Shigeru Mizuki Exhibition Review
Exhibition of works by Shigeru Mizuki, legendary cartoon artist Pandemonium of Japanese ghost The Haunted people were born in this way.
Term: July 8th (Friday) -September 4th (Sunday), 2022 * Open all year round
Venue: Tokyo City View 6-10-1, Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo Roppongi Hills Mori Tower 52nd floor
To commemorate the 100th anniversary of Shigeru Mizuki’s birth, an exhibition that can be said to be the culmination of the yokai-ghost ghost world is currently being held at Tokyo City View, Roppongi Hills Mori Tower.
Shigeru Mizuki was born in Osaka and grew up in Sakaiminato City, Tottori Prefecture. In Sakaiminato City, there is an art museum commemorating Shigeru Mizuki, and the “Shigeru Mizuki” road passes through the center. Bronze statues of Yokai-ghost appearing in Shigeru Mizuki’s work are lined up on both sides of the road. The same youkai-ghost statues welcome visitors at the entrance of this exhibition. Coupled with the magnificent view of Tokyo seen from the window of Tokyo City View, a wonderful view spread out.
In “Chapter 1: Shigeru Mizuki’s life with Yokai-ghost”, we come to know his background. When he was a child, he encountered “Nonnonba”, who could be said to have brought Mizuki to the world of youkai- ghost. And we come to know that he suffered serious injuries that caused him to lose his left arm and wander alive and dead.
Books and materials collected by Shigeru Mizuki are exhibited in “Chapter 2: Second-hand Bookstore Youkai Exploration”. In this chapter, you can see how Shigeru Mizuki studied yokai-ghost. Shigeru Mizuki collected materials related to youkai-ghost such as Toriyama Sekien’s “Gazu Hyakki Yakou – Marching ghosts in mid-night”, a painter from the Edo period, and investigates folklore, folk tales, and stories of youkai that are handed down in various places. In the following chapter, “Chapter 3: Shigeru Mizuki’s Youkai Studio,” all viewers notice that “Shigeru Mizuki did not create youkai.” The youkai – ghost that appear in Mizuki’s works have lived in various parts of Japan for a long time and have sometimes encounter people.
“Chapter 4: Shigeru Mizuki’s Hyakki Yagyo” is the best to enjoy to see masterpieces. Works depicting youkai living in “mountains,” “water,” “villedge,” and “houses” are on display. The work depicts a youkai-ghost that Shigeru Mizuki has collected from all over the world and sometimes found out. Each youkai-ghost is depicted in the environment of the mountains, water, villages, and homes in which they live. Along with the youkai, the depiction of the environment surrounding the finely drawn youkai- ghost is wonderful. This is the world of Shigeru Mizuki, which is exactly “Hyakki Yagyo – Marching ghosts in mid-night” itself.
Looking at this exhibition, I got the impression that Shigeru Mizuki is a cartoon artist, a folklore researcher, and a modern “painter” who has revived youkai-ghost in the present age. I would like him to appreciate the “Hyakki Yagyo – Marching ghosts in mid-night” drawn in modern times.
The collaboration cafe “Yokai no Mori Café -Forsest of Yokai-ghost Cafe” will also be available for a limited time.
The youkai who appears in Shigeru Mizuki’s work are on the cafe menu!
The Cafe menu, which is fun to see and delicious to eat, is recommended this summer.
Shigeru Mizuki Exhibition official website(Japanese)
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