At the 2006 graduation ceremony, he wore a costume that imitates "Ketteki," or ancient official dress with unstitched open sides, and the "Orieboshi" cap, which Tenshin Okakura proposed and liked to wear, and held a performance titled "President Miyata acts like Tenshin Okakura," in which he wrote a Chinese character for "life," celebrating the graduating class.
We talked with Ryohei Miyata, President of Tokyo University of the Arts.
Calligraphy by President Miyata: A Chinese character for "loyal" that was written by him at the 2009 graduation ceremony. The bold and elegant calligraphy bears his seal with dolphin motif.
Q : Could you tell us about the costume you wore at the graduation ceremony?
Miyata: In the period when Tokyo Fine Arts School was founded, judges and Japanese Parliament officials wore Japanese-style costumes, which were made in the image of Prince Shotoku, instead of Western-style costumes that dignified them. The uniform that was worn by Tokyo Fine Arts School's instructors at that time was designed by Mayori Kurokawa, who established Japanese fashion design, by order of Tenshin Okakura. At first, the uniform was not so popular among the instructors and abolished in about 5 years. However, when I wore the reddish brown uniform designed by Mayori Kurokawa, I found that the uniform was best suited to the graduation ceremony held in the year of the 120th anniversary of the founding of Tokyo University of the Arts, so I could write the Chinese character for "life."
Q : Are there exchanges among faculties and departments?
Exchanges between the Faculty of Fine Arts and Music have been extended, and, in addition to "Geisai (campus festival)," cooperative activities, such as a collaboration in which students in the Faculty of Fine Arts make an opera stage set, have been increasing. Our school grew out of its old "specialist school," and became so-called "university."
Q: What were the circumstances in which the present-day Sogakudo Concert Hall and University Art Museum were founded?
When the replacement of the aging Sogakudo of the former Tokyo Music School with the new Sogakudo was planned, there was a movement to conserve the old Sogakudo, and the construction plan of the new Sogakudo was temporarily suspended. However, Taito City made a bold decision to relocate the old Sogakudo to Ueno Park, so the new Sogakudo's construction plan could be progressed. The Sogakudo Concert Hall was constructed based on the idea that the entire hall functions as an instrument and produces harmonious sounds. The hall is highly evaluated in terms of its acoustics, and used for classes and examinations, as well as concerts of instructors and students. We invite many people to the morning concert, which is occasionally held on Thursdays and contributes to broaden the audience base for music. (continued in the upper right column)
In addition to surveying, organizing, storing, restoring and exhibiting collections and holding special exhibitions, which general museums have conducted, the University Art Museum takes advantage of its characteristics of being a part of an art university where both production and education of art are conducted, and has a basic philosophy of functioning as a experimental museum. Since Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, where the Graduation Works Exhibition had been annually held, is closed for two years (2010-2011) due to its renovation, the exhibition is now held in the University Art Museum and classrooms of the Faculty of Fine Arts. (continued in the lower column)
Tokyo University of the Arts, Akarenga Ichigokan
Tokyo University of the Arts, Akarenga Nigokan
This building was built as a library of the former Tokyo Education Museum. The Education Museum was constructed in 1877 in Ueno Park, and renamed the "Tokyo Education Museum" in 1881. The museum was merged with "Tokyo Toshokan," or Tokyo library, in Yushima in 1885. Then, since the foundation of Tokyo Fine Arts School, the museum has been used as one of the school buildings. The oldish-looking building with red bricks and iron doors, as well as the Chinretsukan Gallery, remind us of the bygone days when Tokyo Fine Arts School was founded.
Q : Could you tell us about the new development of Ueno Campus and other campuses?
On Yokohama Campus, the Department of Film Production, Graduate School of Film and New Media, was established in 2005, and then, the Departments of New Media and Animation were set up. Films created by students majoring in the Film Production have been nominated at various film festivals and drawn attention. Also, the Department of Animation's student training method is highly evaluated, and the department received "Best Animation School" awards at international animation festivals, including the Ottawa International Animation Festival and Animafest Zagreb. In the Department of Intermedia Art on Toride Campus, new forms of art, such as physical expressions, which had not been educated in this university, are taught, and the department aims to conduct educational researches that go beyond the field of "fine arts."
Also, on Senju Campus that was established in 2006, the Department of Musical Creativity and the Environment, Faculty of Music, was set up, and the department takes advantage of one of the foremost sound studios and equipment in Japan to conduct educational researches. (continued in the nrxt page)
Ryohei Miyata, President of Tokyo University of the Arts
Miyata completed the Metal Hammering course, Department of Crafts, Graduate School of Fine Arts, Tokyo University of the Arts. The "Springen" series, metalworks of dolphins, by Miyata have received numerous awards, including the Grand Prize, Yomiuri Newspaper Prize, Nihon TV Prize and Minister of Education Prize at Modern Japanese Crafts Arts Exhibition, and the Prize of Excellence at Nitten Exhibition. He also received the 46th Modern Japanese Crafts Arts Exhibition's Prime Minister Prize in 2007 and the 41st Nitten Exhibition's Prime Minister Prize in 2009. After serving as the Dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts, he became the Vice President, Trustee in 2004, and has assumed the position of the President since December 2005.