explore japanese culture through digital art exhibition ‘CULTURE GATE to JAPAN’

from the mysterious soundscapes of hokkaido’s indigenous ainu people to the historic artisan crafts of the island of kyushu and more, japan is home to many diverse cultures. CULTURE GATE to JAPAN sees 29 creatives working in arts, entertainment, animation and manga reinterpret the appeal of these rich cultural resources through a series of digital art exhibitions, each molded by their particular region. airports – the gateways to these unique areas – host the multi-media work, inviting visitors to connect with people and discover new cultures. sightseers can enjoy the artwork and attractions in person or digitally from anywhere in the world.

running from february until at least september 2021 at seven airports across japan and tokyo international cruise terminal, step through the CULTURE GATE to JAPAN today – here.

yusuke shigeta shows samurai engaged in battle through an animation on a reimagined traditional folding screen
all images courtesy of CULTURE GATE to JAPAN

under the theme of motion, artist yusuke shigeta and creative group EUPHRATES evoke the movement of the region’s samurai warriors and ninjas at the chubu centrair international airport. artist shigeta reimagines traditional folding screens to show samurai engaged in battle through vivid animation. through lights, EUPHRATES recreates signs that ninjas gave as they engaged in espionage. once stepping through the airport, visitors are welcomed into the aichi prefecture, once home to some of the most famous warriors, and the cities of iga in the mie prefecture and neighboring koka in shiga prefecture, considered the birthplace of the ninja.

EUPHRATES depicts the signs given by ninjas through the use of pinpoint lights

from arita-yaki ceramics to hakata-ori textiles and satsuma kiriko cut glass, the wide variety of patterns found on the crafts of the island of kyushu inspired the works by artists mirai mizue and macoto murayama at fukuoka airport. using animations, mizue’s work turns these native patterns into living and breathing creations. murayama uses a 3D modelling tool to create original graphics of chrysanthemum, inspired by the botanical paintings traditionally used to decorate arita. his botanical diagrams, which are so detailed that they resemble sophisticated architectural drawings, are in turn used to decorate new arita as well.

(above) macoto murayama paints architectural botanical patterns on arita ceramic
(top) mirai mizue’s work turns these native patterns into living and breathing creations

the okinawa archipelago of over 160 islands at the very south of japan has distinct goods, crafts and culture inspired by its past as the ryukyu kingdom. at naha airport, a visually stunning wall mural created by retro pop animator and illustrator nuQ mixes motifs of the historic shurijo castle – partially lost to fire in 2019 – and ryukyu-style karate with the tourists and banana boats of the present day. visual artist satoru higa’s artwork in the mural uses a 3D model of the castle to return it to its former glory in digital, as it is set to be actually rebuilt by 2026.

(above) satoru higa’s mural recreates the shurijo castle in digital form
(top) nuQ’s wall mural mixes motifs from the past and present of the okinawa archipelago

under the supervision of paola antonelli, senior curator architecture & design at MoMA, the CULTURAL GATE to JAPAN at tokyo’s handea and narita airports seek to explore the concept of vision from past to future, and its role as the foundation of japanese culture. six videos by six different artists – acky bright, jun inoue, sachiko kodama, mariko mori, monika mogi, and PARTY – usher travellers into the country’s extraordinary rich and eclectic culture. broadcasted in synchronized sequence along the path leading from each arrival gate, they each highlight a different aspect of the country’s creativity and reality, arranging distinct styles and contexts in surprising juxtapositions.

at tokyo’s handea and narita airports, jun inoue’s hitoshobu work captures the artists spiritual, abstract live painting, which builds upon the ephemeral nature of the world of sho/calligraphy

at tokyo international (haneda) airport, visitors are welcomed to an installation by sound artist and designers yuri suzuki and musical artist and composer miyu hosoi. keeping the human voice at the core of their proposal, the duo distilled the sounds of the japanese language – hiragana sounds that consist of 46 base characters with five singular vowels, 40 consonant-vowel unions and one singular consonant – to create a unique composition. dozens of standing horns then appear to converse with each other like people waiting for friends and relatives in the arrival hall of an airport.

yuri suzuki and miyu hosoi score a unique composition that welcome visitors through dozens of standing horns in their ‘crowd cloud’ (2021) installation
photo by takashi kawashima

at new chitose airport in hokkaido, the CULTURE GATE to JAPAN  enriches an empty space with various media to create an all new, multisensory experience. under the theme of invisible, creative company NAKED, INC. creates moments where visitors feel the language and spirit of the ainu culture through sound. this is using unwritten, unspoken auditory transmissions.

NAKED, INC. creates an invisible experience where visitors feel the language and spirit of the ainu culture through sound

as the gateway to major cities of osaka, kyoto and wider kansai region, kansai international airport’s installation focuses on the theme of life. the region is divided into eight distinct areas. as such, the exhibition includes eight manga artists who formed murals showing the unique culture of each area as well as their harmonious coexistence with nature. visit the CULTURE GATE to JAPAN website to see the installation at kansai international airport online when it launches in late march. 

exhibition info:

organizer: agency for cultural affairs, government of japan

exhibition: CULTURE GATE to JAPAN

exhibition venue: new chitose airport, narita international airport, tokyo international (haneda) airport, kansai international airport, chubu centrair international airport, fukuoka airport, naha airport, and tokyo international cruise terminal

dates: february 2021 to at least september 2021