The Cultural Affairs Agency has selected two special exhibitions to be held as part of the Japan Cultural Expo, or Nihonhaku, an arts and culture festival that will coincide with the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics.
The two exhibitions are part of the "Tsumugu Project: Promoting, Restoring and Preserving the Beauty of Japan's Art," an initiative jointly planned by the agency, the Imperial Household Agency and The Yomiuri Shimbun.
The project aims to preserve and hand down masterpiece works from the Imperial collection and national treasures that exemplify Japan's beauty.
The selection of the two exhibitions was announced Sunday at the launch event for the Expo at the National Theatre in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo. "The 30th Anniversary of the Enthronement / Cultural Exchanges of Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress: Sharing the Beauty of Japan" will be held from Tuesday through April 29, while "Masterpieces of Japanese Art: From Sesshu and Eitoku to Korin and Hokusai" will run from May 3 to June 2. Both exhibitions will be held at the Tokyo National Museum.
Five more events were also selected to feature at the Expo.
Sunday's launch event was attended by Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga; Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Minister Masahiko Shibayama; and Cultural Affairs Commissioner Ryohei Miyata among others.
"I strongly believe that the historical mission of the Expo is to convey excitement and empathy to people around the world," Suga said in his remarks at the event.
A logo to be used for the Expo's events was also unveiled at the launch ceremony.
A promotional Kabuki performance for the Expo titled "Genroku Chushingura" (The Treasury of the Loyal Retainers), starring Nakamura Senjaku and other actors, is already underway at the Theatre's small hall.
The Expo -- whose overall theme is "the people of Japan and nature" -- will feature various events across the country from 2019 through 2021. Art exhibitions, theatrical performances and cultural festivals to be held will reflect the beauty of Japan, and will cover various subthemes such as "art and cultural treasures," "performing arts" and "food culture and nature," among other topics.
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