[KineJapan] thoughts about Kinema Club XXIV in Kyoto plus an exhibition on wartime art

[Paul Berry]

A few miscellaneous thoughts about Kinema Club XXIV in Kyoto plus
information on an important exhibition on wartime art being held now at the
Tokyo Kokuritsu Kindai Bijutsukan (MOMAT)

The recent Kinema Club gathering in Kyoto was full of interesting talks on
very diverse topics by an equally diverse array of speakers. It has always
been a forte of our meetings to include people with diverse perspectives
and backgrounds as was true here. It was excellent that the talks and films
were spread over several days that allowed opportunities to discuss the
papers with people over lunches and dinners. In the course of these days I
heard concerns from some that were uncomfortable about the diversity and
reception as there were many levels of knowledge about cinema and other
disciplines coming together rather abruptly. Although this was true, it
seems it can be viewed as a virtue of the openness of the organization that
prevents it from becoming too clubby that can happen when there could be
too many like-minded people. One of the benefits and simultaneous
challenges in teaching classes is how to present ideas to a diverse and
sometimes challenging audience. This is true in meetings like this as well.
Having differences of opinion and orientation provides a stimulus and an
incentive to further refine how we present our ideas to diverse audiences.
At the moment I have no time to discuss thoughts about the many stimulating
presentations and discussions but would like to mention one that prompted
some active discussion.
Shota Uchiyama’s presentation “Cinema, Affect, and the Female
Spectatorship: Revisiting Osaki Midori’s Eiga mansō “ effectively
introduced some stimulating approaches to spectatorship found in that
article that engages what could be called a multidimensional appreciation
of the actual lived responses of viewers to films that is not so
unidirectional as is often the case in film criticism with detailed
analysis. This raises the need for the study of film to more fully
contextualize film and viewership in the larger social environment in which
films are produced and experienced that goes well beyond the world of
cinema perse. Despite her work having been taken up by several authors in
the last few decades, I was unaware of this fascinating essay and the work
of Osaki. The discussion that followed was interesting for the varied
reactions it produced and despite the length of the several days of the
gathering, it would have been great to have had still more time to discuss
Osaki’s work as was indeed true for the other presentations.
Osaki Midori’s *Eiga mansō* essay can be found in Gerow, Iwamoto, Nornes,
ed. *Nihon sensen eiga ronshu*, Tokyo: Yumani Shobo, 2018, 423-439.
Overall the combination of talks and films at the Kyoto meeting was
successful for providing opportunities to engage in many important topics.

For those interested in wartime Japan and cinema, the following exhibition
is of great interest for providing much insight into the visual
presentation of the war in painting and photography.
Although not referencing  cinema much directly (there are video monitors
with well chosen wartime news reel footage playing plus there are scattered
references to actors and actresses) one of the finest exhibitions ever held
on the topic of Japanese painting related to the 15-years war (1931-1945)
is now underway at the Tokyo Kokuritsu Kindai Bijutsukan (MOMAT).  Having
started on July 15, it continues until October 26 with a substantial change
over of some works in early Sept.  Its title is so vague (see below) that
it seems likely that many people are unaware of its contents and the
comprehensive nature of this very large exhibition that fills the whole
first floor of the Museum.  The general wall panels and the individual
labels include critical information about the meaning, symbolism, and
sometimes reception of the works. It is highly regrettable that this
outstanding show has no catalogue. The plus side is that photography is
permitted for most of the works in the show excepting the various works
borrowed from other museums.  I urge those who see this show to take as
many photos as they can, not only of the works but of the labels and
insightful wall panels as well, as without any sort of catalogue little
trace of it will remain after the closing date. There was a Nichiyo
Bijutsukan program last Sunday on it which will be repeatedly in a week.

Opening Documents, Weaving Memories: A Special Exhibition Featuring Works
from the Museum Collection - 東京国立近代美術館
https://www.momat.go.jp/en/exhibitions/563
コレクションを中心とした特集 記録をひらく 記憶をつむぐ
>From opening statement for the exhibit:
“In displaying the War Record Paintings, which served as wartime
propaganda, we reexamine, based on historical facts, the social roles
assigned to art under the wartime regime. ….
Eighty years after the end of World War II, we face the question of how
generations with no direct experience of the war can engage with the past.
Ultimately, the answer depends on how we, living in the present, choose to
act.”

An essential introduction to the definition of Wartime Art (Sensoga) that
has long been recommended by some scholars (myself included) is presented
in a wall panel as follows:

“Classification of Wartime Art (Terms and Subject Matter)
A vast number of paintings were produced and exhibited during the war.
Among them, the Operation Record Paintings (作戦記録画) held by the National
Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, are official works commissioned by the
military, and account for only a small portion of the whole. In terms of
subject matter, battle scenes deemed worthy of military-historical
documentation were selected. Meanwhile, the term “War Record
Painting”（戦争記録画） refers to works depicting battle scenes in a monumental
manner, regardless of whether they were commissioned by the military. A
Broader field of art reflecting the wartime climate developed around these,
with themes such as the frontlines, the home front, continental Asiana and
southern Asia-Pacitic landscapes, historical scenes, Buddhist imagery, and
icons including cherry blossoms and Mount Fuji. Since no established term
exists to collectively describe this body of work, this chart provisionally
uses the term Wartime Art. The more general term War Painting is also in
use, but its definition is not fixed. In a narrow sense, it refers to the
War Record Paintings described above, while in a broader sense It may
include all paintings depicting some aspect of the total war effort.”

An abbreviated list of exhibited works is found on the link below, yet it
does not include the broad array of additional works and materials
including photos, magazines, postcards, posters, etc that form the
essential context for the wartime viewing and presentation of the exhibited
paintings in Japan. Despite the title of the show, there are many works
borrowed from other museums and private collections.
Since around 1990 MOMAT has displayed a small selection of Sakusen Kirokuga
on “loan” from the US in its usual standing exhibits, yet they often rotate
among a few especially well known works, however, in this show some that
are very rarely seen are hung and a few more are visible on other floors as
well.
https://www.momat.go.jp/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/LIST_EN_250701.pdf

The exhibit starts its timeline in 1931 yet continues well into the postwar
world describing how attitudes towards wartime painting also affected the
Japanese view of the Vietnam War and other conflicts. It includes scattered
works by Asian artists outside of Japan as well.

Beyond the exhibition proper, each of the other floors are exhibiting
related paintings. For instance, in the upper floor section devoted to
Nihonga are works from the following three groups:

Exhibition for Battleship Donation
Members of the Imperial Fine Arts Academy held an Exhibition for Battleship
Donation in Feb. 1944 at the Hyokeikan of The Tokyo Imperial Household
Museum (now Tohaku) including such artists as Yokoyama Taikan, Kawai
Gyokudo, Kobayashi Kokei, and Yasuda Yukihiko. This was part of a fund
raising campaign to replace two battleships lost in the Third Battle of the
Solomon Islands.

Album of Paintings 1942-1943
Yokoyama Taikan and others
This album was created to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the
establishment of Manchukuo for
Presentation to then-Prime Minister Tojo Hideki. Created by members of the
Imperial Art Academy including Yokoyama Taikan, Kawai Gyokudo, Kosugi Hoan,
Nakamura Fusetsu, Fujita Tsuguharu, etc.

Exhibition for Military Aircraft Donation 1942
Organized by the Nihongaka hokoku kai (NIhonga Painters Patriot
Association), this exhibition was held at the Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi in
March 1942 and then traveled to Osaka. MOMAT collection has 184 of the
works shown all of which were purchased by Mitsukoshi with the proceeds of
200,000yen (equivalent to approx. 500 million yen today) donated to the
Army and Navy while the paintings were given to the Imperial Household
Museum (now Tohaku).

The second floor has a section devoted to recent acquisitions of Korean
paintings and sculpture, including some from the war years. Other floors
also have works by women from related time periods and topics.

Please pass this information on to anyone you think might be interested in
this important and perennially timely topic.
This is a show deserving of wide discussion and thought.
Paul Berry
Independent Scholar
Kyoto
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