High-Definition Replica of 'Birds and Flowers of the Four Seasons' from Minneapolis Institute of Art Donated to Fukushima Prefecture, Realizing a Homecoming to Sesson Shukei's Land

Canon Inc. (hereinafter 'Canon') and the non-profit organization Kyoto Cultural Association (hereinafter 'Kyoto Cultural Association') will donate a high-definition replica of the 'Birds and Flowers of the Four Seasons' folding screen (by Sesson Shukei), housed in the Minneapolis Institute of Art, to Fukushima Prefecture. The replica was created as the 18th term work of the 'Tsuzuri Project' (official name: Cultural Heritage Inheritance Project). The donated work will be exhibited in the entrance hall of the Fukushima Museum from Saturday, May 30 to Sunday, June 21, 2026. High-definition replica of the 'Birds and Flowers of the Four Seasons' folding screen ■ High-definition replica of 'Birds and Flowers of the Four Seasons' created by combining Canon's imaging technology and Kyoto's traditional craft techniques. The 'Birds and Flowers of the Four Seasons' is a major ink wash painting on a folding screen from the Muromachi period. The artist, Sesson Shukei, was known for his unique style and was active mainly in the Kanto and Tohoku regions. He is said to have spent much of his artistic life in Aizu and Miharu, giving him deep ties to Fukushima. The original is housed in the Minneapolis Institute of Art in the United States, making opportunities to view it in Japan extremely limited. The creation of this high-definition replica has now made a 'homecoming' to Fukushima, a land associated with Sesson, a reality. The Fukushima Museum (Aizuwakamatsu City, Fukushima Prefecture), which will be the recipient after the donation, primarily houses materials related to the history, culture, and nature of Fukushima Prefecture and the Aizu region, serving as a venue to widely promote the charms of Fukushima. To create the high-definition replica, the original cultural property was photographed with Canon's full-frame mirrorless cameras, and after image processing using a proprietary color-matching system, it was printed with a large-format inkjet printer equipped with 12-color pigment inks. Furthermore, traditional craftspeople from Kyoto mounted it as a folding screen, faithfully reproducing the original cultural property to the greatest extent possible. ■ Donated work to be exhibited and related events held at the Fukushima Museum. A donation ceremony and talk event, open to the public, will be held at the Fukushima Museum on Friday, May 29, 2026. At the talk event, in addition to an introduction to the Tsuzuri Project by its staff, museum specialists will explain the connection between Aizu and Sesson. The donated work will be exhibited in the museum's entrance hall from the following day, Saturday, May 30, to Sunday, June 21. It can be viewed up close without a glass case, and photography is permitted. Concurrently, a themed exhibition 'Paintings of Aizu' (*), starting on Saturday, May 30, will display works by painters and artists associated with Aizu, including Sesson's works from the Fukushima Museum's collection. The donated work is planned to be used in future exhibitions, events, and educational programs at the museum. * For details on the exhibition, please visit the Fukushima Museum's website. (https://general-museum.fcs.ed.jp/) ・Date & Time: Friday, May 29, 2026, 14:00–16:00 (Ceremony: 14:00–14:30, Talk Event: ①14:50–15:20 / ②15:30–16:00) ・Location: Fukushima Museum, Yukiguni Monozukuri Hiroba Nandabeya (1-25 Joto-machi, Aizuwakamatsu, Fukushima) ・Fee: Free ・Reservation: Not required (First-come, first-served, capacity of 20) *Please come directly to the venue. ・Talk Event Outline: ① 'About the Tsuzuri Project - A Fusion of Canon's Advanced Technology and Kyoto's Traditional Skills' Speakers: Sakurako Nakayama (Canon Inc. Sustainability Headquarters) Koji Tanabe (Representative Director, Kyoto Cultural Association) ② 'Aizu Where Sesson Lived - The Ashina Clan and Mukaikuro-yama Castle' Speakers: Keisuke Kajihara (Director, Aizumisato Town Folk Museum) Yasunao Kawanoe (Specialist, Fukushima Museum) The 'Tsuzuri Project' is a social contribution activity jointly promoted by Canon and the Kyoto Cultural Association since 2007. Many of Japan's precious ancient cultural properties have limited viewing opportunities, including works that went overseas in the course of history or are carefully stored as national treasures. The 'Tsuzuri Project' creates high-definition replicas that faithfully reproduce original cultural properties by combining Canon's imaging technologies—from input and image processing to output—with the skills of Kyoto's traditional artisans. The created high-definition replicas are donated to temples, shrines, local governments, and museums associated with the cultural properties, and are used in various settings such as public exhibitions and school education. To date, over 60 high-definition replicas have been produced, including works by Katsushika Hokusai, Tawaraya Sotatsu, and Ogata Korin. For more details, please refer to the 'Tsuzuri Project' website. https://global.canon/ja/tsuzuri/