My name is Saito Nozomi. I am a painter who belongs to Japan Artist Union and Shutai Bijutu association, on the other hand I am an Art teacher at high school. Today, It is my great pleasure to talk about Japanese modern paintings in this hall.

I would like to talk about Modern paintings scene in Japan, especially view form the tradition and style of expression.　Today, we consider that there are two different painting fields in Japan, “Nihon-ga”(Japanese traditional Painting) and “You-ga”(oil painting or western style painting).Actually, There are only two departments in University of arts which trains an expert of a picture.“You-ga”(oil painting or western style painting)is the most popular style of paintings in japan.“You-ga”(Western style painting) was introduced into Japan by Japanese painters who studied in Paris or Europe at Meiji era(1868~1912) ,And Fontanes who was a painter of Barbison school, come over to Japan taught paintings for the first time. So, we can find origin of “You-ga”(Japanese western painting style) in France. And Japanese old age painter has a spcial emotion to Paris.If we Japanese say “paintings”,it means mostly you-ga. And we Japanese seldom use words “You-ga”

 In many school in Japan, teachers teach the basics of painting, which are perspective and space expression by light and shade. They are really traditional western academic stle. Entrance exam of art university can not escape from dessin（sketch）by western academism stle.Essentially, The words “Nihon-ga”(Japanese traditional paintings) seams to be the opposite of the western style painting. So, we recognize this word as an expression of Japanese traditional painting.

Japanese painting inherits identity of the racy painting world. But, modern Japanese traditional paintings are original painting style which was bored in Meiji era. It accomplished the original development after Meiji era. At the basics of Japanese paintings, there is a western realism,  perspective, light and shade. We Japanese had an original view pint and dynamic composition long ago. It is hardly difficult to find out these original styles of expression in modern Japanese paintings.

In Japanese history of art. Flowers, birds, scenery and moon, they are traditional themes of Japanese traditional world. But, young painters of traditional Japanese painting paint seldom paint by these themes.

In Japan, we call paintings which was drawn by grew and rough pigments(we call it Iwa-enogu) Japanese painting, and other paintings are called just “paintings”.

On the other hand, The 3^rd group we conveniently call “contemporary art”.

Nara Yositomo(47years old),Murakami Takasi(44yaers old) Nara is graduate department of oil painting, Murakami is graduate department of Japanese painting.They are handling of the subculture that is similar to comics, but comes not to be able to ignore it as new work before. We can watch their works in textbook of senior high school art.This flow became decisive by Murakami and Nara. Expression of Murakami seems to be Astro Boy of TV animation or a chief character of Disney.

Aida Makoto (41 years old) appeared in their point, but his work is erotic, and a lot of expression of anachronism is not welcomed in an educational front. Therefore Murakami and Nara are liked.

There are many people concerned with who expect them that it becomes to be the starting point of a new Japanese picture. Naturally their works are close to animation or comics. but I think that their expression is symbolized modern Japanese society, in the same way as American pop art work having swept over world art scene backed by American mass consumption society precisely in the present age in public consumption culture.

An artist is classified as "a sculptor, a painter, a craft artist" in a Japanese national census, and the number is quite considered to be 38,000 people. （A 2000 national census）

And it seem so that 40,000 people become it in 2010

This is the number that engaged in work of this field a little for an investigation period. There are much more few artists of a primary occupation. People having work else like us.

According to the master of art gallery where I am friendly, he says that an existence painter bought and sold in a domestic work of art market does not reach 100 people. It may be said that a painter is hard to live in Japan. It is easy to spend a person of proper, high Japanese traditional painting in Japan.

In addition, population to engage in art is concentrated in Tokyo and the outskirts.

Koubo-Ten

There is the exhibition which an art group of an open call for participants exhibition performs in Japan. It is Japanese traditional announcement-style since Meiji. Onece this participants group was an organization of the painter training. So, most professional painters belong to participants group. But today is not. An art group raises works from the public, and an exhibition is constituted by member’s works and works which passed examination.

Today,over 50 groups hold exhibition in Tokyo metropolitan museum

A group of more than 240 holds an exhibition every year through one year. About 1,860,000 annual attendances count (2003), and a field is introduced to many divergences such as a print / a photograph / a bonsai other than a Japanese traditional painting / oil painting / a sculpture / industrial arts / Syo. (Exhibition area 10,488m2)

In addition, the new National Gallery is opened at the next year newly as for Koubo-ten( participants exhibition). This is domestic maximum-scale exhibit space (14,000m2).

However, An exhibition spaces  going to increase to 2,5 times, and it is unchanged to be the society where an artist is hard to live in. In the modern Japanese society, the principle of strong competition prevails, and it is respected economic value, and art unproductive activity is treated coldly.

Cultural institutions such as an art museum, a museum, are pressed for histopathology to achieve profit.

In school education, there is an art subject of music, art in a reduced course, and it is replaced for other practical subjects. May Japanese people think that art is important for life but it is no use for profits.

Summary

There is an art genre protected carefully by the Japanese government. It is a Japanese traditional art.

Because, if the government does not support it. it will become extinct. They have to hand down a skill of Japanese of traditional art.

In modern Japan, though we have some exceptions, people who are engaged in art activities such as a painter, a musician, an actor, or an actress, are difficult to live. Life is too severe. Generally speaking, an income of these people is low. We are poor

In what era can we find the origin of a Japanese picture?

Is it worth while to think about what is Nipponian expression?

In the modern world, we can share information instantly no matter where you live. So, I think that there is not too much meaning in living in different country

A modern Japanese traditional painting survives by taking in expression of the West and keeps the prosperity of the present age.

In this way, each other's culture mixes together by interchanging across the sea, and the new expression will be born. I think that we develop by interchanging with culture each other.

I expect that my experience of visiting your country leads to my next new expression.

lastly,

When I was a high school student, the war of your country ended. I knew that a B52 bomber flies from a Japanese US base and bombed your country. I was sorry about the war pictures broadcasted on television. For me, it is like a dream that I can visit this peaceful country of yours.

I thank Vietnamese Arts Association which gave us various facilities on holding this exhibition very much. Thank you.