The "Araki Nobuyoshi: Ojo Shashu - Higashi no Sora PARADISE" exhibition has opened at the Shiseido Gallery in Ginza, Tokyo. It runs until December 25th.
The exhibition title, "Ojo Shashu," was coined by Araki, inspired by the Buddhist text "Ojoyoshu" (985), written by the Heian-period monk Genshin. Genshin collected key passages on "going to paradise" from numerous Buddhist scriptures and treatises, and preached that "it is important to single-mindedly remember Buddha and chant the Nembutsu in order to attain 'going to paradise' after death." These teachings are said to have later become the foundation of Japanese Pure Land Buddhism.
This exhibition is a joint exhibition held at the Toyota Municipal Museum of Art, the Niigata City Art Museum, and the Shiseido Gallery, each with its own subtitle and exhibited works. Araki's experiences of developing prostate cancer and undergoing surgery to remove it in 2009, the subsequent death of his beloved cat Chiro, and the Great East Japan Earthquake made him more conscious of his own "death = going to heaven," which led to the realization of this joint exhibition. The Shiseido Gallery, the final venue for the exhibition, will feature works that capture Araki's current state of mind, moving from "death = going to heaven" to "rebirth."


[Event Information]
"Nobuyoshi Araki: Collection of Photos of Going to Heaven - Eastern Sky, Paradise" Exhibition
Venue: Shiseido Gallery
Address: Tokyo Ginza Shiseido Building, 8-8-3 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
Dates: October 22nd to December 25th
Hours: 11:00am - 7:00pm (until 6:00pm on Sundays and holidays)
Closed: Mondays
Free admission