Category: News

Notice of the IZUMO Art Selection – Nine Artists Exhibition

We are pleased to announce the IZUMO Art Selection – Nine Artists Exhibition, organized by Japan Spirit Co., Ltd..

This special exhibition brings together works by nine distinguished artists from various fields, rooted in Japanese traditional culture and spirituality. Through lacquer art, ceramics, printmaking, painting, and textile art, visitors are invited to enjoy a meaningful dialogue with art.

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■ Exhibition Information

• Dates: April 2 (Thu) – April 5 (Sun), 2026
• Time: 10:00 – 18:00
• Venue: Chino Civic Hall / Chino City Museum of Art
• Organizer: Japan Spirit Co., Ltd.

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■ Exhibiting Artists (Nine Artists)

• Atsumi Mitamura｜A master of contemporary lacquer art embodying the tradition and innovation of Edo maki-e
• Ariyo Mitamura｜An artist inheriting the lineage of Edo maki-e with academic insight as a Doctor of Art Studies
• Uryu Mitamura｜Pioneering a new frontier in three-dimensional lacquer art through wood carving and lacquer
• Junko Hori｜A ceramic artist connecting Italy and Japan, globally acclaimed for her “Four Seasons” tableware
• Shoun Fujii｜A renowned Arita porcelain master whose works are collected by the Omani Royal Family
• Hiroaki Miyama｜An internationally recognized printmaker collected by the Pushkin Museum and Shanghai Art Museum
• Marc Estel｜A master painter blending French color sensibility with Japanese mythology
• Rin Terada｜A textile artist of Tango Chirimen silk with a 300-year history
• (An international painter based in Germany, merging Rinpa aesthetics with Western abstraction)

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■ Message from the Organizer

After relocating to the foothills of the Yatsugatake Mountains, I founded Japan Spirit Co., Ltd. with the desire to share Japanese traditional culture and spirituality with the world through art.

This exhibition marks our very first IZUMO Art Selection – Nine Artists Exhibition. It is a great pleasure to hold it in this ancient Jomon land at the foot of Yatsugatake.

We warmly invite you to experience the unique worlds and creative expressions of each artist at the venue.

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■ Contact

Japan Spirit Co., Ltd.
4734-3861 Higashidake, Toyohira, Chino City, Nagano 391-0213, Japan
TEL: +81-90-3108-7294 (Yoko Ishikawa)
Download Exhibition PDF

A video featuring Yoko Ishikawa, who started farming in Chino City and is actively engaged in sharing the joy of agriculture with children, is now available.

In the video, Ms. Ishikawa speaks warmly about her activities teaching children the fun of farming through hands-on experiences in the fields, as well as the thoughts and feelings she has gained through this work.
We invite you to watch the video.

 

Starting from zero with the “Kakizawa-style Field Farming” 🌱—organic, no fertilizers, harnessing the power of microbes.

We share daily updates from the field and the progress of our natural farming. Follow us and cheer for our journey!

▶︎ @rinko_jomon369 (Instagram link)

#KakizawaFieldFarming #NaturalFarming #StartingFromZero #SustainableAgriculture

On July 10, 2025, Nagano Nippo featured Yoko Ishikawa’s book and her activities so far 📰✨

The article carefully introduces the content of her book, which is woven from her upbringing and life experiences, as well as her thoughts leading up to its publication.

If you can access the newspaper, please take a look 😊
We will continue to share updates on her activities!

Creating a Future Overflowing with Energy

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　
Arizumi Mitamura, Professor Emeritus, Tokyo University of the Arts

Everyone who meets Yoko Ishikawa feels the same: she is incredibly bright, full of vitality, and possesses a clear direction for the future, which she can express eloquently in her own words.

This book is filled with words that provide many insights into living. Every time you turn a page, you feel the excitement of wondering, “What truth will I encounter next?”

In today’s world, not only in Japan but globally, everything seems chaotic, and it is difficult to discern where true reality lies and what it truly is.

In daily life, do people encounter authenticity every day?
We are surrounded by appearances and superficial things, making it easy to forget what is genuine.

For those living primarily in virtual spaces, they may try to find truth within the information and objects there.
However, the inherent “ability to perceive essence” encoded in our genes has no role in such an environment.

By contrast, nature teaches us what is real.

The western sky dyed red by the sunset,
the colors of a rainbow after rain,
clouds rising between mountains,
the quietly moving moon and stars in the night sky…

When people stand amidst these scenes, they are healed and their hearts calm.
Surrounded by great nature, the “sensitivity to discern authenticity” within the human heart begins to flow again.

Even in the arts, extensive training is required to recognize authenticity.
In painting or sculpture, if one only observes fakes, it is impossible to perceive the real.
In opera, Kabuki, or Noh—
without having experienced the real, one cannot discern its essence.

This publication is filled with wisdom and philosophy for discovering the real.
Now AI even influences human hearts, and creations made by such technology can alter the way we live.

That is precisely why I hope readers learn from this book that a rich future lies within the “authentic creations” made by human hands.

On August 9, 2025, Rinko will hold a new initiative, the “Jomon Workshop.”

In this workshop, we will explore fundamental questions such as “Who am I?” and “Where did I come from, and where am I going?”
In modern society, materialism and money-centered values are pervasive, leaving few opportunities to reflect on the unseen—spirit and soul.
However, as the phrase “Spirit as the principal, body as secondary” suggests, we are spiritual beings originating from God. The spirit is primary, and the body follows.
By adopting this perspective, you will experience a more natural, light, and joyful way of living.

Based on this perspective, we plan to hold regular workshops in the future.

If you are interested, please feel free to join us.
Let’s enjoy learning together about “Who we really are.”

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🌿 Event Details

Date & Time:
Saturday, August 9, 2025, 13:00–17:00
(Individual consultations available after 19:00)

Location:
Ishikawa Villa (Rinko’s Residence)
6-2-16 Tsutsujigaoka, Mitsui no Mori, Toyohira, Chino City, Nagano Prefecture

Program Schedule:
・Greeting by Rinko (10 min)
　Topics: “Light and Darkness,” “Knowing the Truth,” “Living True to Japanese Spirit,” etc.
・Meditation of Love & Gratitude (15 min)
・Group Workshop (60 min)
・Group Presentations (60 min)
・Dinner (potluck) 17:00〜
・Individual Consultations / Counseling (after 19:00, optional)
　※Consultation with Rinko is free
　※Palmistry & Sanmei Astrology (by professionals / fee required)

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📄 Workshop Flyer (PDF)

You can download the workshop flyer here (PDF)

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📩 お問い合わせ・お申し込み

Organizer: Rinko & Jomon 369
Contact:
Yoko Ishikawa | risingsun1101@gmail.com / 090-3108-7294
Tomonori Koishi | tomozack@hotmail.co.jp / 090-1433-8042

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From June 2025, we have started a natural farming plot in Tateshina, Nagano Prefecture.

Mr. Koji Kakizawa, with whom I connected a few years ago, practices the ultimate natural farming method.
This spring, we were fortunate to be able to borrow his field for our own farming activities.

Mr. Kakizawa has established a “Natural / Field Farming” method that makes full use of not only soil microbes but also airborne microorganisms, while requiring no pesticides or fertilizers.

Under the guidance of the respected Mr. Kakizawa, my friends and I have finally begun a life immersed in farming.

The first day started with weeding and learning to use the tractor…
it felt like a field trip! We enjoyed the soil, the breeze, and the time to learn.

From now on, we will sow seeds, plant seedlings, and also cultivate fruit trees such as blueberries and kiwis in a section of the field.

Eventually, we hope to provide city children with experiences of “touching the soil,” “growing plants,” and “harvesting,”
and that dream is already expanding.

To all those connected with us,
please warmly watch over Rinko’s challenge with the “Kakizawa-style Natural Farming.”

Thank you very much 🌱

On April 29, 2025, I participated in a national movement initiated by modern history researcher Chikatsu Hayashi, along with four friends from Nagano Prefecture.

On the day, we did not bring our own placards but used the ones provided.
People from all over Japan gathered in Tokyo and assembled in front of the National Diet Building.
Although there were restrictions on the number of demonstrators, we were able to express the voice of the people through our actions while walking along the sidewalks.

Unfortunately, such activities were not covered by the media and did not appear in the news.

I have long admired Chikatsu Hayashi’s books, and as a respectful reader and as a citizen,
I participated on this day to convey my own convictions.

A local community revitalization project for students of Kitayama Elementary School in Chino City started in September 2022.

The community nurtures its children!
English is used as an entry point in various ways.

Parents and children engage and learn together, fostering curiosity and enhancing communication skills.

Next year, we will hold a joint camp with children from the city,
and a summer retreat in Tateshina.