“Spiky Lawn” by Bruno Maroni in Mishima City!
If you have the chance to visit Mishima City in the eastern part of Shizuoka Prefecture I would recommend you to visit the Clematis Gardens, the more for it that they offfer a free limousine service from and to Mishima JR Station!
The Gardens include a large museum showing the works of Bruno Maroni but his most remarkable creations are exhibited all year round in the very large park either on the luscious lawns or in front of other buildings!
What could a lone man do walking through pikes on a lawn?
The grass is integral part of the whole art work!
Is the man carefully walking in awe?
Or is he half containing his laugh?
Or has he found a new world beyond the grassy spike tunnel?
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“Infinity” by Bruno Maroni in Mishima City!
If you have the chance to visit Mishima City in the eastern part of Shizuoka Prefecture I would recommend you to visit the Clematis Gardens, the more for it that they offfer a free limousine service from and to Mishima JR Station!
The Gardens include a large museum showing the works of Bruno Maroni but his most remarkable creations are exhibited all year round in the very large park either on the luscious lawns or in front of other buildings!
looking too far ahead can turn you into stone!
Even so these eyes look a bit empty to me!
is infinity really beautiful?
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“Man Looking Over The Wall” by Bruno Maroni in Mishima City!
If you have the chance to visit Mishima City in the eastern part of Shizuoka Prefecture I would recommend you to visit the Clematis Gardens, the more for it that they offfer a free limousine service from and to Mishima JR Station!
The Gardens include a large museum showing the works of Bruno Maroni but his most remarkable creations are exhibited all year round in the very large park either on the luscious lawns or in front of other buildings!
I had a good laugh at this particular statue as the Japanese are a very voyeuristic people!
And the laugh continued when looking at the man from the back!
Is he surprised, worried or perplexed?
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“Invisible Barrier” by Bruno Maroni in Mishima City!
If you have the chance to visit Mishima City in the eastern part of Shizuoka Prefecture I would recommend you to visit the Clematis Gardens, the more for it that they offfer a free limousine service from and to Mishima JR Station!
The Gardens include a large museum showing the works of Bruno Maroni but his most remarkable creations are exhibited all year round in the very large park either on the luscious lawns or in front of other buildings!
This statue is standing abutting a glass pane figuring the invisible barrier which had stopped the man!
Very important detail!
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Sushi Bus in Shizuoka City!
Took this picture today in front of Shizuoka JR Station!
Actually a couple of years ago Shizutetsu Line (private) had photographs of real sushi on this bus, but they switched to drawings instead. Someone must have complained about picture rights……………
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“Dismembered Man” by Bruno Maroni in Mishima City!
If you have the chance to visit Mishima City in the eastern part of Shizuoka Prefecture I would recommend you to visit the Clematis Gardens, the more for it that they offfer a free limousine service from and to Mishima JR Station!
The Gardens include a large museum showing the works of Bruno Maroni but his most remarkable creations are exhibited all year round in the very large park either on the luscious lawns or in front of other buildings!
It is when you look at this statue from other angles that you realize why I called it a “Dismembered Man”!
And from that angle it is difficult to realize what it represents!
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“Flying Death” by Bruno Maroni in Mishima City!
If you have the chance to visit Mishima City in the eastern part of Shizuoka Prefecture I would recommend you to visit the Clematis Gardens, the more for it that they offfer a free limousine service from and to Mishima JR Station!
The Gardens include a large museum showing the works of Bruno Maroni but his most remarkable creations are exhibited all year round in the very large park either on the luscious lawns or in front of other buildings!
I called this particular statue “Flying Death”!
The fear of an approaching end!
Fast flying Death!
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“The Three Ages of Man” by Bruno Maroni in Mishima City!
If you have the chance to visit Mishima City in the eastern part of Shizuoka Prefecture I would recommend you to visit the Clematis Gardens, the more for it that they offfer a free limousine service from and to Mishima JR Station!
The Gardens include a large museum showing the works of Bruno Maroni but his most remarkable creations are exhibited all year round in the very large park either on the luscious lawns or in front of other buildings!
Back view.
I call this work “The Tree Ages of Man” although I heard that Bruno Maroni called it “Infinity”.
The Man himself seems apprehensive or sad?
He is apparently looking at his past…..
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Scarab by Bernard Buffet in Mishima City!
If you visit Mishima City in the Eastern part of Shizuoka Prefecture you ought to visit The Clematis Garden and the Bernard Buffet Museum in one single trip as they are very near each other.
You will be surprised at the amount of art on show!
It was brought to japan all the way to Mishima as it had been created in 1975 some time before Bernard Buffet came to establish himself in Mishima City!
You will see this enormous scarab statue by Bernard Buffet who also painted the same on a big canvas on show inside the Museum (no pictures allowed there unfortunately but definitely worth a grand visit!
In full flight through a rainbow?
A bit frightening through this angle, though!
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Butterfly by Bernard Buffet in Mishima City!
If you visit Mishima City in the Eastern part of Shizuoka Prefecture you ought to visit The Clematis Garden and the Bernard Buffet Museum in one single trip as they are very near each other.
You will be surprised at the amount of art on show!
You will see this enormous butterfly statue by Bernard Buffet who also painted the same on a big canvas on show inside the Museum (no pictures allowed there unfortunately but definitely worth a grand visit!
As far as photography is concerned there loads of possibilities!
A side view will make it a hard guess!
Another possibility at an angle from the back!
Can you guess what the next picture of an insect statue might be?
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Skiing Ants in Mishima City!
I’ve just come from a short trip and overnight stay in Mishima City and Izu Peninsula where I had the occasion to discover a few interesting sites!
I didn’t know that ants could ski, but now I ave the proof!
This one was pretty big standing/sliding on a high pedestal in a small park!
I even found a smaller one among the chrysanthemums!
Note that is is completely made of metal with a body formed by a frame around a stone!
This ant must be a lady ant!
The skis!
Stay tuned, more coming!
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Colored Bus in Shizuoka City!
Buses are often used in Japan, especially in Shizuoka and touristic regions as big moving advertising boards.
And sometimes they seem to be decorated for the pure fun of it!
I took this picture this afternoon in Aoi Ku, Shizuoka City!
A great way to encourage kids to board a bus!
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Edo Era Travelers in Shizuoka City (Sumpu)!
The City of Shizuoka (as of the Prefecture) was always called so, but until the end of the beginning of the modern era it was called Sumpu/駿府.
The city grew in importance when the Shogun Ieyasu Tokugawa/徳川家康 decided to retire there in the beginning of the 17th Century.
There used to be a castle called Sumpu Jyou/駿府城 but the later Shogun ordered it to be burnt.
In recent years a two-third size copy has been (and is still) built as faithfully as possible.
This makes for a very interesting venue as it includes parks, a museum and an event space.
Now, if you walk along the moat behind Shizuoka University Junior School you will espy some people sitting on a bench just beyond a traditional lantern tower!
Can you see them?
They are not people but statues!
Bronze Statue of Yaji-Kita
弥次喜多銅像
Actually it is a modern statue of two main characters of “Tokaidochu Hiza-kuri-ge (Travels on Foot on the Tokaido),”
Yaji (left) and Kita (right), a story/play written 200 years ago by Jippensha Ikku!
An ideal spot to take pictures of the past as the statues faithfully represent two people of the Edo Era, a time when travelers walked all the way from Yedo/Tokyo to Sumpu (174 km)!
Yaji!
Note that the garb is taht of typical travelers of the time.
the gentle face of a grand old man!
Kita!
Obviously the face of a younger and more exhuberant companion!
The “chonmage/丁髷/hair knot” in fashion then!
In that time men used to shave their pate unless they were practically becoming bald! LOL
Everyday necessities were carried in small boxes.
Tobacco box and pipe.
Note the footwear!
Sandal and calf wear.
The moat and pavement.
Will report on Sumpu Castle next time!
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Noh Mask Artist: Roger Voltz
Roger Voltz standing in front of his artworks at the recently exhibition in Shziuoka Bank Shizuogin Gallery Yonki.
“I would like to leave a legacy for the younger generation to continue.”
Roger Voltz (63, a French citizen born in St. Denis in the suburbs of Paris, came to Shizuoka City in 1973 to settle down after a long travel through the woorld.
A University language lecturer by trade he had always been attracted by the Japanese culture.
Apart of becoming in martial arts he has been carving Noh masks for the last 18 years.
Noh Theater is one of the oldest forms of theater in Japan (originating out of combination of Chinese performing arts, known as sarugaku, and traditional Japanese dance called dengaku、 during the Muromachi Era, 13th~16th Century) and has attained great fame in World Performing Arts for its intricate dances, music and acting.
The actors are exclusively male and usually only the main one wears a mask(s) on stage.
Akobujou/阿古父尉/Old Man
There are five Noh Theater “Schools” all possessing their own original masks.
But the same masks have to be duplicated according to rules and traditions as obviously these original masks are really worn, invaluable relics they are!
Hanjo/班女/Lady Han
So far Roger has carved and exhibited 20 masks under the guidance of his Master, Kishinosuke Atsumi.
5 of them were exhibited at The Exhibition held with three more artists at the Shizuoka Bank/Shizugin Gallery Yonki March 10th~16th.
He is far from being a new face in the art as he has already exhibited in the Shizuoka Prefecture Museum and in Mariko.
Kantan Otoko/邯鄲男/The Man form Kantan
Carving the masks in wood is a long and intricate process taking 8~10 months in Roger’s cas as he can create them only during his spare time.
Yamanba/山姥/the Old Mountain Crone
Each mask weighs 130g~150g for female characters and 150~180 g for male counterparts.
Hashihime/橋姫/Princess Hashi (the mask of jealousy!)
Each mask is carved out of a block of either hinoki/檜/Japanese cypress or kusunoki/楠/camphor tree, both valuable wood in this country.
The process was kindly demonstrated with maks carvedin different stages at the exhibition:
The “four main stages”
A rough picture is drawn on a block weighing around 1 kg.
A rough mask is carved with help of hard paper measures.
The face is gradually carved in more details with the help of hard paper model.
The finished product hollowed out to fit the face of the actor with holes for the eyes and mouth!
It will then be careful painted.
I’m planning to interview Roger in his atelier soon to show you a more detailed explanation!
If you want to contact Roger directly for more information, write to him at rvoltz@mta.biglobe.ne.jp !
SHIZUOKA TOURISM 