The world of Ryohei Yanagihara, an illustrator who loved ships, unfolds!
Infiltrating an artistic space!
YOKOHAMA ART SPOT FILE
Experience the works of an author who loved ships and Yokohama, near the sea.
Ryohei Yanagihara Art Museum
The Ryohei Yanagihara Art Museum opened on March 27, 2018 (Tuesday) inside the Yokohama Port Museum, where the Nippon Maru, a sailing ship that symbolizes Minato Mirai, is preserved and on display. It is the only museum in Japan that permanently exhibits the works of Ryohei Yanagihara (1931-2015), an illustrator and painter who created Uncle Toris, the popular mascot character of Suntory's "Torys Whisky," a representative figure of the Showa era. The decision to open the museum in this location, where Yanagihara had close ties with the city, was made because of his great love of ships and the desire of his family to "let many people enjoy" the 4,848 works that were donated to Yokohama City in 2016.
The sailing ship Nippon Maru is moored right in front of the museum. Incidentally, the "Full Sail Display," where all the sails are unfurled to give visitors a glimpse of the Nippon Maru in its active service days, is held regularly at this location and is well worth seeing! ( Click here for details on the schedule!)
Let's head straight to the Ryohei Yanagihara Art Museum.
From the entrance to the permanent exhibition hall, you'll find the Yokohama Port Museum! It's best to purchase a combined ticket that allows you to visit the Nippon Maru sailing ship, the Yokohama Port Museum, and the Ryohei Yanagihara Art Museum.
[Single-screen ticket] General admission: ¥400, Seniors (65 and over): ¥250, Elementary, junior high, and high school students: ¥200 [Combined ticket] General admission: ¥600, Seniors (65 and over): ¥400, Elementary, junior high, and high school students: ¥300 (On Saturdays, elementary, junior high, and high school students only receive a special rate of ¥100 for both single-screen and combined tickets)
The exhibition space is divided into four themes: "Ryo. and his ship drawings," "Illustration and design," "Uncle Toris and advertising," and "Special exhibition."
The "Ryo. and Ship Paintings" zone. "Ryo." is the signature that Yanagihara uses on his works. The exhibition mainly features ship paintings created using his original paper-cutting technique (cutting and pasting colored paper), as well as oil paintings, watercolors, and lithographs.
The exhibition also includes a recreation of Mr. Yanagihara's studio, where he is surrounded by his "children" (works of art).
The "Illustration and Design" zone. Here, you can learn about the diverse activities of illustrators and graphic designers, including graphic design, illustrations, animation, comics, book design, and picture books.
These are some of the items that Mr. Yanagihara used to wear. A jacket, a turtleneck sweater, a hat... so stylish. There are also other items like a camera and glasses... just like his artwork, I can't help but take a good look at them.
The Uncle Toris animation is wonderful!! (If I could wish for anything, I'd love to watch it while having a drink...♡)
This is an exhibit on "How to Make Monochromatic Paper Cuttings." Apparently, the paper cutouts used for monochrome printing in newspapers and magazines are made using black, dark gray (actually moss green), and light gray (actually a dull pale yellowish-green) paper. The process involves layering three sheets of paper, sketching with a pencil, and cutting with a single-edged razor blade... and so on. Try to get a glimpse of the secrets behind the work by reading the captions at the venue.
In the "Uncle Toris and Advertising Zone," the artist showcases their work from their time in the advertising department of Kotobukiya (now Suntory), which marked the beginning of their careers as illustrators and graphic designers, through Uncle Toris advertising layouts, illustrations, posters, and novelty items.
(Fathers of the Showa era!! Doesn't this advertisement bring back memories?)
On the day of the interview, the "Special Exhibition" zone was hosting an event titled "60 Years Since Uncle Toris's Birth," commemorating the 60th anniversary of Uncle Toris's birth in July 2018. Illustrations and novelty items were on display. Currently, this has been replaced by an exhibition titled "Ships and Ports of Yokohama."
Uncle Toris toothpick holder (1970s)...I want it!!
Leaving the impressive exhibition rooms behind, we headed to the museum shop, a treat after enjoying art. Uncle Toris, holding a flag, greeted us. Right inside the entrance, a new corner featuring Ryohei Yanagihara merchandise had been set up.
A wide variety of items are available, including lithographs, original stamp sets and postcards featuring Yanagihara's artwork, mobile phone cleaners, mugs, and picture books!
Buying a postcard is a must as a memento of your visit to the museum!
Ryohei Museum Postcards: ¥108 each (tax included)
What caught my eye was this: a set of pin badges featuring Uncle Toris dressed as various characters. There's a sailor, a Shinsengumi member, Daikoku, and even a Western-style Uncle Toris! (lol)
Pin badges: ¥648 each (tax included)
To think that the works of Ryohei Yanagihara, who loved ships, are being displayed right in front of a moored ship... As I looked at each piece, I truly felt what a thoughtful gesture it was. If you visit Minato Mirai, try walking towards the sailing ship Nippon Maru. There, a cute, stylish, and very cool "Uncle Toris" awaits you.
