28 November, 2012

Yokoo Tadanori Museum of Contemporary Art opened on Nov 3rd.


 
About Tadanori Yokoo





Tadanori Yokoo, born in Nishiwaki city in Hyogo, became an artist after working as a graphic designer for the Kobe Shimbun newspaper. He is an oil painter, book designer and writer. He won the Grand Prize at the 6th Paris Youth Biennal in 1969. Following this success, he has held exhibitions in New York, Hamburg, Amsterdam and Paris, and is recognized as one of Japan’s most successful artists.






 
Yokoo Tadanori Museum of Contemporary Art
The museum houses Yokoo’s world-renowned classic collections in addition to pieces by other artists who have worked alongside him. A whole range of special exhibitions related to Tadanori Yokoo will be held here from now on.








08 November, 2012

Hyogo’s best viewpoint: Takeda Castle Ruins

View from Ritsuunkyo


Requiring little or no introduction, Himeji Castle has always been Hyogo’s most iconic castle. However, it is the ruins of another castle in Hyogo that are drawing the limelight as a must-see site. Some doubt that ruins alone are worth a visit until they see the picture above. These are the Takeda Castle Ruins in Asago-city, Hyogo. With National Historic Site status, the ruins are attracting quite a few tourists from all over the country as a recently released Japanese movie was filmed there. The figure of visitors hit a record high this year and is expected to rise even further.

This site is also referred to as Japan’s Machu Picchu or “Castle in the Sky” due to its autumnal views surrounded by sea of clouds like the picture above. This sea of clouds can be seen in the early mornings during autumn (Sept- Nov) when there is a sharp temperature difference between day and night.