The Eastern Culture Foundation (located in Shinagawa-Ku, Tokyo; current Representative Director: Yoshihisa Nakano) announces its establishment of the Asian Culture Award (ACA), which recognizes individuals in supporting roles in art and culture,

The ACA award is intended for individuals whose support in the spheres of the arts, culture, and society are centered mainly in the East (Asia) and extend beyond regions and borders, but who have not received the attention that their contributions merit. The judges for the ACA are currently active experts in a wide range of fields including art, cultural administration, and regional culture. The judges held their final selection on Thursday the 20th of February 2020, determining the three award winners.

Originally, an award ceremony was to be held in Tokyo, but in light of the effects of the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, Representative Director Nakano will be visiting the recipients in person to bestow the award certificate and the monetary prize.

ECF will encourage recipients to use the award as the foundation in the establishment of a new network, and will support their creative endeavors as part of the ACA’s ongoing commitment to the development of art and culture in the East.

The following are overviews of both the award and the Eastern Culture Foundation.

Overview of the 2020 Asian Culture Award

Title: Asian Culture Award 2020.
Qualification: individuals whose efforts in supporting art and culture extend beyond regions and borders.
Prize: 1 million Yen per awardee.
Award criteria:
-Culturally active individuals centered primarily in the East (Asia) with eyes on the world, whose activities have the potential to go beyond regions and borders.
-Individuals who are ongoing creators whose robust activities in arts and culture go beyond genres and regions.
-Individuals in supporting roles for a wide range of arts and culture for whom the award can be used as a springboard for further expansion of their activities.

Judges (Titles abbreviated. In Japanese alphabetical order):
-Yuji Akimoto (Director/Professor of The University Art Museum, Tokyo University of the Arts, and Director of the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa)
-Hiroshi Ohnishi (Executive Officer, Haneda Future Research Institute, and Vice President, Japan Airport Terminal Co., Ltd.)
-Naohiko Kishi (Representative, Art Fair Association)
-Seiichi Kondo (20th Commissioner, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
-Yoshihisa Nakano (Representative Director, Eastern Culture Foundation)

Recipients (Titles abbreviated. In Japanese alphabetical order):
Akira Kihara (National Traditional Craft Designated for Preservation Maintainer, and the other blacksmiths of the Nittoho Tatara*, the Society for Preservation of Japanese Art Swords).
*”Tatara” is a traditional Japanese iron making technique with with over 1,000 years of history. Mr. Kihara, the head artisan of apprentices of the Tatara technique, revived the creation of tamahagane (or “jewel steel”) using the Tatara method, and is passing on the tradition by training the next generation of murage blacksmiths.

Fukuyo Hirao (Ondako “Demon Kite” artisan).
Ms. Hirao is the last remaining creator of the Ondako kites that depict the extermination of “oni”, or demons in the traditional Japanese mythos. The Ondako has a long tradition on Ikishima Island. Today, her granddaughter Ayumi Saito is learning the kite-making craft in order to carry on the generational torch. Ondako can be purchased on the e-commerce site https://ondako.jp/ which is accessible in both Japanese and English (the site was designed and released on the 1st of April 2020 as a charitable endeavor of the ECF).

Kenji Yoshii (Representative Director and President, Yoshii Syouten Inc., Ltd.).
Mr. Yoshii is the president of one of the two remaining providers of metal powders for maki-e (a technique that involves the application of gold and silver powder to lacquerware). Maki-e metal powders are completely different from decorative gold leaf. There are over 1,000 types, including extremely fine powders and special-order varieties. By developing a production process that allows the techniques of artisans to be combined with technological advances, Kenji continues to provide high-quality metal powders to lacquer artisans.

About the Eastern Culture Foundation
The Eastern Culture Foundation (ECF) was established in August of 2019 by Yoshihisa Nakano, former president of Warehouse Terrada, who transformed Tennoz Isle, Tokyo from a warehouse district into a vibrant, distinctly atmospheric cultural hub through the power of art. He was joined by Kengo Kuma, architect, and Hiroshi Ohnishi, Executive Officer of the Haneda Future Research Institute, who both played vital roles in the project. Mr. Nakano’s plans for 2020 include an expansion of art endeavors and opportunities for personnel networking as well as increased provision of funding and know-how both domestically and abroad; the hosting of international culture-themed conferences; improvements of art preservation and storage capabilities; and, of course, an expansion of support of young artists in Asia.

The 6 primary missions of the ECF:
-To host international conferences on culture.
-To establish awards that express appreciation for lesser-known artists who have demonstrated ongoing support of culture.
-To promote activities aimed at the revitalization of local regions.
-To promote art conservation activities achieved through industry-academia partnerships.
-To create value through purchases of pieces made by young artists.
-To support cultural endeavors in the East.

Representative Director: Yoshihisa Nakano
Location: 2-6-10 Higashishinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo
Established: August 8, 2019

[Contact for Press]
Public Relations: Ms. Wakiyama or Ms. Kumagai (pr@m-ecf.com)