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"Travel" To Japan At The New IG-Worthy Pop-Up Exhibition In Singapore Featuring Kyoto, Japan

"Travel" To Japan At The New IG-Worthy Pop-Up Exhibition In Singapore Featuring Kyoto, Japan

Lifestyle Activities & Events
By Karmen on 05 Jul 2021
Digital Editor
Has severe RBF but is fairly jolly and carefree on the inside. Degree of life satisfaction is heavily influenced by food.

Japan is probably the first place most Singaporeans would book flights to once this madness is over and we can travel again.

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While you're daydreaming about that, there's a new pop-up exhibition in Singapore that'll give you the next best thing to a holiday in Japan: Life in Edo | Russel Wong in Kyoto at Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM).

Keep reading to find out more!

Asian Civilisations Museum's latest special exhibition, the Life in Edo | Russel Wong in Kyoto, is centred around Japanese culture and craftsmanship.

asian civilisations museum life in edo exhibitionPhoto from @doodemoyoshiko via Instagram

Russel Wong in Kyoto at Asian Civilisations MuseumPhoto from Asian Civilisations Museum

asian civilisations museum life in edo exhibitionPhoto from @lati.ak via Instagram

The showcase is presented in two parts. One is Russel Wong in Kyoto, a section that captures the beauty of nature and architecture in present-day Kyoto, the old imperial capital, and geisha traditions through the lens of local photographer Russel Wong.

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Russel Wong in Kyoto at Asian Civilisations MuseumPhoto from Asian Civilisations Museum

maiko geisha photo at asian civilisations museum life in edo exhibition1Photo from @lianjunvera via Instagram

large photo of geisha at asian civilisations museum life in edo exhibitionPhoto from @lianjunvera via Instagram

The other section, Life in Edo, focuses on the lifestyles and trends of the Edo period, from 1603 to 1868, through a display of Japanese woodblock prints.

Russel Wong in Kyoto at Asian Civilisations MuseumPhoto from Asian Civilisations Museum

wall taperstries at asian civilisations museum life in edo exhibitionPhoto from @lianjunvera via Instagram

paintings at asian civilisations museum singapore life in edo exhibitionPhoto from @lianjunvera via Instagram

These woodblock prints are meticulously crafted through a lengthy process involving carving blocks with an artist's design, making pigments and printing it on paper.

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Featuring works by ukiyo-e masters like Katsushika Hokusai and Utagawa Hiroshige, the colourful prints provide a peek into everyday life in the Edo period from food and festivals to fashion, flowers, and even pets!

painting at asian civilisations museum life in edo exhibitionPhoto from @doodemoyoshiko via Instagram

Utagawa Kunisada II. The Fifth Month from the series The Five Festivals Represented by Eastern Genji. 1855. Nakau CollectionPhoto from Nakau Collection

Utagawa Hiroshige. Peeping into the bathBoys fighting from Hiroshige_s Comic Prints. Early 1840s. Nakau CollectionPhoto from Nakau Collection

A particularly endearing one, especially for cat lovers, is Asakusa ricefields and Torinomachi Festival (1857), the 101th print from the series One Hundred Famous Views of Edo by Utagawa Hiroshige.

It depicts a courtesan, represented by the white cat, gazing out of the window at the festival.

Utagawa Hiroshige. Asakusa ricefields and Torinomachi Festival from the series One Hundred Famous Views of Edo. 1857 Nakau CollectionPhoto from Nakau Collection

illustration cat longing for fuji asian civilisations museum life in edo exhibitionPhoto from @kesidina via Instagram

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At the Shaw Foyer is an installation that'll remind you of your trip to Kyoto and offer pretty similar Insta-worthy backdrops, albeit in 2D form.

Imagine you're among sakura trees in spring, a snowy scape in winter, or under the famous torii gates.

Installation at Shaw Foyer for Life in Edo | Russel Wong in Kyoto. Image courtesy of Asian Civilisations MuseumPhoto from Asian Civilisations Museum

Installation at Shaw Foyer for Life in Edo | Russel Wong in Kyoto. Image courtesy of Asian Civilisations MuseumPhoto from Asian Civilisations Museum

cherry blossom photo backdrop at asian civilisations museum life in edo exhibitionPhoto from @kesidina via Instagram

winter in kyoto photo backdrop at asian civilisations museum life in edo exhibitionPhoto from @purplepumpernickel via Instagram

Life in Edo | Russel Wong in Kyoto runs till 19 September 2021 at Asian Civilisations Museum.

[8 July 2021 edit: this exhibition will be extended until 17 October 2021.]

Tickets are priced at $12 for Singaporeans & PRs and $20 for foreign residents & tourists, but you can get them on Klook.com for $10 or use your SingapoRediscovers vouchers for a free museum outing.

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Text by: GirlStyle SG