progress, but we wanted to

take this opportunity to offer you an initial peek into this

unique collection.

For more details visit the NLI website:

http://web.nli.org.il/sites/NLI/English/digitallibrary/gallery/

Humanities/Elisabeth-Gordon/Pages/default.aspx

Text by Dr. Shalmit Bejarano and Naama Eisenstein

IAJS NEWS A summary of Japan-related academic events in Israel

The Elizabeth Anna Gordon Collection

Conference Proceedings: Urbanism, Urban Space, Urban Culture: Perspectives on Japanese Economy, Politics and Culture in the Past and in the Present Based on the papers given at the First Annual

Conference of the Israeli Association for Japanese

Studies (May 5-6, 2013, University of Haifa) we have

compiled conference proceedings on urbanity in Japan

edited by Dr. Michal (Miki) Daliot-Bul (University of

Haifa). The papers explore the complexity

and the changing functionality of urbanism, urban

space, and urban culture in Japan from economic,

political, social, and cultural perspectives.

The papers have been uploaded to our

website and are available at:

http://www.japan-studies.org/Conference-Proceedings-

2013-vol-II.html


Japanese Language Proficiency Test The Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT),

organized jointly by IAJS and the culture section of the

Embassy of Japan in Israel took place on December 1,

2013 at Haifa University. The exam was taken by around

seventy students with varying levels of proficiency.

The success of the event was due to the efforts of Mr.

Shimada Seiya and Ms. Morimoto Nanako of the Embassy

of Japan, Ms. Sigal Schneider, Dr. Michal (Miki) Daliot-Bul

and Ms. Rika Einy of the Haifa University, Ms. Noa

Oppenheim of the Hebrew University, and Dr. Mika Levy-

Yamamori of Tel Aviv University.

First Manga Library Opened at the Hebrew University

On December 18, 2013, the Department of Asian Studies

at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem inaugurated a library

dedicated to manga. The library offers approximately 200

manga books, focusing mainly on Japanese history.

Among these are series of famous Japanese manga artists

such as Tezuka Osamu, Mizuki Shigery and Nakazawa

Kenji. The aim of this collection is to provide both education

and entertainment, using this highly popular medium. The

library is managed by the student club Nippon and is

located in room 1121 in the Faculty of Humanities.

Fifth Annual Japanese Speech Contest The 5th annual Japanese Speech Contest was held on

Monday, May 12, 2014 at the Hebrew University of

Jerusalem. The contest was organized by the Department

of Asian Studies at the Hebrew University and the Louis

Frieberg Center for East Asian Studies, in collaboration

with the Embassy of Japan in Israel. The contest

showcased a wide range of wonderful speeches by

students from universities across Israel.



A special workshop dedicated to reading classical

Japanese texts was held at Tel Aviv University, March 4-7,

2014. The workshop was conducted by Dr. Kazuko

Kameda-Madar (Hawaii Pacific University) and comprised

of three meetings.

The workshop focused on the text Genj Sanze (the

illustrated scrolls of the monk Zuanzang). Dr. Kameda-

Madar gave an introductory lecture about the scroll which

was painted by Takashina Takakane (active ca.1309-

1330), the head of the Imperial Painting Bureau (kytei

edokoro), and inscribed by important calligraphers such as

Sezonji Tsunetada (dates unknown) and his son Sezonji

Yukitada (1286-1350). The ensuing meetings were

dedicated to the reading of the original text under the

guidance of Dr. Kameda-Madar.

The workshop was sponsored by IAJS and the Japan

Foundation.

On March 10, 2014 a conference commemorating the third

anniversary of the earthquake and tsunami disaster that

struck Japan on March 11, 2011 was held at the University

of Haifa.

His Excellency Ambassador Sato opened the conference

and was followed by speakers from various fields and

disciplines. Prof. Rotem Kowner (University of Haifa) and

Dr. Shlomit Paz (University of Haifa) offered some

introductory remarks, profiling various aspects of the

earthquake, tsunami and nuclear crisis. Mr. Nissim Ben

Shetrit, director general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

and Israels previous ambassador to Japan, gave an

overview of the Israeli aid provided at the time of the

disaster.

Dr. Shay Pintov (Ben Gurion University), Dr. Shulamit

Bresler (Kibbutzim College and the University of Haifa) and

Shira Taube-Dayan (University of Haifa) contributed to a

discussion of the various medical and psychological

aspects of the relief work. Dr. Rachel Shaoul (Tel-Aviv


Classical Japanese Reading Workshop

Dr. Kazuko Kameda-Madar (third from left)

and participants of the workshop.

Fukushima and Beyond: Three Years Since the Great East Japan Earthquake

His Excellency Ambassador Hideo Sat.


University), Dr. Ayelet Zohar (Tel Aviv University, Technion

and Bezalel Academy) and Prof. Christopher Pokarier

(Waseda University) examined various aspects of the

Fukushima aftermath, including debates on Japans energy

policy, social aspects of the disaster, and its impact on the

visual arts.

The 3rd workshop by IAJS Grads, Planning and

Conducting Field Research in Japan, took place at the

Hebrew University on January 19, 2014. A panel of

speakers including Prof. Ben-Ami Shillony, Dr. Irit

Averbuch, Dr. Nissim Otmazgin and Dr. Etty Glass Gissis,

shared their experience in conducting field research in

Japan. They discussed the ways to prepare for field

research in Japan, expected difficulties and methods to

deal with them.

The next IAJS Grads Workshop will take place at Tel

Aviv University on June 22, 2014 and will focus on the

subject of defining and developing a research topic. The

workshop will be conducted in the format of thematic

mentoring. Leading scholars of Japanese studies in Israel

will share their experience and knowledge with students in

small theme-focused workgroups. The featured topics are:

* Cultural and Media Studies - Dr. Michal (Miki) Daliot-Bul.

* History - Prof. Rotem Kowner.

* Religious Studies - Dr. Irit Averbuch.

* Anthropology and Gender - Prof. Ofra Goldstein-Gidoni.

* International Relations - Dr. Rachel Shaoul

* Political Science - Dr. Nissim Otmazgin.

* Art - Dr. Shalmit Bejarano.


IAJS Grads Workshop

IAJS Grads is a network of graduate and research

students supported by IAJS. The network activities are

initiated by students for students, with the supervision

and support of leading scholars in the field of

Japanese Studies in Israel.

The mission of IAJS Grads is to promote research

domains that are not addressed by existing academic

frameworks. IAJS Grads offers a forum for debating

research topics, locating bibliographical sources,

assistance with academic connections, information on

studying abroad, and more.

Prof. Rotem Kowner

From left to right: Prof. Ben-Ami Shillony, Dr. Nissim Otmazgin,

Dr. Etty Glass Gissis.


SPECIAL FEATURE Voices in Japanese Art Research in Israel

Zen Paintings in Edo Japan Dr. Galit Aviman

My love for Japanese art in general and Zen paintings in particu-

lar has intensified over the years. One of my strongest memo-

ries is from my days as a graduate student, on a special collabo-

rative program between Kyoto University and the Kyoto National

Museum; all the classes and seminars took place at the mu-

seum where the students had the opportunity to observe the art

(including national treasures) and to learn first-hand about the

work of the museum. I cannot forget the feeling of joy the first

time I saw a painting by the Zen monk-painter - Hakuin Ekaku (16851768) at close range and with

no glass protection. Japanese Buddhist art, Zen paintings and Zenga are some of my research

interest in recent years. Hakuin Ekaku, however, together with Sengai Gibon (17501837), another

prominent monk-painter from the Edo period, continue to be the main focus of my study. Their

paintings are at the center of the discussion of my forthcoming book Zen Paintings in Edo Japan

(1600-1868): Playfulness and Freedom in the Artwork of Hakuin Ekaku and Sengai Gibon to be

published at the end of this year.

The book explores the free attitude and playfulness reflected in the artwork of these two monks. This attitude is one of the

qualities which distinguish Zen Paintings of the Edo period from those of earlier periods. Although the concept of freedom is

an issue of considerable importance in Zen Buddhism, no in-depth research has yet been undertaken on the reflection of this

free attitude in the lives and artwork of Edo period Zen monk-painters, such as Hakuin and Sengai. The work strives to under-

stand the nature of this particular expression and to identify its sources. I propose a multifaceted approach, combining a ho-

listic analysis of the paintings, as units of both text and image and their interrelationship, together with contextualization of the

artwork within the specific historical, art historical, cultural, social and political environments in which they were created.

Galit Aviman lived in Japan for ten years in total. She received her BA in East Asian Studies at the Hebrew University of Je-

rusalem, Israel. With the aid of the Monbusho Fellowship she completed her MA at Kyoto University. She received her PhD at

the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel with the support of the Doctoral Fellowship of the Kreitman Foundation. In

2010 she conducted her post-doctoral studies at the Edwin O. Reischauer Institute of Japanese Studies, Harvard University,

Cambridge MA, USA, funded by the Rothschild Postdoctoral Fellowship of the Yad-Hanadiv Foundation. In 2012 she con-

ducted research at the International Research Institute for Zen Buddhism Hanazono University in Kyoto with the support of

the Japan Foundation Fellowship Program. Her forthcoming book to be published with Ashgate Publishing focuses on free-

dom and playfulness in Zen paintings of early modern period Japan.

Hakuin Eikaku. Daruma.

Indianapolis Museum of

Art.


Kshokuzu: Pictures of Rice Agriculture and Silk Production Dr. Shalmit Bejarano

Depictions of plowing farmers and weaving women are often described in historical texts as

illustrations of the livelihood of commoners in nostalgic prewar Japan. Thousands of such

pictorial images survive, extending from the early sixteenth century wall-and-door paintings of

the Daisenin subtemple in Kyoto to Meiji period photographs and prints. Many of these

agrarian vignettes, even those created within completely different contexts of time and place,

format or audience, repeat specific themes and features. For example, a scene of irrigation

with a woman and child bringing food to the workers can be traced in most images (see

illustration). The overall atmosphere of such pictures is idyllic, and pastoral society is thus imagined as harmonious. These images,

however, are quite far from the written primary and secondary sources describing the life of peasants and commoners of pre-

modern times in pejorative or gloomy terms, and they thus provoke many questions regarding the reproduction of agrarian pictures

and their retrospective usage as historical texts. My research contextualized the reproduction of kshokuzu within the little we can

find about their artists, patrons, and audience.

The artists most commonly associated with kshokuzu are the Kano painters and

their disciples. Students at the Kano workshops were able to practice the drawing

of technical vignettes of working farmers by copying earlier models which

included Chinese paintings and illustrated books, as well as models drawn by

master painters of the school. These models were newly adapted and

reproduced throughout Japan as symbols of Confucian ideals which came to

reflect local ideals of prosperity and harmonious rule during the Edo period. This

same symbol of rice farmers as an icon of harmonious society was subsequently

adopted by the Meiji regime. It is thus necessary to contextualize the pictures of

farmers before accepting them as documentation of commoners' lives. Moreover, such contextualizing indicates changing trends

towards regime and authority in the subtle changes that this supposedly set theme carried through history.

Dr. Shalmit Bejarano is a Japanese art historian. Her dissertation (University of Pittsburgh) analyzed the emergence and development

of kshokuzu (pictures of rice agriculture and silk production) from the fifteenth to the nineteenth centuries and argued for their charged

political messages. Her MA thesis (Dshisha University, Kyoto) interpreted the ubiquitous display of seasonal motifs along walls and

sliding doors and debated the magical and political messages conveyed by such displays.

Dr. Bejarano teaches Japanese art history and Japanese history at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv University. She is

currently involved in several projects including the study of "copying" (utsushi) in Japanese pre-modern art through the prism of agrarian

pictorial motifs, as well as research into illustrated books by Tachibana Morikuni (1679-1748), and the Elizabeth Gordon collection of

religious paintings at the Israeli National Library. She is also working on an annotated Hebrew translation of Kamo Chmei's Hjki in

memory of her daughter Noya.


Picture of Rice Agriculture, detail. Originally

Daisen'in Temple, c. 16th.



The Artistic and Metaphoric Role of Mirrors in Ukiyo-e Dr. Etty Glass Gissis

Mirrors play a significant role in ukiyo-e prints, conveying a broad spectrum of meanings at

different philosophical and artistic junctions in Japanese history. Mirror depictions create an

exchange between the reflector and the reflected; understanding what is visible (reflected)

or invisible (not reflected) is important for comprehending the mirror's artistic and metaphori-

cal roles.

Mirrors traditionally served as a metaphor for Buddhist and Shinto deities, symbolizing wis-

dom and enlightenment. Most manifestly, the mirror-moon analogy represents an important

philosophical concept: the shape of mirrors, like the full moon, is a perfect natural form. For

practitioners, it also embodies enlightenment. In Buddhist terms, the word daienkychi

represents the wisdom of Buddha in the form of a circle.

An examination of the mirror-moon trope as represented in rituals and religious paintings

can offer new insights into the analogy between the mirror and the moon. There is a rich

tradition, which inspired the work of many poets and artists, of using both the moon and the

mirror as metaphors for religious thoughts. One example is the pictorial and metaphorical development of the mirror-moon trope in

Suzuki Harubobu's Autumn Moon of the Mirror Stand (Kyodai no Shugetsu), evident in the composition of the open window, the

figures sight line, and the use of color.

Regarding the role of mirrors in yakusha-e (actor prints), the Shunkan theme was very popular in Kabuki theater, for example in

Shunkan monogatari. This theme refers to an historical event which took place in the Heian period when Shunkan, the high priest

of the Hsh temple in Kyoto, plotted against the rule of the Taira clan and was exiled to the remote island of Kikaigashima. In the

context of the story, the mirror has a three-fold function: it serves as the crux of the play revealing the truth; it is used by the artist

as a tool for expressing his imaginative and free interpretation of the text; and lastly, it acts as an attribute in the portrayals of

Shunkan, identifying him, presenting him authentically, and emphasizing his energy.

In prints by artists pre-dating Utamaroi.e., the early stages of mirror depictions in ukiyo-e printssimple depictions of a beauty or

a couple in front of a mirror developed into a more sophisticated mode of mirrors with reflections. In some pictures, the figure ap-

pears together with its reflection, the virtual image, while in others only the virtual image is depicted.

During the late Edo period, mirror depictions in ukiyo-e suggest a surrealistic type of expression, endemic to the Utagawa School.

Early representations of mirror images appear in numerous yakusha-e and are thought to be sections of diptychs or triptychs in

which the reflection has become detached from the source, similar to many prints of the Katsukawa School. In the next stage, sin-

gle prints include mirrors that are detached from the holder or from their stand.

My study, like the important mirror metaphors, approaches the past as a mirror to be looked into by those living in the present.

Dr. Etty Glass Gissis received her PhD (2012) from Gakushuin University, Tokyo. She is currently a lecturer of Japanese art

and culture, working also as an independent curator.

Suzuki Harunobu. Autumn Moon of the

Mirror Stand. From the series, Eight

Views of the Parlor. 1766. Chban.


The Brush and the Keyboard: On Being

an Artist and a Researcher Dr. Ayelet Zohar

My professional identity

is clear: I am a scholar

and an artist. Are these

opposing faculties of the

mind, or are they, rather,

complementary

capabilities that enrich

one other? Asian

traditions refer to

bunjinga, mostly translated as literati painting, representing

the perpetual tension between scholarship and the arts. In

the following, I would like to share some thoughts,

reflections and visual references with which I hope to

expand this discussion.

As a professional artist the education I received was

mostly the training of the eye. This consisted of viewing,

looking, watching, and then being able to articulate what

the eye sees. Since the beginning of the twentieth century,

Western art has moved away from the skillful crafts (of

description and decoration) to new levels of complexity

and sophistication, developing from the ready-made to the

conceptual, from photography to new media. Being an

artist today demands an intricate blend of abilities requiring

both theoretical understanding and visual skills. This trend

echoes the (idealized) past, the literati tradition of East

Asia, when praise for technical professionalism was limited

and disparaged, highlighting connoisseurship (shumi) and

the pure mind of the scholar-practitioner. Being a

contemporary artist today means creating images/objects/

actions that express and criticize aspects of both personal

and social frameworks. Contemporary art has become an

arena of expression that utilizes images, regardless of

their source, while the artist intervenes to create their

context and meaning.

My own education as an artist began at the Midrasha Art

School, one of the strongholds of Israeli contemporary art,

where I majored in painting, video, and installation art

(1986). The main skill acquiredthrough lessons,

critiques, debates, and discussion of exhibitionswas the

capacity to (effectively) look and watch.

In the early 1980s, before entering art school, I had had

the opportunity to live in Japan. Upon graduation, I

realized that my interest in Japanese culture and arts had

piqued, and I thus decided to study in the Department of

East Asian Studies at the Hebrew University. Already

trained in the arts and dedicated to my studio practice, I

had my first one-person show during my first year at the

university, with one piece playing with images of "Ancient

Pool and a Frog" (after Bash's famous haiku). From that

point on, I was determined to combine my understanding

of Asian arts with my contemporary training, within the

context of Israeli life and art history.

The Israeli context deserves a short reference here. Israeli

art of the 1960s-70s engaged in what was later to be

known as Want of Matter (Dalut Hahomer): a style that

stemmed from the critique of the Bezalel Art Academy and

the arts associated with spiritualism in Jerusalem and went

on to create what would later be coined as the art of Tel

Avivsecular, mundane, enigmatic, and relating to pop-art

and other international movements of the time, using

simple materials, words, photos etc. Many of the artists

FEATURED ARTICLE


associated with this style used bare plywood boards as the

substance of their work; a signifier of the ordinary, non-

elitist approach to commonplace art materials. For me,

however, the exposed, simple plywood board was also the

constituent of traditional Japanese woodblock prints.

Hence, one of the first series I created was made on

simple plywood boards, using Japanese woodcut knives to

create cut surfaces similar to woodblocks. In contrast to

the Asian tradition where the board is then covered with

paint and printed on paper, I kept the stamp of the cut

surface and displayed it in the gallery as is. Mostly, I did

not simply start from a plain wooden board but actually

"erased" existing paintings by cutting into the wooden

texture through the painting's surface [Fig.1].

My next goal was to study ink painting, as this medium

beautifully echoed

Israeli arts attention

to simplicity and was

also a major style of

Asian classical art

a method combining

the writing process

and visuality, text and

image, and past and

present, in a

thoughtful and

seamless manner. I

found that the values

of this non-material, thin-looking, modest art form provided

a profound echo of my own artistic desires. Nonetheless,

as my awareness of the history of Japanese art in the

nineteenth and twentieth centuries grew, I realized the

improbability of engaging with ink painting in Japan; the

technique was absorbed by

the Nihonga institutionalized

system and is, in practice,

non-existent. In the Chinese

art academies, on the other

hand, ink painting was

thriving, with numerous

excellent departments and

teachers. Feeling like

Sessh, Eisai, Dgen and

many other Japanese artists

and scholars who had

travelled to China in search

of the roots of traditions that

had changed too drastically

in Japan, I enrolled in the

Studio of Landscape Ink Painting at the Central Academy

of Fine Art in Beijing. It was an intriguing encounter; a

contemporary artist, educated in Japanese culture, coming

into a traditional, Northern Style professional studio. My

training had led me to admire but also to question each

and every element: what is a (good) line? How to

(meaningfully) copy? What is a challenging, contemporary

ink-painting? [Fig. 2].

In my own research and teaching, I make a special effort

to share my understanding with readers and students. I

have focused on works of contemporary Japanese art for

my research and analysis over the years, concentrating

particularly on the practice of Japanese photography, not

necessarily art photography, but photography as a tool in

contemporary art. My masters research (Tel Aviv

University, summa cum laude, 2000) focused on questions

of gender, post-colonialism, and trans-culturalism in the

FEATURED ARTICLE

Fig. 1. Ayelet Zohar. Letter to a

Japanese Friend.1996. Ink, acrylic,

enamel, and woodcut on plywood.

178X122 cm.

Fig. 2. Ayelet Zohar. Hong

Ren's 'Landscape In Snow'

On My painting Desk. 1995.

Ink and acrylic on xuan paper.

180X60 cm.


corpus of Morimura Yasumasa, the artist who has almost

single-handedly changed the face of contemporary art in

Japan.

I simultaneously developed a series of paintings that

"translate" Japanese shunga (erotic art) into a system of

repetitive lines created by the paper's texture and

represent the structure of bamboo-screens, mosquito nets,

wooden folding screens, etc. [Fig. 3]. This painting series

and academic research has grown into a major curatorial

project and exhibition which advanced my understanding

of Morimura's vision, his tremendous influence on the

younger generation of artists in Japan, and the expanding

field of gender and sexuality in Japanese art and life

(Tikotin Museum of Japanese Art, 2005). This exhibition,

together with the work of other excellent scholars who

contributed to the project, became the edited volume

PostGender: Gender, Sexuality and Performativity in

Japanese Culture (Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2009).

My PhD research centred on the way war trauma and

memory were silenced issues in Japanese society. This

has become a central subject for numerous Japanese

artists over the past two decades, as they question the

older practices of disregard and evasion. I looked at issues

concerning war memory, taking a further step by

challenging notions of national, ethnic and geographical

limitations. I chose to analyse an art practice (rather than

specific works) that reconsiders processes of multifocality,

using the themes of camouflage and invisibility (University

of London, 2007). Finally, during my postdoctoral research

(Stanford University, 2007-9), I developed three further

topics that derived from this rather theoretical study,

applying my conclusions to photographs by Suzuki Norio

of Onoda Hir (one of the last holdout stragglers) and to

staged performances by Tsukada Mamoru of Japanese

imperial army soldiers. I also wrote about Yamashiro

Chikako's Chorus of Melodies series and the torments of

Okinawan identity; Morimura Yasumasas performance of

Rising the Flag in Iwo Jima (2010) and Koizumi Meiros re-

enactments of Kamikaze pilots within the context of

contemporary Japanese urban life. I have compiled these

varying analyses into my first manuscript entitled Beyond

Hiroshima: The Return of the Supressed, currently under

review.

My own art work has developed into an examination of war

and political aspects of life in Israel: a series of ink painting

scrolls entitled Border Scrolls (2001) represent the

exertions of the Israeli landscape [Fig. 4]; the Binoculars

series (2010) represents images of the border viewed

through the circles of binoculars, painted on two identical

round-in-square paper formats, as used in Japanese bird-

and-flower paintings [Fig. 5]; the Marun al-Ras series

FEATURED ARTICLE

Fig. 3. Ayelet Zohar. Shunga (Behind the Screen series), After

Harunobu. 2001. Ink on Korean paper. 100 x100 cm.


(2011) combines ink with oil painting and depicts the

mountains of Lebanon as viewed from Israel [Fig. 6]; most

recently, the Sniper series (2012) is a set of collages of

patterned wallpaper depicting the ultimate image of

camouflage and invisibility, namely the sniper [Fig. 7].

Over the past decade I have been invited to curate several

exhibitions, many relating to Japanese themes. The

curatorial project Smashing!: Fragments, Fragility and

Deconstruction in Contemporary [Ceramic] Arts was an

international group show of contemporary artists who look

at broken porcelain as a potential starting point for new

creativity (Benyamini Ceramics Centre, Tel Aviv, 2013).

Currently on show is Two Moons on the Shore,

Mechanical Bird in Norwegian Wood: Haruki Murakami

and Contemporary Art (Contemporary by Golconda

Gallery, Tel Aviv, till May 31, 2014), a curatorial project

that brings together Japanese and international artists

whose work reflects some aspects of Murakami Harukis

literature. The show presents an array of media and

imagery, and I chose to match each of the presented

images with sections taken directly from Murakami's

literature [Fig. 8].

In the past three years my research has moved in two

new directions. First, my research entitled Ink and Index

considers the relations between ink painting and

FEATURED ARTICLE

Fig. 5. Ayelet Zohar. Smoke in Landscape (Binocular Series). 2011.

Ink on Japanese paper. 35X70 cm.

Jennifer Robertson and Celeste Brusati Collection. Ann Arbor, MI.

Fig. 4 Ayelet Zohar. Border Scrolls #1 (Squares). 2001.Ink on scroll paper with stamps. 40X400 cm. (detail).

Fig. 6. Ayelet Zohar. Lala Land (Marun al-Ras Series). 2010. Ink and

oil paint on plywood. 122X248 cm.

Ha'aretz Daily Newspaper (Amos Schocken) Collection. Tel Aviv.

Fig. 7. Ayelet Zohar. Sniper in Black. 2011.

Wallpaper on plywood. 150X122 cm.


photography in the early years following the introduction of

photography to Japan. An inquiry into the work of early

photographers, including Esaki Reiji, Shiina Sukemasa,

and Yokoyama Matsusaburo, has revealed some

surprising images concerning experimentations with light

and dark, reflection and opacity, monochrome and

transparency, traces and representations, the idea of

bokuseki (ink traces), and the question of indexicality in

photography theory. My findings thus far reveal how

photographers in Japan have used the medium in an

unusual manner which could be termed "anti-

photography."

In addition, my most recent research project concerns the

encounter between Japan and the Middle East, examining

images of Palestinians, Arabs and Muslims in Japanese

art (from late Edo to the present), and exploring their role

in Japanese political and cultural imagination. This has

turned into a manifold work with offshoots developing into

six different themes: the Arabian prince and the slave

(including dromedary representations); the belly dancer

and the veiled wife (from the earliest to the most recent

Japanese translations of Arabian Nights); the terrorist and

the refugee (including a group of films that discuss the

Palestinian-Israeli conflict from a Japanese point of view).

The research has greatly expanded, and several articles

concerning aspects of the discussion are to be published

in the near future.

To conclude, my experience as an artist has nurtured my

approach to the research of Japanese arts and visual

culture, equipping me with a good eye that allows me to

investigate unusual images and discourses that may not

otherwise have been considered. I believe that the classic

Asian approach to art and intellectual creativity as mutually

combined best describes my own engagement in both

fields.

FEATURED ARTICLE

Fig 8. Exhibition Invitation. 2014.

Dr. Ayelet Zohar is an artist, independent curator and

visual culture researcher, specializing in Japanese

photography. She is a lecturer at the Art History and the

East Asian Studies Departments, Tel Aviv University, as

well as the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design.


Interviewed by Dr. Shalmit Bejarano

Ofer Shagan (48) is an Israeli-born shunga collector who

currently lives in Tokyo. His most recent book Japanese

Erotic Art: The Hidden World of Shunga was published in

2014 by Thames & Hudson. His previous book (in

Japanese) was titled Encyclopedia of Japanese Erotic Art:

Shunga (2011) and was published by Heibonsha.

Shagan's collection of Japanese erotic art is considered

the largest in the world. It comprises 5000 illustrated books

and 2000 single prints from the Edo period (1600-1868),

and 300 painted scrolls, some dating as early as the

Muromachi period (1333-1573). A former art dealer,

Shagan has devoted his energies and skills in the last

decade to collecting and learning about shunga. His

definition of shunga is broad and refers to all images

depicting genitals, yet he emphasizes that shunga is not

pornography. Using many hitherto unknown prints, he

argues that unlike pornography, the main function of

shunga was not sexual arousal, as the images do not

focus on moments of climax. Many shunga books, in fact,

tell stories of devotion between couples which extend

beyond the futon; others use sexual acts to channel

criticism against the current political and social affairs.

Q: When did you first encounter shunga, and how did

you form your collection?

A: Shunga were first shown to me in the back room of an

art dealer in 1991, and I was drawn to the free depictions

of sexual pleasure, especially that of women. I started

purchasing first out of curiosity and ignorance; I was trying

to compete with well-known collections by buying better

copies of the renowned painters. Later on I realized that

shunga tell the story of Japanese society and that the

interesting and more creative parts are often to be found in

the unsigned and lesser known books.

Q: How do you find these books and artworks?

A: At auctions and through art dealers. Sometimes I am

approached by people who have been bequeathed an art

collection by their father and who are unhappy to discover

that he secretly collected shunga.

Q: And how do you study them?

A: The study of shunga leaves much to be desired. I find

that most shunga studies tell the history of style and pay

little attention to social interpretations. There are

exceptions, starting with Timon Screech's book (with

whose interpretation I sometimes disagree), Hayakawa

Monta, Andrew Gerstle, and the recent exhibition at the

British Museum curated by Tim Clark. Still, this exhibition

stressed the aspect of sexual arousal, and for me such an

interpretation overlooks many of the existing images. I am

sorry to say that many academics do not deal with the

subject because they would not get financial support from

Japanese official sources, or because they cannot work

with respectable museums which, at best, hold only small

collections of shunga. Many scholars come to consult my

collection and share their advice.

Q: And how about non-academics?

A: My collection is often mentioned in popular weekly

magazines (for men, but also for women). I find that

people who read about my approach to shunga are less

likely to blush and raise misconceptions when this subject

INTERVIEW

Collecting Japanese Erotic Art Interview with Ofer Shagan


comes up in conversation.

Generally I divide shunga prints into five main subjects:

sex education, gossip, protest, social consensus, and

humor and fantasy. Despite their supposed link to the

pleasure quarters, only ten percent of the shunga depict

geisha and courtesans. Among these, many show the dark

aspects of the sex trade and the demanding of money

from clients. It is only in hiding that geisha are shown

enjoying sex. I actually wanted to publish in the book a

photograph I took in Shinjuku showing a mass grave of

geisha in order to expose their suffering, but the publishers

objected. It is true that there are images of courtesans

praying to an icon in the shape of a phallus, but such icons

represented a charm against venereal diseases.

Back to the issue of sex education. The earliest artworks

on the subject were Heian period illustrated hand scrolls

with twelve scenes, which were tremendously expensive.

These were used to educate couples and included detailed

explanations instructing men and women where to touch

and what to do for sexual pleasure as part of family life.

These later developed into popular printed books that

maintained a consensus of loyalty and pleasure within

marriage. Looking at sex in and of itself was not an issue

in a society where there was no concept of privacy. You

have to understand that having sex on the street was only

outlawed here in 1956. Viewing love-making was not an

issue.

Gossiping is the second category to consider. People

enjoyed reading and imagining the life of high class people

and particularly of Kabuki actors. There are even prints

comparing the size of Kabuki actors' genitalia. But it is

important to understand that these were not meant to

stimulate sexual arousal. In a print of a woman

masturbating to an image of a Kabuki actor, he is depicted

fully dressed. I dont think that it is arousing for a woman to

imagine the man she admires with another woman nor it is

fun for a man to think of the huge size of another mans

genitalia.

Q: So you do not think there was a gender distinction

between the viewers of shunga?

A: No. Shirakura Yoshihiko, who published widely on

shunga and contributed to my books, even noted that it

was women who purchased shunga books.

As for the third issueprotest. It is clear from the

pejorative way in which samurai and peasants are

depicted in shunga that its patrons were from the artisan

and merchant classes. I have prints in which a samurai is

depicted raping a farmer or an old woman. Sex in such

images is an allegory for the coercive force of the regime.

When I see such images I purchase them immediately,

without checking how famous the painter was. I find the

social message of the period more important than the

name of the artists.

INTERVIEW

Married couple, home scene.


Shunga convey clear norms for what was acceptable and

within the consensus, and in that, the painters were in

accordance with legal conventions. For example, rape was

considered a crime, and rapists are depicted as ugly,

hairy, sometimes tattooed or crippled. When adultery is

depicted, there are scenes of tears and revenge,

emphasizing the pain involved. Another interesting

example of the connection between shunga and marital life

are the images of pregnancy in the erotic books. Some

images depict the male organ with the fetus and later show

a scene of birth.

I thus cannot agree with those who maintain that shunga

was pornography.

As for fantastical images that focus on the male organ, I

think that these convey or arouse fears rather than desire.

One funny book tells the story of a man who goes through

an enlargement operation and later tells his friend of his

difficulties in having sex. The message of this story is

clearly educational, conveying the message that one

should be satisfied with ones lot.

Q: I recently encountered several blogs that brought

up the "passing wind competitions."

A: I have several versions of these scrolls as well, and I

categorize them as shunga. Apparently "passing wind"

was an annual court ritual that was aimed at exorcizing evil

spirits. The earliest surviving scrolls are from the

Muromachi period, although the origin must have been

Heian. These scrolls were later considered as charms to

dispel pests and were collected by samurai and peasants

for this purpose.

Q: I remember that the late collector Jacob Pins said

that there are two types of collectors: those who like

to secretly keep artworks for their sole pleasure, and

those whose enjoyment lies in the sharing.

A: Indeed, my enjoyment of the collection is derived from

sharing it and letting others study the items. In 2005, works

from my collection were exhibited at the Israel Museum,

and in 2009, at the Tikotin Museum. I would gladly exhibit

in any places that can offer the right conditions. I also

enjoy sharing artworks, and my next plan is an exhibition

of sumo prints at the Tikotin Museum.

INTERVIEW

Forced sex between peasant and samurai.

Passing wind scroll.


Dr. Ilana Singer Blaine

The Tikotin Museum of Japanese Art on the crest of Mount

Carmel is dedicated exclusively to the preservation and

exhibition of Japanese art works, and is the only one of its

kind in the Middle East. The Museum, a municipal

foundation, was set up in 1959 on the initiative of Felix

Tikotin (1893-1986) from Holland, and Abba Khoushy

(1898-1969), then mayor of Haifa. The Museums aims

are: to acquaint Israelis with Japanese culture; to promote

mutual understanding between Israel and Japan and

between East and West; and to encourage study and

research of the arts and culture of Japan.

The Museum's collection

comprises more than 7,000

items: paintings, prints,

drawings, painted screens,

textiles, antique illustrated

texts, ceramics, miniature

carvings (netsuke), lacquer

and metal work, antique

swords and functional

crafts mainly from the 17th

to 19th centuries, as well

as modern Japanese art.

The collection has

increased over time, and

other private collections

have been donated to the

Museum. Exhibitions

present a variety of aspects

of Japanese culture, displaying a broad cross-section of

art, both traditional and modern, and emphasizing the

aesthetic values unique to Japanese art.

Many artworks in the collection are extremely rare,

especially among the woodblock prints from the Edo

period (1600-1868). For example, the print by Utagawa

Toyokuni (1769-1825) depicting the Kabuki actor Band

Hikosabur III as Kud Suketsune in the play Gohiiki aikyo

soga [ Fig. 1] by Nakamura Jusuke II. The play was

presented at the Kawarasaki Theatre in the first month of

1794. In the same year Tshsai Sharaku (active ca. 1794

-1795) also submitted a design for a print of the play, but

did not receive the commission. This may have been one

reason for his disappearance after only eight months of

creativity. Toyokunis print in the Museums collection is

the only known copy in the world.

The fan print (uchiwa-e) by Kitagawa Utamaro (1753-

1806), depicting the Kabuki actor Nakayama Tomisabur

JAPANESE ART COLLECTIONS IN ISRAEL

Tikotin Museum of Japanese Art

Fig. 1. Kabuki actor Band Hikosabur III as Kud Suketsune. Utagawa Toyokuni (1769-1825). Signature: Toyokuni ga. Publisher: Izumiya Ichibei, Kansend. Woodblock colour print (nishiki-e), hosban, 1795; 30.4 x 14 cm

Fig. 2. Nakayama Tomisabur as a shirabyshi in the Kabuki play "Musume Djji"; Kitagawa Utamaro (1753-1806); Signature: Utamaro hitsu; Uchiwa-e, fan-shaped woodblock colour print (nishiki-e), 1795; 19.9 x 26.8 cm


in the role of a shirabyshi (female dancer) in the play

Musume djji [Fig. 2] is also very rare. Utamaro did not

usually create uchiwa-e or prints depicting Kabuki actors,

and there are very few remaining fan-print sample

catalogues from the 18th century. All fan prints from that

period were intended for daily use and were consequently

not well preserved. Utamaro designed the print in 1795,

shortly after Sharaku disappeared. There is a similar print

in a private collection in Japan, but the actors name and

family crest are different. Publishers often re-used the

same block in order to make a quick profit.

Another rare print, also

by Utamaro, depicts

Three Beauties of Today

[Fig. 3]. This is one of

only three extant from

the first edition. The

other two are in Boston

and Tokyo. The girl on

the left worked in a tea

house, but was so

arrogant that a customer

threw faeces at her. In

order to prevent such

shameful incidents in

the future, the

government forbade

publishers to include names of respectable people in

prints, and artists were only allowed to add the names of

prostitutes and actors to their works. When Utamaros first

edition was published the order had been proclaimed for

the second time, so that in the second edition of the print

the names of the women do not appear.

A very rare surimono

print [Fig. 4] is by the

young Katsushika

Hokusai (1760-1849)

who was, at the time,

very influenced by the

style of Katsukawa

Shunsh (1726-1793)

and even signed his

works Shunr.

Nevertheless, one

can see how talented

and original this

young man was.

Another fan print by Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858) in the

Museums collection portrays the ferry between Kuwana

and Atsuta [Fig. 5] and is one of a series of eight views.

The copy in the Tikotin Museum is one of the five prints

from the series that have been discovered.


Fig. 3. Three beauties of today Takashima-Hisa, Naniwaya-Kita and Tomimoto-Toyohina. Kitagawa Utamaro (1753-1806). Signature: Utamaro hitsu. Censor's seal: kiwame. Publisher: Tsutaya Juzabur, Koshod. Woodblock colour print (nishiki-e) on mica ground. ban, ca. 1794. 35.8 x 24.5

Fig. 4. Girls picking tea. Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849). Signature: Shunr ga. Woodblock colour print (nishiki-e), koban. 21.8 x 16.2 cm

Fig. 5. Returning sailboats at Chichiri ga hama. Series: Eight views of Ekiji internal and external. Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858). Signature: Hiroshige ga. Uchiwa-e, fan-shaped woodblock colour print (nishiki-e). 22.2 x 29.6 cm


Hiroshige created

this series

immediately after

his Fifty-Three

Stations of the

Tkaid (, Tkaid

gojsan-tsugi) in

the Heid Edition

(18331834),

when his art was at

its peak. Other

prints from the

series are in Japan

and in the Victoria

and Albert

Museum. The Tikotin Museum is home to the third largest

uchiwa-e collection in the world after the Victoria and

Albert Museum and the Jasinsky Collection.

The Museum also houses several rare drawings, among

them the drawing by Utagawa Kunisada (1786 -1865) of

Sukeroku [(Fig. 6]. It is unlikely that other drawings by

Kunisada still exist.

Another rare drawing is of Itsukushima in Aki Province

[Fig. 7]. It is one of a series by Utagawa Hiroshige II (1826-

1869), probably of Eight Views of Famous Places, and

was originally included in a hand-scroll (emaki-mono).

Such drawings were designs for folding screens (bybu)

that were never made, but they are, nonetheless, far more

valuable than the screens themselves would have been.

Felix Tikotins dream was that this Japanese museum

would be a centre for the study of Japanese arts and

culture, and for extending Israeli knowledge about Japan.

In the educational branch of the Museum, workshops

based on the exhibitions are conducted for pre-school and

schoolchildren, for teachers, and for other groups. Courses

are conducted on the Japanese language, calligraphy and

ink drawing, ikebana (Japanese flower arrangement) and

cooking, as well as activities for children. Special events

on Japanese arts and culture are also held. These include

lectures, films, tea ceremony, festivals and celebrations,

many of which are held in the Raphael Angel Auditorium.

In 2000, the Tikotin Museum received the prestigious

Japan Foundation Special Award, which is conferred

annually on institutions that make significant contributions

to cultural exchanges with Japan. In 2003, the committee

of the Israeli Ministry of Education and Culture for

evaluating the quality of exhibitions and collections ranked

the Tikotin Museum of Japanese Art second only to the

Israel Museum in order of merit. In 2009, the Japanese

Foreign Minister commended the Tikotin Museum for its

exhibitions and for reinforcing the ties between Israel and

Japan.


Fig 6. Sukeroku. Utagawa Kunisada (1786-1865). Signature: Kunisada ga. Seal: toshidama. Ink and colour on paper 27 x 17.8 cm

Fig. 7. Itsukushima, Aki. Utagawa Hiroshige II (1829-1869). Section of

emaki-mono, ink and colour on paper, 1850-1858. 26.3 x 58 cm


Miriam Malachi, Curator

The Israel Museum, Jerusalem, was inaugurated on May

11, 1965. The Museums curatorial program is led by its

Wings for Fine Arts, Archaeology, and Jewish Art and Life.

More than thirty exhibitions and special displays are

mounted each year, while the Youth Wing for Art

Education offers an extensive program of courses and

activities. The Israel Museums encyclopedic collections

contain nearly 500,000 objects, and its annual attendance

approaches 1,000,000 visitors.

Among the ten departments of the Fine Arts Wing is the

Marcel Lorber Department of Asian Art, led for more than

three decades by its founding curator Rebecca Bitterman.

Thanks to her wealth of knowledge and passionate

approach to Asian art, awareness of the department grew

quickly, both in Israel and abroad. As support for the

department grew, so did the collection. 1985 saw the

inauguration of the gallery for Asian art, endowed by

Selma and Hillel Picciotto, which was renewed and

reconfigured in 2010.

The collection was formed in 1968 when Wolf Ladejinsky

of Washington, D.C. donated a group of Southeast Asian

sculptures and early Chinese ceramics. Ladejinsky, who

for decades worked in Asia as an expert on agricultural

reform, felt that his collection would greatly contribute to

Israeli appreciation of Asian culture. Following his death in

1975, his collection of more than 700 artworks came to the

museum, and this rich and varied bequest formed the core

of the Department of Asian Art.

Another outstanding collection was gifted by the Austrian-

born musician Marcel Lorber, London, who also provided

an endowment that is honored in the name of the

department. The Lorber gift of more than 200 objects

included 18th century netsuke and inro, a superb group of

Chinese Qing dynasty rhinoceros horn cups, Chinese snuff

bottles and jade carvings, and a few Tibetan sculptures.

The eminent mathematician Dr. Samuel Eilenberg, New


Marcel Lorber Department of Asian Art at the Israel Museum, Jerusalem

Kitagawa Utamaro (1753-1806) The Courtesan Hanaogi of the Ogi-ya Reading a Letter, 1794 Oban woodblock color print


York, a great collector of

Southeast Asian art,

enriched the museum with

more than ninety bronze

sculptures and artifacts

from Indonesia. A generous

anonymous donor enabled

the purchase of, among

other items, some fine 17th

century Chinese furniture

and a rare, historically

important set of thirteen

Spring and Autumn period

Chinese bronze bells dating

from the 7th6th century

BCE.

Following the passing of

Jacob Pins in 2005, the

museums Japanese

holding was greatly

enriched by the bequest of

his collection of some 500

Japanese prints, paintings,

and sculptures, as well as

his library of almost 1,000

Japanese art books, some

extremely rare, now

available to the public in the

Israel Museum Art Library.

Professor Pins, a Jerusalem artist, scholar and teacher,

spent half a century building his renowned collection which

is particularly strong in early primitive prints and pillar

prints a subject on which Pins published a

groundbreaking book, The Japanese Pillar Print, in 1982.

Many others have donated beautiful and important Asian

artworks, and still others have provided, and continue to

provide, generous funds enabling the steady expansion of

this department which houses the only major

comprehensive collection of Asian art in Israel.

Some of the recent exhibitions relating to Japanese art

include Japanese Pleasures: Actors and Courtesans in

Woodcuts from the Pins Collection (curators Etty Glass

Gissis and Rebecca Bitterman) held in 2004. The

woodblock prints and paintings displayed in this exhibition

represent a form of popular urban culture that developed in

Japan during the Edo period and are from the Jacob Pins

Collection in the Israel Museum.

Another exhibition held in 2004 was titled Splendors of

Imperial Japan: Meiji Masterpieces from the Khalili

Collection (curator Rebecca Bitterman). It included eighty

pieces on loan from the important Khalili Collection in

London, exhibiting creations of Japanese master

craftsmen of the Meiji period such as life-size bronzes

inlaid with gold and silver, delicate enamels, and lacquer

works of the finest quality and detail.

A major exhibition, Rising Sun, Melting Moon:

Contemporary Japanese Art (curator Talia Amar), was

held in 2005. This exhibition featured prominent Japanese

artists of different generations among them Yoshitomo

Nara, Nobuyoshi Araki, Yasumasa Morimura, Yoshihiro

Suda, Tabaimo, and Chiho Oshima. These artists address

both universal and specifically Japanese issues in ways

that are at times intimate, and at times replete with social

criticism, employing cultural icons, childhood heroes,

manga, and anime. With their references to traditional


Okumura Masanobu (1685-1764) The Actor Sanokawa Ichimatsu as a Puppeteer, Holding a Puppet Representing the Courtesan Matsuyama, ca. 1740 Trimmed kakemono-e woodblock color print


Japanese masterpieces and popular Western and

Japanese culture, and representing a wide variety of

media, many of the works break down the barriers

between genres.

In 2006 the museum hosted Far and Away: The Fantasy of

Japan in Contemporary Israeli Art (curator Mira Lapidot).

The exhibition explored the phenomenon of Japanism in

contemporary Israeli art via a selection of recent works

notable for their striking Japanese influence. Their visibly

Japanese sources run the gamut from traditional fine arts

to pop culture (mainly manga and anime). The featured

artists included Aya Ben Ron, Zoya Cherkassky, Roi

Kuper, Hila Lulu Lin, Yehudit Matzkel, Doron Rabina, Roee

Rosen, Yehudit Sasportas, Tal Shochat, and Eliezer

Sonnenschein.

Another important exhibition titled Crossplay: Male Actors,

Female Roles in Kabuki Theatre (curator Miriam Malachi)

was held in 2012. This exhibition offered a glimpse into the

world of Kabuki, presented through a display of thirty prints

and paintings from the museums collection and original

kabuki costumes on loan from the historical collection of

the department store Isetan Mitsukoshi, Tokyo. It was

organized jointly with the Japan Foundation, along with the

film and theatre company Shochiku and the department

store Isetan Mitsukoshi.

An upcoming exhibition, Unfolding Worlds: Japanese

Screens from the Gitter-Yelen Collection (curator Miriam

Malachi), will be held from June 7-November 27, 2014 and

will feature a group of exquisite Japanese folding screens

from the Gitter-Yelen Collection, world-renowned for its

quality, which illustrates the richness of Japanese art. The

fifteen screens on display date from the 18th to the 20th

century and reflect the range of topics covered by

Japanese artists, as well as the cultural attitudes and

ideals of the different time periods.

All illustrations of artwork in this section are copyright the Israel Museum, Jerusalem


The Poetess Ono no Komachi as an Old Woman

Late 18th century


Intercultural Bridge Japanese and Israeli art at the Wilfrid Israel Museum

Shir Meller-Yamaguchi, Curator

The Wilfrid Israel Museum of Asian Art and Studies has a

collection of Near and Far Eastern art bequeathed to

Kibbutz Hazorea by Wilfrid Israel (1899-1943), friend and

patron of its young founders. The museum was founded in

1951 and was the first museum in Israel to exhibit East

Asian art. It includes some 2000 pieces from India, Japan,

Nepal, China, Thailand, Cambodia, Persia, Egypt and

Greece.

The museum offers a permanent exhibition of East Asian

art from the museum's collection, alongside exhibitions of

contemporary Asian and Israeli artists who relate either

aesthetically or conceptually to Asian art. It employs a

humanistic and multi-cultural approach which draws from

the character of Wilfrid Israel himself.

The collection includes only a few items of Japanese art,

including bronze mirrors from the 18th-19th century, a

Haniwa grave statuette from the 5th century, and a Noh

mask from the 16th century. In the past few years, the

curatorial approach has emphasized contemporary

exhibitions, introducing Japanese art and its influence on

Israeli art.

The following examples of temporary exhibitions

demonstrate the various presentations of Japanese art.

The exhibition Yunomi (2010, curated by Anat Turbowicz),

based on the D.A.G collection, presented the simplicity

and modesty of Japanese pottery. At the heart of the

collection were thirty-five teacups made by Japanese

"Living National Treasures" and by American, European

and Israeli potters who explored and reinterpreted the

tradition of Japanese pottery.

ButohDance of the Soul (2011) introduced the roots of

Butoh, its unique aesthetics, and its influence on Israeli

dancers. The exhibition featured the works of

photographers from Israel and Japan: Drora Spitz, Nourit

Masson-Sekine, Akiko Miyake, Hiroko Komiya, and Gen

Fukuda. It also presented videos from the Butoh

performances of Kazuo Ono, Tatsumi Hijikata, Sankai

Juku, Dairakudakan, Atsushi Takenouchi, and Maya

Dunsky.

This exhibition continued on to Haifa University (2012)

under the title Asian Window Gallery and was

accompanied by a major conference on Butoh, co-


Butoh-Dance of the Soul (2011), work of Akiko Miyake.


organized with Prof. Rotem Kowner. In 2013, it was

exhibited in the Japanese embassy in Tel Aviv,

accompanied by lectures and dance performances

introducing Butoh to the Israeli public.

In 2012the 60th anniversary of Israel-Japan diplomatic

relationsthe museum held a unique exhibition supported

by the Japan Foundation entitled Inner Space, with the

emerging contemporary Japanese artist Onishi Yasuaki.

While in residence in the kibbutz, Yasuaki created an

installation of a floating mountain from a plastic sheet

hanging from the ceiling by threads of black glue. The

work emphasized the negative space and changing

volume above and beneath the plastic sheet. Yasuaki

attempted to look beyond form and matter as reflected in

the Buddhist Heart Sutra: "form is void, void is form." Form

is simultaneously both present and absent; it is revealed

momentarily within the space and subsequently

disappears into the void.

The most recent exhibition, Three Years After, relates to

the Fukushima disaster, with the renown Israeli

photographer Alex Levac and the Japanese artist Kota

Takeuchi.

The next exhibition will introduce the influence of Raku

ceramic art on Israeli artists.

In the future, the museum plans to further explore the

creative relations between Asian and Israeli art.


Butoh-Dance of the Soul (2011), work of Drora Spitz.

Onishi Yasuaki, Reverse of Volume.


As part of IAJSs commitment to the promotion of new

scholarship, each issue will introduce an emerging

scholar. In this issue we interview Reut Harari who

deals with Japanese medical history from the Meiji Era

through the Pacific War

What inspired your interest in Japan?

My relationship with Japan started when I was born, you

might say. My father, Ehud, is a political scientist

specializing in Japanese politics. My mother Ruti, his

partner in crime, has an endless love for Japan, leading her

to constantly investigate Japanese literature, art, and

politics. Both also cultivated many friendships over the

years, creating an environment whereby Japan was a

natural part of the landscape. The funniest part, perhaps, is

that when my parents wanted to talk about things they

didnt want me and my sister and brother to understand,

they would talk in Japanese. Thanks to my father, I visited

Japan briefly while at school. After graduating from high

school I spent about a year in Tokyo until my enlistment to

the IDF. Thats when I studied Japanese intensively for the

first time. After my military service, I returned to Tokyo by

myself for a year to continue my language studies. I also

worked part-time in the Japanese Parliament Upper House

which was a fascinating experience.

Can you tell us about your academic studies?

I studied for my BA at Tel Aviv University. I originally

started studying

medicine. I was very

idealistic and wanted

to do something that

would help other

people. Medicine

seemed like the

obvious choice. But,

after starting my

studies, I was more

drawn to classes about the history of medicine, medicine

and art, medical anthropology, and psychology and

medicine. I realized that I wanted to study humanities and I

missed working with the Japanese language. Eventually, I

decided to look for ways to contribute other than holding a

scalpel. I changed my major to History and East Asian

Studies. After that, I found myself still digging into topics

related to medical humanities, especially the history of

medicine. Under Prof. Asaf Goldschmidts guidance and

kind support, I decided to make it my main focus.

Can you tell us about your current research?

I am currently studying for my PhD at Princeton University

in the History of Science Program. I am fortunate to have

Professor Benjamin Elman and Professor Sheldon Garon

as my advisors. I am researching the history of Japanese

military medicine from the Meiji era to the end of the Pacific

War, focusing specifically on the development of the role of

the military medic. I find this role to be a fascinating prism

for understanding the complicated relationship between

war, military and medicine in comparative and historical

contexts. In war, the militarys goal is to defeat its

NEW SCHOLAR IN FOCUS

Reut Harari PhD Candidate at Princeton University


adversary, usually by killing and inflicting harm. However,

from a very early stage in history, militaries understood that

they had to harness medical tools in order to achieve their

strategic purposes. Within this framework, medics were

soldiers whose role was supposed to be dedicated to

saving lives, not to fighting and harming others (though at

times, necessity led to that as well). I argue then that in

war, medicine and medics themselves become a very

complicated form of weapon.

Unlike physicians and nurses, in the Japanese case,

military medics were simple soldiers. That is, soldiers who

usually had nothing to do or even, very little interest in

medicine. Yet, after enlistment, they were ordered to

suddenly become the symbol of medical care in battle,

since in many cases physicians and nurses were to stay at

a safe distance from the front. As such, I believe medics

became the ultimate bridge between war and medicine, life

and death.

Medics did not just serve on the front, but also in different

kinds of military hospitals, including hospital ships, where

their role, the expectations from it, and the personnel they

were in contact with, were very different. I discovered that

each historical period entailed different challenges for the

role medically and militarily. Each also provided medics

with a different set of tools to face these challenges. The

very terminology used to denote medics changed

numerous times throughout the examined period, reflecting

its constant evolution.

As you can see, Im interested in big questions that are not

limited to the Japanese context, but on which I believe the

Japanese context could be especially enlightening. When

one traces Japanese political, social, strategic and

scientific history from the Meiji era until the end of the

Pacific War, one finds very significant and extreme

changes. These changes both affected and could be seen

through the development of the medic role. The military

created the role of medics in the Meiji era not just because

it deemed it strategically necessary, but also because the

role was a symbol of enlightenment and progress. By

the time one reaches the Pacific War, one learns that in

most cases medics were left without equipment, medicine,

and food. They had no means to fulfill their role anymore.

As defeat became increasingly imminent, one could add to

that problem suicidal missions that questioned the very

meaning of the role in general. It should be noted that the

latter were only characteristic of 1944-5, a very small part

in the entire period, but very important nonetheless.

What kind of difficulties have you encountered in the

course of your research?

This project is quite challenging for a few reasons. Though

not as it used to be, Wartime History is still a very sensitive

topic in Japan today, making access to certain materials

quite difficult. When you reach the Showa era, the Pacific

War in particular, you realize many of the military

documents were actually burnt before the defeat. There are

details, therefore, that I will never be able to find out.

NEW SCHOLAR IN FOCUS

Reut Harari interviewing Mr. Tatsuo Suzuki, former medic in the

Japanese navy


Personal writings, such as letters and diaries, are

particularly hard to locate and access. Many are in private

hands and those, which are in archives, due to privacy

issues, are not always accessible or even traceable in

public catalogues. On the other hand, as is characteristic of

the history of the so-called modern era in general, the

volume of available materials is huge. But, they dont

always contain the answers to my questions. This makes

the search quite difficult, especially since apart from the

early Meiji era, no research has been done on this subject

so far. This means I have to do all the legwork myself and

be creative in where and how I search for information.

Another difficulty I face concerns terminology. I deal with a

military role. As such, I had to learn a whole host of

different terms and expressions and obtain a different

understanding of this extremely complicated organization

that was the Japanese military. Many of my sources are

military legal docume

Documents

IAJS Newsletter- spring 2014