Art Platform Japan
The Art Platform Japan (APJ) research portal is a platform that gathers a broad range of information on Japanese modern and contemporary art and museum collections throughout Japan and provides this to interested parties within and outside Japan.
News
Databases
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Dictionary of Artists in Japan (DAJ)
This database catalogues information on artists and groups that have contributed to the development of the arts in Japan since the Meiji era (1868-1912). The scope of the database includes artists who were active after 1868 and those who were born in 1995 or earlier. Reference information such as exhibitions, museum holdings, and selected bibliographies are available for some artists.
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Japanese Museum Collections Search (SHŪZŌ)
This is a database of modern and contemporary artworks in the collections of art museums and other museums nationwide. Based on information provided by each institution, the database contains listings of artists’ names, titles of works, year of production, and collection in which they are held. In addition to this, assignation of controlled vocabulary for artist names and museum names enables integrated searches using both Japanese and English names of artists and museums.
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Japanese Museum Collections Search (SHŪZŌ) Contributors
This is a list of art museums and other museums included in SHŪZŌ: Japanese Museum Collections Search. Each museum’s data is linked to the SHŪZŌ record of works, allowing users to access some of the modern and contemporary artworks held by each museum (limited to the works included in SHŪZŌ).
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Contemporary Japanese Art Exhibitions from 1945
This resource offers information on Japanese art exhibitions, art festivals, and art projects held in Japan and abroad in the postwar period.
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Japanese Galleries and Art Spaces
This resource provides basic information on galleries and art spaces that have played major roles in the development of art in Japan and have been important hubs for international networks. We will gradually expand the range of galleries and update the information as necessary.
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APJ Bibliography
This is a database of literature related to modern and contemporary Japanese art that has been referenced and introduced within Art Platform Japan (APJ).
Research Guides
This is a compilation of guides for research on modern and contemporary Japanese art and artists. It presents a variety of tools, ranging from printed catalogues and encyclopedias to the latest online resources, organized by subject to be of assistance for research.
Reading Lists
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Introductory Readings on Contemporary Japanese Art
This is a list of introductory readings for students learning about Japanese contemporary art and individuals seeking to acquire core knowledge. In English only.
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Reading Lists
A thematic introduction to recommended readings, primarily focusing on postwar art in Japan, categorized under 10 themes to assist in the study of contemporary Japanese art. These approximately 100 works were selected through the Bunka-cho Art Platform Japan translation project, initiated by the Agency for Cultural Affairs (FY 2018–2022). To ensure high-quality translations, a "Translation Style Guide" was also developed under the initiative.