High-Resolution Reproductions × Visual Experience: National Treasures and Masterpieces Come to Fukushima!?

"High-Resolution Reproductions × Visual Experience: National Treasures and Masterpieces Come to Fukushima!?" is a special exhibition showcasing high-resolution reproductions of Japanese cultural treasures. The exhibition will be held at Hana no Shashinkan (Fukushima City Museum of Photography) in Fukushima City and is jointly organised by Fukushima City and Canon Inc., with the participation of Fukushima Canon Inc.

The exhibition presents seven national treasures and renowned masterpieces by six of Japan’s most celebrated artists, including figures such as Katsushika Hokusai and Ogata Kōrin. Rather than displaying the original works, which are often difficult to exhibit due to preservation requirements, the show features high-resolution reproductions created using advanced imaging technologies developed through the Tsuzuri Project, a collaborative initiative between Canon and the Kyoto Culture Association, a non-profit organisation.

By combining Canon’s cutting-edge digital imaging technology with the techniques of Kyoto’s traditional crafts, the reproductions achieve an exceptionally faithful rendering of the original cultural assets. This approach allows visitors to view the works up close without protective glass cases and to photograph them freely, offering a level of access rarely possible with original national treasures.

The exhibition introduces the artworks through three thematic perspectives — comparisons from the Momoyama period, masters of the Rinpa school, and ukiyo-e artists of the Edo period — highlighting both stylistic differences and shared artistic sensibilities across eras. Together, these perspectives provide an accessible entry point into the breadth and depth of Japanese art history.

In addition to the reproduced artworks, the exhibition offers a range of immersive visual experiences designed to deepen engagement with Japanese art. These include projection mapping that brings the world of Birds and Flowers of the Twelve Months to life through sound and imagery, an interactive installation that allows visitors to step into the composition of Beauty Looking Back, and an immersive theatre recreating the sliding-panel paintings of the Hōjō at Tenkyū-in Temple in Kyoto. Through these experiences, visitors can encounter Japanese art not only as static objects but as dynamic and participatory cultural expressions.