High-definition Replica of 'Spring and Autumn Landscape Screens' by Shunkin Uragami Donated to Okayama Prefectural Museum of Art; Tsuzuri Project Enables Return to Artist's Hometown

Canon Inc. and the Kyoto Culture Association (a specified non-profit organization) will donate a high-definition replica of 'Spring and Autumn Landscape Screens' (by Shunkin Uragami), housed at the Minneapolis Institute of Art in the United States, to the Okayama Prefectural Museum of Art. This replica was produced as the 18th work of the 'Tsuzuri Project' (official name: Cultural Heritage Inheritance Project). The donated work will be on public display in the museum's indoor plaza until Sunday, July 5, 2026.

'Spring and Autumn Landscape Screens' is a large-scale folding screen masterpiece depicting landscapes with a skillful composition. The right screen features a spring scene, and the left screen an autumn scene, beautifully painted on silk with ink and light colors, accompanied by poems about each scene. The artist, Shunkin Uragami, was a literati painter born in Bizen Province (present-day Okayama Prefecture) who was active in the late Edo period. This work is considered one of his masterpieces.

The original is housed at the Minneapolis Institute of Art in the United States, and opportunities to view it in Japan are extremely limited. On this occasion, the Minneapolis Institute of Art agreed with the purpose of the Tsuzuri Project, allowing the production of the high-definition replica. The produced replica has been donated to the Okayama Prefectural Museum of Art, which holds many works related to Okayama Prefecture, including those by Shunkin Uragami, and plays a role in promoting regional arts and culture. This realizes the return of the work to Okayama Prefecture, the place associated with Shunkin.

For the production of the high-definition replica, the original cultural property was photographed using a Canon full-frame mirrorless camera. Image processing was performed using a proprietary color matching system, and the image was output using a large-format inkjet printer equipped with 12-color pigment inks. Furthermore, a traditional Kyoto craftsman mounted it as a folding screen, reproducing the original cultural property with utmost fidelity.

The donated work will be on public display from Wednesday, June 10, 2026, to Sunday, July 5, 2026, in the indoor plaza on the first basement floor of the Okayama Prefectural Museum of Art. Visitors can view and photograph the work up close without a glass case. The donated work is also scheduled to be used for future exhibitions, events, and educational outreach programs at the museum.

The 'Tsuzuri Project' is a social contribution initiative jointly promoted by Canon and the Kyoto Culture Association since 2007. Many of Japan's precious cultural properties, including works that have gone overseas or are carefully stored as national treasures, have limited opportunities for public viewing. The Tsuzuri Project produces high-definition replicas that faithfully reproduce original cultural properties by fusing Canon's imaging technologies (input, image processing, output) with the skills of traditional Kyoto artisans. The produced high-definition replicas are donated to temples, shrines, local governments, and museums associated with the cultural properties. Through public exhibitions at the donation sites and use in school education, the project creates opportunities for many people to appreciate Japanese cultural properties through the unique experience offered by replicas. To date, the project has produced over 60 high-definition replicas, including works by Katsushika Hokusai, Tawaraya Sotatsu, and Ogata Korin. Canon and the Kyoto Culture Association aim to convey the appeal of cultural properties to many people and preserve Japanese culture through the Tsuzuri Project.