Modern Art

In spite (or is it because) of a prolonged economic slump, Japanese contemporary "post-bubble art" is thriving, but in a quieter way to the Chinese contemporary art scene, for example. In his recent study of new young Japanese artists entitled "After the Goldrush: Japan's New Post-bubble Art and Why It Matters," UCLA professor Adrian Favell describes an emerging group of Japanese contemporary artists who are "feeling their way towards beauty rather than junk" with an new emphasis on a "sustainable, material, renovative, non-reproducible aesthetic."

The goldrush may be over, but on the surface there still seems to be a lot of gold fueling the art scene, producing a unique mix of urban redevelopment and art branding. The first time contemporary art fan visitor to Tokyo would be well-rewarded by a trip to the Roppongi "Art Triangle," anchored by the Mori Art Museum, the National Art Center, Tokyo, and Tokyo Midtown (which contains the Suntory Museum of Art and 21_21 Design Sight, a design museum). The Mori stages some of the most comprehensive and international contemporary art shows in the city - recent highlights included a survey of young Japanese artists called "Roppongi Crossing," and a retrospective of the Turner Prize - while the National Art Center boasts a permanent collection of zero pieces but an itinerant curatorial vision handling everything from contemporary Chinese art to aboriginal Australian painting.

Further afield, a small island called Naoshima in Kagawa Prefecture has generated a stir among contemporary art lovers for its stunning backdrop of natural beauty that forms a dramatic and symbiotic counterpoint to large outdoor sculptures and other work. Highlights include traditional wooden Japanese houses converted into exhibition spaces and Tadao Ando's Benesse Art Site and Chichu Art Museum.

Tokyo's art calendar is busiest in the spring and fall. April sees Art Fair Tokyo and its mix of Japanese and international galleries exhibiting a wide range of work at the Tokyo International Forum. The season heated up even more this year with the debut of newcomer art fair 101 Tokyo, a somewhat more eclectic and international mix of galleries with a younger vibe and guerilla approach (they set up in an old elementary school). The Triennale of Yokohama, held for the third time this year from September through November, is another contemporary art highlight that showcases not only art, but the variety of spaces in the historical port city that hosts it.

Finally, some indispensable guides to your contemporary art trails with information available in English: ART iT is a bilingual art quarterly with updates and art reviews for both Japan and the Asia-Pacific area on its website, while Tokyo Art Beat's website contains exhibition listings and articles in both Japanese and English that cover the greater Tokyo area.