Japan

Japanese Swords From Peter Yorke’s Collection Head to Bonhams, Led by £25,000 Wakizashi

Masamune-lineage Sōshū wakizashi with an engraved blade and gold-lacquer mounts against a black background.

Japanese swords from Peter Yorke’s collection are heading to Bonhams, led by a Masamune-lineage wakizashi estimated at £15,000–£25,000. The sale also features a dated Bizen blade and a sword by Nobuhide, each with distinctive craftsmanship and mounts. We take a closer look at three highlights ahead of the online auction, which runs from October 30 to November 11.

Vintage Wooden Golf Clubs Are Growing in Value—Prices Are Up Over 150%

Three vintage wooden golf club heads with amber wood grain and red face inserts against a charcoal background.

Forget clearing out the garage without a second look—that old set of wooden-headed golf clubs gathering dust in your attic might be sitting on a goldmine. Bitten by nostalgia, collectors and golf enthusiasts are eager to reconnect with the sport’s golden eras, driving the value of well-preserved vintage clubs up by over 150% in recent years. From classic American-made Wilsons to historic Japanese-crafted Yonex sets, equipment once dismissed as obsolete technology is now being re-evaluated as valuable, elegant heritage. Before you throw away yesterday’s unwanted gear, taking a closer look at its condition and craftsmanship could reveal a prized piece of sporting history worth hundreds—or even thousands—of dollars.

Rare $1 Million Japanese Whisky Collection to Hit the Auction Block in Paris

Hanyu Ichiro’s Malt Card Series whisky bottles, with an ace-of-hearts label prominent at the front.

One of the world’s most exclusive Japanese whisky collections, the Hanyu Ichiro Malt Full “Card” Series, is set to be auctioned in Paris this November. Expected to fetch between $750,000 and $1.28 million, the collection features 54 bottles, each representing a playing card and signed by master distiller Ichiro Akuto. Known for setting record-breaking prices, Bonhams Cornette de Saint Cyr will host this online auction from November 12 to 29, offering collectors a rare opportunity to acquire a complete set of this historic Japanese whisky.

Ancient and Contemporary Japanese Kites Take Flight in Italy for ‘One Sky One World’ Peace Festival

Japanese kite painted with two figures beneath a yellow umbrella on a green background.

The festival’s centerpiece, hosted at the historic Magazzino del Sale Torre, will feature an unprecedented exhibition dedicated to both ancient and contemporary Japanese kites. Organized under the sponsorship of the Italian Ministry of Culture, the Japanese Institute of Culture in Italy, and the Italian Association of Printing and Paper Museums, the event underscores ARTEVENTO’s long-standing role in promoting kites as an “intangible heritage of humanity.”

RX Japan Opens Visitor Registration for the International Jewellery Tokyo Autumn Show

IJT Autumn 2024 promotional graphic listing October 23–25 at Pacifico Yokohama, Japan, beside a crowded exhibition aisle.

RX Japan is excited to announce the opening of visitor registration for the 12th International Jewellery Tokyo Autumn (IJT AUTUMN 2024), set to take place on October 23rd-25th at Pacifico Yokohama. This prestigious event, a highlight in the global jewellery industry calendar, will showcase around 810,000 exquisite jewellery items, including rare gemstones, coloured diamonds, pearls, luxury watches, and more.

Pixels and Paint: Mixed Media Artist Nancy Jo Ward Debuts at Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum

Colorful portrait of a person with hair in two buns and layered necklaces against a turquoise background.

California-based mixed media artist Nancy Jo Ward is bringing her evocative portraits to the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum for Japan’s 23rd International Art Exchange Exhibition from June 15-20, 2024. Ward creates rich, emotionally resonant figurative art using a hybrid approach that includes digital drawing, painting, and the use of gold and silver foils. Blurring the lines between pixels, paint, and algorithm, she shapes unique images that delve deep into the minds and hearts of her subjects.

Tokyo Park Unveils Cinematic Tribute to Onna No Ko Exhibition and Launches ‘Tokyo Vibes’ Showcase in Lisbon

Film still of Kaori Miyano’s artwork, showing a close-up of a blonde cartoon figure with large blue eyes holding a pink pencil.

In celebration of Tokyo Park’s inaugural showcase of contemporary Japanese art beyond the confines of the UK, Ninjin Art Productions has unveiled a captivating music-driven film chronicling the Onna No Ko exhibition at London’s Old Street Gallery in Shoreditch this past June. Titled ‘Onna No Ko: New Visions of Beauty,’ this visually dynamic short film boasts a runtime of 5 minutes and 10 seconds, featuring an electrifying electro house soundtrack crafted by the film’s director and acclaimed animator, Ignatius Rake.

Ninjin Art makes a big splash at Tokyo’s Flying Teapot

Reg Cleet meets his first alien in Ninjin Art’s The Night Turns (Mandelgrün).

Ninjin Art’s newest animation ‘The Night Turns (Mandelgrün)’ has picked all the right numbers for its premiere at The Flying Teapot, a key Tokyo locus for the Japanese avant-garde art scene. With a runtime of 3 minutes 52 seconds, ‘The Night Turns (Mandelgrün)’ combines the kimo-kawaii animation of Cornwall’s Ignatius Rake with the haunting synthesizer sounds of London’s Louis S Hill to tell the story of Reg Cleet, a man abducted by telepathic aliens that look like teeth and who want him to marry their queen and seed the next generation of alien/human hybrids.

SaiakuNana and Ignatius Rake declare ‘Punk Rock Forever’

SaiakuNana with an electric guitar outside a pink gallery storefront covered in drawings and lettering.

Celebrated Japanese artist SaiakuNana, who has exhibited her work in Tokyo, London and New York, has joined forces with award-winning Cornish animator and filmmaker Ignatius Rake to produce a music video that documents her must-see gallery in London’s East End before it closes this coming July 17.

“I became a fan of SaiakuNana’s work the moment I saw it at the Watari-um gallery in Tokyo,” Rake says.

“I was immediately struck by the power and vibrancy of her paintings, which combine the kawaii aesthetic of modern Japanese popular culture with the raw energy of punk rock and abstract expressionism.”

In 2018, SaiakuNana won the Grand Prize at the 21st Taro Okamoto Award for Contemporary Art, the Japanese equivalent of the UK’s Turner Prize.

Japan – NUTS ART WORKS Exhibition: Works Speak Eloquently Than Lips!!!

NUTS ART WORKS exhibition graphic with a sign painter, tiger head and bold black-and-yellow lettering.

SAI is pleased to present ‘WORKS SPEAK ELOQUENTLY THAN LIPS!!!’ an exhibition by NUTS ART WORKS, a craftsman known for producing store signs and graphics for fashion brands such as SUPREME, taking place from Friday 11th February to Sunday 27th February 2022.

Naoto Hinai, the artisan behind NUTS ARTWORKS, has been fascinated with vintage American culture since childhood and has worked as a self-taught hand-painted sign maker since 1996. With every step of the production process created by hand, Hinai’ s level of craftsmanship has earned him the trust of Tokyo’ s Harajuku cultural scene, as well as brands and stores in various industries. Throughout his career, he has created shop signs and graphics for leading brands, including SUPREME, NEIGHBORHOOD, Ralph Lauren, and UNIQLO.