The so-called “Lost Three Decades” may, in fact, be seen as a period during which the Japanese people rediscovered their identity. This can be seen in the numerous unique forms of content that could only have been created in Japan, many of which have earned global acclaim. The ZIPANGU exhibition brings together the works of distinguished top artists who defined and thrived during the Heisei era.

［Artists／29 pairs］
AIDA Makoto, AOYAMA Satoru, IKEDA Manabu, ISHIDA Tetsuya, IWASAKI Takahiro, USAMI Masahiro, EGUCHI Ayane, O JUN, OKAMOTO Ellie, OGINO Yuna, KATO Izumi, KANEKO Tomiyuki, KUSAMA Yayoi, KOMATSU Miwa, KONDOH Akino, SATOH Masaharu, SHIOTA Chiharu, TANADA Koji, teamLab, Chim↑Pom from Smappa!Group, TSUTSUI Shinsuke, Namonaki Sanemasa, UMEZAWA Kazuki, NARA Yoshitomo, MIYAJIMA Tatsuo, MIYANAGA Aiko, Takashi MURAKAMI , MORI Junichi, and YAMAGUCHI Akira

Aida Makoto, “Ash Color Mountains” (2009-2011)
Cooperation:Watanabe Atsushi Taguchi Art Collection / Taguchi Art Foundation　Photo: Miyajima Kei
© AIDA Makoto, Courtesy of Mizuma Art Gallery

Kusama Yayoi,”PUMPKIN”(2015)
Collection of the artist © YAYOI KUSAMA

Komatsu Miwa, “Time of Spirits” (2024)　
Collection of Fudo Co., Ltd.

Takashi Murakami, ” Maiden In The Yellow Straw Hat” (2010)
Taguchi Art Collection / Taguchi Art Foundation © 2010 Takashi Murakami/Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

The dialogue event between Takashi Murakami and Sueo Mizuma was held at the RIHGA Royal Hotel Hiroshima, located next to the Hiroshima Museum of Art. Takashi Murakami participated online from the Miyoshi Studio, part of Kaikai Kiki, the organization he leads.

The dialogue looked back on the history of how Takashi Murakami and Sueo Mizuma first met, followed by a chronicle of Murakami’s works since that time. As Murakami himself has publicly stated on X (formerly Twitter), Mizuma was the second person to purchase one of his works before his career breakthrough. This highlighted the long-standing history of collaboration and mutual connection between the two.

Their discussion gradually became more animated, shifting its focus to the environment surrounding contemporary art.

Murakami: “The scale of money circulating in the global art scene today is completely different from 30 years ago, when I made my breakthrough. The world has also become much smaller, making it extremely difficult to create moments of genuine discovery. I think it’s challenging to approach the global art scene with the same methods we used 30 years ago.”

Mizuma: “What are your thoughts on the fact that many Japanese artists today are referencing your book ‘Geijutsu Kigyo Ron’ in their creative practices?”

Murakami: “The experiences I’ve gained and the world I see now are completely different from when I published it. There was a time when I believed in what I had written in the book and acted on it, but the world has changed so drastically that I now think it’s impossible to use it as a basis to break into the global stage.”

‘Geijutsu Kigyo Ron’, which once made a significant impact not only in the art world but also in the business world, was revisited during the discussion. Murakami’s comments symbolized the end of an era, and the audience received them with a sense of surprise and reflection.

The discussion also touched on the current bubble-like state of the global art market and explored the future potential of Japanese art.

Murakami: “In the 1980s, during Japan’s economic bubble, the nihonga (Japanese-style painting) world, led by Ikuo Hirayama at its peak, reached its zenith. However, with the collapse of the bubble, the nihonga scene came to an end. A similar situation is now emerging in the global art scene.

Money flows into promising scenes, attracting artists and giving rise to new works. This kind of bubble-like phenomenon, I believe, will inevitably crash one day. However, even if the art market crashes, the art market itself will never disappear. Instead, new scenes will emerge and continue to grow.”

Mizuma: “From your perspective, having reached the top of the global art world, do you have any messages for young people in Japan?”

Murakami: “Recently, I have been focusing my expressions and communications primarily on YouTube, so I encourage you to check it out there. I am also deeply interested in the enthusiasm and setbacks of postwar Japan, including the student movements, and I have been exploring that history.”

On his YouTube channel, Takashi Murakami has shared his thoughts on the future potential of Japan’s art world as follows:

Murakami: “Japan’s rich and abundant content is, without a doubt, the best in the world in both quality and quantity. More than 100 years from now, just as Ukiyo-e came to be recognized as art, it is inevitable that today’s subculture works—centered around anime and manga—will also be regarded as art. For example, the original drawings by contemporary manga artists will likely be recognized in the future as highly valuable works of art on a global scale.”

This reflects Takashi Murakami’s characteristic bold redefinition of value. His ongoing attempt to connect subculture with the context of contemporary art remains unchanged, but there is growing anticipation for how he plans to push this approach even further in the future.

Additionally, Mizuma shared his perspective on how Japanese artists can thrive in the global art scene:

Mizuma: “To succeed in the globalized art world, I believe that works emerging from local sensibilities and animistic perspectives hold real power. Artists from regions on the periphery of the global art world, such as Japan, should use their unique local identity as an advantage to take on the world.”

Sueo Mizuma, the gallerist who organized the ZIPANGU exhibition, shared the concept behind the exhibition and the thoughts.

Mizuma: “The previous ZIPANGU exhibition (2011–2012) was launched with the hope of bringing light to the hearts of the Japanese people through the power of art, following the Great East Japan Earthquake.

This time, the theme is to showcase the power of Japanese art to the world. We want to boldly present the beauty of Japan, discovered by the Japanese people themselves, to a global audience,” he passionately stated.

Mizuma: “There have been occasions where individual top Japanese artists have held their own exhibitions. Some have achieved success on the global stage as individual artists. However, there has never been a platform where their works came together to represent Japanese art to the world. That is what I wanted to accomplish this time.”

Mizuma: “There is a history of Japanese art being described as “oriental,” and for a long time, we took this as praise. However, it became clear that this term actually indicated that Japanese art was viewed as part of a peripheral scene from the perspective of the global art world. It was not truly a compliment, but rather a label signifying “peripheral art,” with the Western art scene positioned at the center.

In the 1990s, a modern Japanese art exhibition was held in New York, but it was regarded as the work of epigones of Western art, described as derivative works lacking originality. This became an opportunity to confront the question of what defines Japan’s unique sense of beauty and artistic expression. Over the 30 years of the Heisei era, artists capable of challenging the world with distinctly Japanese forms of expression have emerged. The ZIPANGU exhibition brings together the works of these artists.”

Mizuma: “Japan’s beauty and cultural value have always been discovered from the outside, dating back to the time of Marco Polo. It is for this reason that this exhibition was named “ZIPANGU.”

“What motivated me for the current ZIPANGU exhibition was the opening of a world-class art gallery in Azabudai Hills. It felt like the arrival of the Black Ships. I realized that now is the time for Japan to proactively showcase itself to the world.”

Mizuma: “In the Edo period, there was a group known as the “Danna-shu” (patrons), who supported Japanese painters. From the Meiji era to the collapse of the bubble economy, zaibatsu conglomerates and large corporations acted as patrons, sustaining Japanese art. The so-called “Lost 30 Years” could perhaps also be described as the 30 years during which the “Danna-shu” were lost.

That is why I encourage young people, especially entrepreneurs, to actively purchase and support Japanese art. Wealthy individuals in countries like Indonesia are also supporting their own nation’s art through active purchases.

There are instances where young entrepreneurs purchase art and attract attention, and I believe that the spread of such movements can have a positive impact on fostering a deeper appreciation of art and supporting the art scene. I think it is now a crucial time for Japanese people themselves to support and nurture Japan’s art scene. What the world is seeking now are aesthetic sensibilities and artworks based on Japan’s unique orientalism and animistic intuitions.”

The Value of Being “Local” in a Global Context

Perhaps we have entered an era where it is time to reassess the value of Japan’s rich and unique content—content that inherently exists in abundance and has the potential to connect with the world of art. Being “local,” or existing outside the global mainstream, holds its own unique value. There will undoubtedly come a day when Japan’s distinctive cultural assets receive greater recognition and appreciation on the global stage.

It is particularly fascinating—and deeply inspiring—to see how Takashi Murakami and Sueo Mizuma share a resonant understanding of this point.

The works of Japan’s most illustrious and celebrated top artists not only represent a history of challenging the global art scene but also serve as a reservoir of future possibilities. We strongly encourage you to take this rare opportunity to visit the ZIPANGU exhibition and experience this remarkable collection firsthand.

＞ZIPANGU Contemporary artists who have run through the Heisei era – Special Exhibition – [Hiroshima Museum of Art]