Show Me The Monet!

Blessed with a shared day off for the Emperor’s Birthday, the Kangaeroos decided to spend it dealing with Monet matters.

We traveled to Tokorozawa Sakura Town to take in the Monet: I Can See the Lights – An Immersive Journey exhibition.

It was a decent show featuring a series of French Impressionist artist Claude Monet’s works projected against a massive hall to the accompaniment of soothing music.

A series of prints by Impressionist artists and an informative, bilingual explanation of the art form and changes that were occurring as it developed, including the influence of Japonisme, completed the event held at the Kadowkawa Culture Museum.

The museum is a dazzling building (basically in the middle of nowhere) designed by the renowned Kengo Kuma, who was the architect for the magnificent Japan National Stadium where the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games were held.

It’s not the first collaboration between Japanese media giant Kadokawa Corporation and the Olympics, as the former head of the company, Tsuguhiko Kadokawa, standing down after being charged for bribery to get the company named as a sponsor for the ill-fated Games held without spectators because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tokorozawa Sakura Town also hosts event halls and galleries, most of them devoted to manga, anime and other forms of pop culture.

The library section of the museum is simply stunning, with the love of books deeply evident in its presentation on dozens of packed shelves adorned with all manner of decorations.

Most stunning is the use of a 20-meter-tall wall full of bookshelves as the backdrop for a wonderful projection mapping show.

The center is also home to Musashino Reiwa Shrine, a spectacular, modern Shinto shrine also designed by Kuma.

Mrs. Kanageroo and I had a wonderful time at the center, and I wished I had known about it earlier.

Unlike many other attractions in these days of over-tourism, the crowds were not overwhelming and it was generally easy to view and take part in events.