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

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.

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.

Photo from @doodemoyoshiko via Instagram

Photo from Asian Civilisations Museum

Photo 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.

Photo from Asian Civilisations Museum

Photo 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.

Photo from Asian Civilisations Museum

Photo 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.

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!

Photo from @doodemoyoshiko via Instagram

Photo 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.

Photo from Nakau Collection

Photo from @kesidina via Instagram

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.

Photo from Asian Civilisations Museum

Photo from @kesidina via Instagram

Photo 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.