As part of the events planned around Josai University’s 45th anniversary, Josai announced the opening of the Josai University Mizuta Museum of Art on December 9, 2011.

After a short Shinto service, Chancellor Mizuta, along with school faculty, administrators, planners and architects, gathered for the tape-cutting ceremony, thereby officially opening the museum in brilliant fashion.

Following the ceremony, around 170 invited guests, including museum planners and members of the mass media, were given a tour of the just completed confines of the museum. Around 650 students and others who had gathered for the event were also welcomed and took in the museum exhibits with great enthusiasm.
    The museum, with two stories above ground and a total area of 670 square meters, has three galleries in all. Opening day featured a number of special events including a limited exhibition of prints from the Mizuta Ukiyo-e Collection, an exhibit of work from famous modern landscape painter Hasimoto Hirohide, and a panel exhibition of photography that looked back on the history and development of Josai University. The museum also featured work from former Prime Minister and current well-known ceramic artist, Hosokawa Morihiro.

At the afternoon reception celebrating the opening of the museum, Chancellor Mizuta gave a brief address, saying, “The original Josai University Mizuta Museum of Art was established in 1979 to display the ukiyo-e collection that our founder so deeply cherished. And now, in commemoration of Josai’s 45th anniversary, the renovation is complete. For us, this is the first time to have a museum located in its own unique building. For now on, we plan to host many different exhibits and projects that will enrich this university’s education and research. It is my hope that residents in the area will share in our enthusiasm for the museum and help to make it a special place.”
    Following greetings from Sakado mayor Iri and Moroyama mayor Inoue, Sunil Bald of architectural design firm studio SUMO, who served as planners for the completed museum, and Vice President Noguchi of the Obayashi Corporation greeted the audience as well.

Wang Xiqi, professor from the LuXun Academy of Fine Arts (with whom Josai recently formed an academic exchange agreement) Oil Painting department and one of “China’s Top 30 Artists” as designated by the national government, also attended the reception. At present, Professor Wang is hard at work on a piece that deals with repatriation from Manchuria and is in talks with the museum about preparing an exhibition of his work in the near future.

Along with prints from the Mizuta Ukiyo-e Collection, the museum unveiled their various future exhibition plans, including an exhibit that focuses on the local culture of Sakado and Saitama, locations of other branches of the Josai campus. One can expect many projects that focus on the museum as a site of communication for local communities.