Shogo Kariyazaki will be holding an exhibition from March 10 through 19 at the Chorakukan in Kyoto.

Shogo Kariyazaki, a renowned flower arranger, will be holding an exhibition titled a Triumphant Return from the Petit Palais. The exhibition is open from Thursday, March 10 through Saturday, March 19 at the Chorakukan in Kyoto.
Last year, Kariyazaki was invited by the city of Paris to hold a personal exhibition at the Petit Palais, which was the first time a Japanese artist has ever received such an invitation. The exhibition was a resounding success, and Kariyazaki is now planning to hold the same exhibition on an even larger scale in Kyoto. Below are pictures of last year's exhibit.

Having dazzled the residents of Paris, Kariyazaki will now flaunt his artistic talent at the Chorakukan, once used in the Meiji era (1868 to 1912) to welcome distinguished guests.

I thought I would take this opportunity to explain a bit about the Chorakukan.
Originally built as an additional mansion for Kichibei Murai, the king of tobacco during the Meiji era, the Chorakukan was designed by J.M. Gardiner, an American missionary and president of Rikkyo University.
Under Gardiner's supervision, construction was completed after five long years in 1909.
The mansion became a lively guesthouse, accommodating numerous elite visitors to Kyoto from Japan, Great Britain, and the United States.
While visiting a cemetery in Kyoto, the famous statesman Hirobumi Ito composed a poem in Chinese about the spectacular view from his window, thus bestowing the name Chorakukan on the building.

In 1986, the Chorakukan was designated a Tangible Cultural Property of the city of Kyoto. Currently, the Chorakukan comprises the over 100-year-old main building, dating from the Meiji era, and a cozy, wooden hotel wing (which only has six rooms).
The facilities include a cafe and restaurants.


Exhibition



Dates
: Thursday, March 10 through Saturday, March 19, 2011


Time
: 10 am to 9 pm (entry permitted until 8:30 pm)


Cost
: 1,000 yen at the door (900 yen in advance)
Kariyazaki himself will be present throughout the exhibition. If you buy a certain designated item, you can also get Kariyazaki's autograph during an autograph session!


Note that children aged 14 or younger are not allowed to enter the exhibition unaccompanied.
Also note that the exhibition site is only reachable by stairs, and is therefore not accessible to wheelchairs, strollers, and walkers.
We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience.

Programs including lunch and a talk-show or dinner and a talk-show are also available.

If you're interested, please contact us for details at the email address below!


Inquiries:

nts@japan-rn.com