Today’s Constitution Day. Inspirational Constitution of Japan Exhibition @ MUJIN-TO Production (2023/4/22-5/13) & AOYAMA MEGURO (5/20-6/11) 憲法記念日の今日。感激する日本国憲法展 @ 無人島プロダクション（2023年4月22日〜5月13日）& 青山｜目黒（5月20日〜6月11日）

The brilliant start of the Opening Reception “Constitution of Japan” 日本国憲法展 @ MUJIN-TO Production 無人島プロダクション points to an overall successful and inspiring exhibition until June 11th. Full house, Tokyo’s art scene came together and an article about the exhibition with the gallery owner, here also as art director, AOYAMA Hideki 青山秀樹 appeared in the renown Asahi Newspaper 朝日新聞 (similar to the New York Times), see attached link.
Today, May 3, is Constitution Memorial Day 憲法記念日, in celebration of the enactment of the 1947 Constitution of Japan. It became part of the merging of holidays known as Golden Week.
日本国憲法 The Constitution of Japan, written primarily by American civilian officials working under the Allied occupation of Japan after World War II.
Generally admired and appreciated by the world community, considered above all as an excellent ideal for a pacifist nation, whose REALPOLITIK is based on this “Peace Constitution”, respectively practiced. Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution can be regarded as the all-important paragraph that prohibits warlike activities and the maintenance of armed forces.
For this reason, The Japanese Constitution became internationally known as the oldest unamended constitution in the world.

The Constitution of JAPAN
Gento Matsumoto
TAC Co., LTD.

Editorial Board: Shuji Shimamoto, Satoshi Yamanaka, Futoshi Kimizuka, Takashi Fujime and Gento Matsumoto
Annotation (Japanese): Shuji Shimamoto
Annotation (English): David d’Heilly
Editorial Staff (TAC Publishing): Takashi Fujime
Book Design: Gento Matsumoto
Coordinator: Hideki Aoyama (Aoyama Meguro)

書名：日本国憲法
監修・編集・著者名：松本弦人　編
出版社名：TAC出版
出版年月日：2019年11月30日
定価：本体1700円＋税
判型・ページ数：四六判・221ページ
ISBN：9784813286738
https://www.tac-kenpou-art.jp

In 2019 the best-seller “The Constitution of JAPAN” from 1982 had been re-published by the publisher TAC, through the overall-editorial work of MATSUMOTO Gento 松本弦人. Amongst the many accomplishments the ‘Grand Prix 2021‘ stands out, awarded by the Tokyo Type Directors Club. Matsumoto’s quote:
“I edited the Constitution of Japan with a focus on design/composition based on the constitutional text and postwar Japanese art under the Constitution. While my work openly deals with the nation-state and expression, the text and the art works essentially deal with the lives that must follow the framework of the nation.”
https://tokyotypedirectorsclub.org/en/award/2021_grandprix/
Refer also to:
Link_https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzzJxcs50qU
Design Forum “TDCDAY 2021” (English ver.)
https://www.dnpfcp.jp/gallery/ggg/eng/00000773
「天才バカボン」と「日本国憲法」の意外な関係 (2020/1/19)
https://books.j-cast.com/2020/01/19010649.html

Understandably, few citizens of their own country bother to read through the entire constitution.
All people involved in this prize-winning book have taken it upon themselves to change this situation and to underpin the individual paragraphs visually, with astonishing artworks by Japanese artists, in order to make them interesting and more understandable for the Japanese population.

Today still about 80% of the Japanese voluntarily wear masks. Said that, step by step Japan returns to its pre-corona times. The vivid art scene, too. Gallery owner AOYAMA Hideki directed this important exhibition to be held at three locations in Tokyo. Several works had been newly selected, influenced by the principles that run through the 1982 and 2019 editions of the bilingual book.
Visitors already mentioned that the somehow difficult to read paragraphs of the Constitution became more clear in their minds when they are juxtaposed with these artworks.
Strongly recommending, indeed!

Constitution of Japan Exhibition 日本国憲法展

MUJIN-TO Production
2023/4/22-5/13
https://www.mujin-to.com

AOYAMA MEGURO
2023/5/20-6/11
http://aoyamameguro.com/

JUNKUDO Ikebukuro
2023/4/28-5/31
https://honto.jp/store/detail_1570019_14HB320.html

Please check the websites for opening hours.

Yesterday the Asahi Shimbun also published the whole text and photograph again on its website with book reviews. Please check the link.

Book Asahi, 2023.05.02
憲法とアート、並べて見えるもの　都内3会場で異色の企画展
展示を企画した青山秀樹さん＝東京都墨田区の無人島プロダクション

日本国憲法の条文と現代美術作品を一つずつ組み合わせて展示する異色の企画、「日本国憲法」展が２２日、東京都内のギャラリーで始まった。計３会場で６月１１日まで展示する。
more @
https://book.asahi.com/article/14895337

up-date 2023/5/12

アートで感じる憲法　条文と現代美術組み合わせ　墨田など都内3会場　／東京
毎日新聞 2023/5/11
憲法とアートによる「日本国憲法展」が墨田区江東橋5のギャラリー「無人島プロダクション」などで開かれている。憲法の条文と現代美術を組み合わせた独特の空間が生まれている。【明珍美紀】
　赤や青、黄や緑など色とりどりのチューリップがアクリル板の上に描かれている。アーティストの森栄喜さんの作品だ。「デモで路上に寝転んで抗議している人々をチューリップに見立てた」という。その横に「婚姻や家族に関する法律は、個人の尊厳に立脚して制定されなければならない」と定めた憲法24条2項を記した白い紙が張ってある。

more @
https://mainichi.jp/articles/20230511/ddl/k13/040/007000c