I was so lucky to finally make it back to Japan this spring after being away for four long, pandemic-filled years!! And I was even more lucky to have the have the opportunity to visit several museums and exhibitions showcasing some of my favorite kawaii artists during my trip. If you happen to be in Japan while they are still running, definitely check them out!!
One of the main highlights of my trip was the amazing retrospective on Rune Naito at the Kobe Fashion Museum which is running from April 8, 2023 through June 25, 2023. This exhibit, celebrating 70 years since his debut, offers a comprehensive look at Rune’s extensive career, starting with his magazine illustrations in the 1950s and spanning all the way to his oil paintings from the 2000s. It is truly a must-see for any kawaii history nerds.
The first half of the exhibit was chronological look at Rune’s career, beginning with his early magazine illustrations from Junior Soleil. Since the exhibition took place at a fashion museum, they cleverly displayed classic Rune covers alongside mannequins adorned in fashions that matched the illustrated cover girls. It was so awesome seeing the actual magazine covers featuring the iconic Rune girls!
The subsequent rooms showcased a variety of goods emphasizing Rune Naito’s influence on interior design trends, including his classic white wicker ware. Plus, there was even an entire corner dedicated to his trademark tomato pattern, complete with photo spot!
There were also multiple cases with huge variety of original furoku displayed; too many to squeeze into a few pics to I took a couple videos to share:
The final room showcased a large collection of Rune’s sketches, oil painting and figurines, many of which I had not seen before. While these paintings were similar in style to his earlier illustrations, they exuded a slightly colder and melancholic atmosphere, in contrast to his classic bubblegum style. The breadth of the exhibit was impressive and really allowed for a deeper appreciation of Rune’s unique style and versatility.
And no exhibition on Rune Naito would be complete without featuring his ceramics and other fun character goods. Seeing the beloved classics like Rune Panda and cute little cupids was super awesome, but it was even more fun to discover numerous other characters like Jimmy the American and Little Tiger that I had never seen before!
And of course So Many Pandas!
Whenever I attend exhibits like this, I feel like I’m snapping pictures non-stop. However, when I review them later, I realize that I have only captured just a small fraction of the astonishing artworks on display. This exhibition will be running until June, so if you happen to be in Japan, I highly recommend making a special trip to Kobe to check it out. I assure you that you will not be disappointed!
