I went to the Yokosuka Museum of Art ``Chase Japan's monsters!''

 
I would like to take a look at the exhibition right away.
 
This exhibition is categorized into three rooms by period and artist. This time, the curator in charge, Mr. Hinohara, accompanied us, so I would like to report on the event in order, including some explanations.
 
First, go to the Edo monster paintings on the first floor. Starting with Toriyama Sekien's ``Gazu Hyakki Yagyo'', there was a wide selection of works on display, from human-shaped yokai to animal (?) yokai such as foxes, raccoon dogs, and kappas.
 
The one that caught my attention the most, or rather, the one that made me laugh was Hirokage Utagawa's ``The Great Battle of the Green Fish Army''.
 

Hirokage Utagawa 《Picture of the Great Battle of the Green Fish Army》 (first half exhibition) Osaka Castle Castle Collection
 
 
This is a picture of a fish army led by octopus, sea bream, and shrimp fighting against an anthropomorphic green fish led by green onions and grapes on the beach. I never thought that something like this would be included in the yokai! (But if this isn't a yokai, what on earth is it? Is it a yokai after all?)
 
If you look closely, you'll notice that each character has a strange name next to it, such as ``Mikan Tayu'' or ``Catfish Taro,'' and even the details are humorous. When I found out that there was a hidden theme of caricatures based on the cholera epidemic of the previous year, I was even more attracted to its charm.
 
There were also Yokai Sugoroku and card game formats where you could cut and play, all of which felt strangely familiar even though they were made nearly 150 years ago.
 
``At that time, there were things that could be used to assemble paper into three-dimensional shapes,'' he explained, and I realized that the magazine supplements that I was familiar with as a child had their origins in the Edo period! ? I was surprised.
 
 
The second floor goes back in time to Meiji and Showa period monster paintings.
 
Newspapers were born in the early Meiji period, and articles about yokai were reported to people.
 
``Even though it's called a newspaper, it didn't become what we know today until a little later.In the early Meiji period, it was still in the format of a tiled block, with only one page.''However, spirits appeared everywhere! I had no idea that such content was being distributed as a newspaper article.
 
``Of course, there were some people who were suspicious of yokai and spiritual things, but at that time, stories about dead things appearing as spirits were widely accepted among the public,'' Hinohara says. told me.
 
On the other hand, it is interesting to see that the influence of civilization and enlightenment can be seen everywhere, such as the characters having their hair cut and Western angels placed next to the names of newspapers.
 
 
Proceeding further, you will come face-to-face with a ghost painting drawn on a hanging scroll.
 
It was a complete change from a humorous work, but there was still something creepy about it. When I saw Fuyuko Matsui's work, I was impressed by how realistic it looked and the children who were looking at it were exclaiming, ``It looks like something out of a dream!''
 
On the other hand, Ogawa Imosen's monster paintings are symmetrical and have lovely motifs, which gave me a strangely heartwarming feeling.
 

Ogawa Imosen 《Yuki-onna》 Collection of Ibaraki Museum of Modern Art
 
 
In the back is the long-awaited (?) Yokai painting by Shigeru Mizuki!
 
 
Mr. Hinohara's advice is, ``Color works are copies of what was written in ink and then colored.Of course they are spectacular, but monochrome works allow you to enjoy the touch of the brush more.'' When I compared the two, I could definitely feel the traces of small touches on the monochrome one.
 
I was able to enjoy a wide range of works, from those that followed past Yokai paintings to works that were completely different from Shigeru Mizuki's own perspective. The original picture is bigger than I expected.
 
 
The last part of the second room is an introduction to monsters that appear in post-war art works. This is a complete change from the current flow, and you won't see many so-called traditional yokai works.
 
Tatsuo Ikeda's monster images are allegories of social issues, and Eiko Urushibara's portraits are expressed as elephant-like monsters.
 
If we look at the way yokai are treated in modern society and within ourselves, we can see that although the appearance of yokai has become vague, they may have become more familiar to us. .
 
 
The third room features three contemporary artists who use yokai expressions.
Hinohara says, ``Today, expressions are becoming too diverse and fragmented, so I decided to narrow down the list of artists.''
 
Fujii Francois, who uses yokai in his Jakuchu-like paintings.
 

Fujii Francois《Tsukumogami-1》Private collection
 
Noriko Kamata's dolls are creepy, but when you look at them, you feel strangely attached to them.
 

Noriko Kamata 《Sukeruhito》 Private collection
 
Michiko Kon takes monochrome photographs of objects made from vegetables and fish.
 

Michiko Kon 《Horse tricycle》 Collection of the artist
 
Everyone has a unique and completely different approach to Yokai, so it's certainly diverse. You say it's a coincidence, but it's also interesting that all three authors are women.
 
 
The exhibition ended just as I was excited to see what kind of "yokai paintings" would appear in the future. (Next, go to the in-house report!)
 
 
~bonus~
 
This time, not only did I get to see the exhibition, but I was also given a tour of the museum itself by the person in charge of public relations. I will introduce some of them with photos. There is an observation deck on the top floor so you can see the ocean spreading out in front of you.
 

 
You can use the large binoculars to clearly see even the old man on the boat for free.
 

 
This is the permanent exhibition hall. It is spacious and allows you to relax and admire each piece one by one.
 

 
In addition, the restaurant and library were crowded with people, and I learned that the museum is not only a museum, but also a place for local residents to relax, and is loved by many people.
 
 
I wish there was a museum like this nearby...
 
 

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Daigo Kobayashi
In 2009, entered Tama Art University, majoring in Japanese painting.
I mainly draw two-dimensional works. Sometimes I also read picture books and texts.
My favorite tofu is silken. The photo is a work [Butoh]
Website: http://kobayaashidaigo.jimdo.com/

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