Art Encouragement Prize for Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
1 appearances
-
Edition 72 (2022) award
Yasuhiro Sato
さとう やすひろ
Satō Yasuhiro
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1955-01-17 （Miyazaki Prefecture）
- Nationality
- Japan
- Languages
- Japanese
Career
- Occupations
- Art historian, University professor, Museum curator / museum staff, Cultural properties investigator
- Active Years
- 1980-
- Affiliations
- University of Tokyo (Faculty of Letters, Professor Emeritus), Tokyo National Museum (technical staff), Agency for Cultural Affairs (Cultural Properties Protection Department)
- Memberships
- Editorial board member, Kokka
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Tokyo | Faculty of Letters | Art History | 学士 | 1974-1978 | Japan |
| Graduate School of Humanities and Sociology, University of Tokyo | Graduate School of Humanities and Sociology | Master's program, Art History | 修士 | 1978-1980 | Japan |
| University of Tokyo | — | — | 博士（文学） | — | Japan |
University of Tokyo
Faculty of Letters
/ Art History
Degree:
学士
Period:
1974-1978
Year of Graduation:
1978
Country:
Japan
Graduate School of Humanities and Sociology, University of Tokyo
Graduate School of Humanities and Sociology
/ Master's program, Art History
Degree:
修士
Period:
1978-1980
Year of Graduation:
1980
Country:
Japan
University of Tokyo
Degree:
博士（文学）
Country:
Japan
Holds a Doctorate (Literature); year of conferral not specified in source.
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Kokka Award (4th) | Treasures of Japanese Art, Vol.27: Jakuchu & Sohaku (essay 'New Theory on Sohaku') | — | Kokka (publisher/organizers) | winner |
| 1993 | Ringa Art Encouragement Award (6th) | Yunyo-zu: The Drama of Gaze | — | Ringa Art Award Committee | winner |
| 2020 | Art Encouragement Prize (Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology) — 70th | Jakuchu: A Biography | — | Agency for Cultural Affairs | winner |
| 2022 | Tokugawa Prize (21st) | Jakuchu's Century: Studies in 18th-Century Japanese Painting | — | Tokugawa Prize Committee | winner |
Kokka Award (4th)
1991
Work:
Treasures of Japanese Art, Vol.27: Jakuchu & Sohaku (essay 'New Theory on Sohaku')
Organization:
Kokka (publisher/organizers)
Result:
winner
Ringa Art Encouragement Award (6th)
1993
Work:
Yunyo-zu: The Drama of Gaze
Organization:
Ringa Art Award Committee
Result:
winner
Art Encouragement Prize (Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology) — 70th
2020
Work:
Jakuchu: A Biography
Organization:
Agency for Cultural Affairs
Result:
winner
Tokugawa Prize (21st)
2022
Work:
Jakuchu's Century: Studies in 18th-Century Japanese Painting
Organization:
Tokugawa Prize Committee
Result:
winner
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Jakuchu: A Biography
2019 Art history / BiographyA biographical study of the 18th-century painter Ito Jakuchu, analyzing his life and works through primary sources and artwork analysis.
Ito JakuchuEarly modern Japanese paintingIconography
Will Paintings Begin to Speak? Creating a History of Japanese Art
2018 Art history / EssaysA collection of essays discussing methods and perspectives in Japanese art history, rethinking historical narratives through artworks.
Methodology of art historyArtwork-centered historiography
History of Japanese Art
2008 Textbook / OverviewA general chronological overview of Japanese art prepared for Open University courses. A revised edition was published in 2014.
Survey historyArt education
Yunyo-zu: The Drama of the Gaze
1993 Art history / IconographyA study analyzing compositions of gaze and narrative aspects in yunyo-zu, a genre of genre painting depicting bath attendants.
Genre paintingGazeIconographic analysis
Jakuchu's Century: Studies in 18th-Century Japanese Painting
2022 Art historical researchScholarly research reevaluating 18th-century painting history to situate Jakuchu and his era.
18th-century paintingJakuchu studiesCirculation and reception
Bibliography
Translations of Works
- The World of Ito Jakuchu (English translation, 2020 — translation of works/introduction)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Scholarly yet accessible explanatory proseComparative analysis correlating imagery and documentary sources
- Recurring Motifs
- Early modern Japanese painting (especially Jakuchu)Iconographic approachesReconstructing history from artworks
Legacy
An art historian known for studies of early modern Japanese painting, especially Ito Jakuchu. Drawing on museum and cultural affairs experience, he has contributed significantly through exhibition planning and scholarly publications.
Quotes
-
The current government is preparing the framework for Japan to go to war again. While it claims the purpose is to protect peace and its citizens, most wars occur under such pretexts.
Source: Open University exam question (introductory passage) / UP magazine (Sato Yasuhiro, 'Nihon Bijutsushi Fuannai 78: Political Neutrality') (2015)
Trivia
- In 2015 a controversy arose over the introductory passage of an Open University credit exam he authored; the university removed part of the question when publishing it online.
- In 2020 he received the 70th Art Encouragement Prize (Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology) for 'Jakuchu: A Biography'.
- In 2020 he resigned as chair of a government-linked art registration research council in protest over the government’s refusal to appoint new members to the Science Council of Japan.