This paper focuses on the anthropomorphic depictions of flowers that were frequently portrayed in Western illustrated books from the mid-19th to the early 20th century and analyzes these representations from a design perspective.

After analyzing 25 illustrated books (513 illustrations) for the study, we identified five types of anthropomorphic floral expressions. These included: Type A, which featured a human figure; Type B, which depicted the head as a flower and the body as a human; Type C, which showed a human head and upper body with the lower body as a plant; Type D, which portrayed a complete plant figure with human facial expressions and movements; and Type E, which was another anthropomorphic floral expression.

The most frequently observed expression, Type A, was analyzed by focusing on the design of four points: head, clothing, footwear, and accessories. The analysis showed that anthropomorphic expressions of flowers are characterized by the addition of impressive floral elements, particularly in the design of the head.

Furthermore, this characterization extends to clothing, which accentuates the presence and threedimensionality of flowers, as well as the incorporation of a diverse array of floral elements in footwear and accessories.

This study aims to gather fundamental data for the creation of outdoor facility planning guidelines in caregiving service facilities, including nationwide care homes for the geriatric health service facilities (GHSFs) and dementia group homes (GHs). It emphasizes the importance of walking, a fundamental physical activity, for its preventive and symptomatic effects on dementia.

A nationwide survey was conducted targeting 1,019 GHSFs and 970 GHs to understand the implementation of walking activities and their impact on residents. Results revealed a high percentage of walking activities being carried out in both GHSFs and GHs. Walks were found to be conducted with the aim of alleviating dementia symptoms, providing residents with a change of scenery, and addressing physical inactivity, particularly in different roles and service contexts of these facilities.

Additionally, data regarding the weather, seasons, locations, frequency, distance, and duration of walks conducted in both types of facilities was gathered. It was recognized that maintaining well-designed outdoor environments that allow residents to connect with nature through walks is essential for promoting positive effects.

Furthermore, this study highlighted implementation challenges for walking activities, including inadequate facilities in GHs and the need to lessen caregiving staff burdens from staff shortages. The findings of this study will provide fundamental data for future walking program implementations and outdoor facility planning in caregiving services.

This study aims to consider, through the personality of Harufumi Hirokawa, the movement known as Anti-Art and “Descent to the Everyday,” which is advocated by critic Atsushi Miyagawa.

Anti-Art is a movement originated around the year 1960 in Japan; it sought new ways of expression for denying traditional styles such as tableau and sculpture. “Descent to the Everyday” is a term used by Miyagawa in his analysis of the movement and refers to the idea that art has become vulgar and banal.

This study adds new interpretations to this movement and phenomenon by reconsidering the movement and the term mentioned above through the personality of Hirokawa. Hirokawa covered an interesting position because, while he had been involved in important activities and situations related to the Anti-Art movement, he was not an artist. The following results are found by considering Anti-Art and “Descent to the Everyday” through the lens of this figure.

The first interpretation focuses on the fact that the person who reached to the last phase of the Anti-Art movement was not an artist belonging to Anti-Art groups such as “Neo Dadaism Organizers” or “Hi-Red Center”, but it was Hirokawa who was almost an amateur at art.

Secondly, in addition to the idea that art had descended into ordinariness, artists and artistic activities also became vulgar and banal.

This paper examines the method of expressing seasons used by Kiitsu Suzuki, a painter of the Rinpa school in the late Edo period. It focuses on the expression of cypress leaves and “doha (banks)” in his “Mountain Streams Summer and Autumn on a Folding Screen.” In the past, the expression of seasons was typically distinguished by "scenery." Prior studies suggest that the distinction of the seasons in this work is based on the "color" of the bank, and their examination of the "color" of this work has relied solely on visual observation, thus, leaning toward impressionism. This paper analyzes the “colors” of the cypress leaves, bank and stream using the Munsell color chart. Additionally, furthering the conventional focus on its streams, it paid attention to the trees and the contrast between summer/autumn and streams and analyzed his skillful painting techniques and intentions, taking into account the perspective of “color.” Going beyond scientific research, it clarifies the function, effect and role of the painting materials in Japanese paintings when the number of colors was still limited.

The strategy Kiitsu employed to express seasons expanded from the inclusion of the main themes of summer and autumn, adopted from his master, Hōitsu, to the following: differentiating (1) the hues within the green of the bank; (2) the rocky area of the bank; and (3) Using a radical method of contrasting the hues for the base of the cypress leaves from those of the details of the leaves and incorporating a broad spectrum of “Gunroku” (bluish green rock pigment) between azurite and malachite, creating deep shades of colors.

Kiitsu’s pilgrimage to the western provinces, as recorded in his diary, “Kishi Saiyu Nikki”, stimulated his senses in his creative activities. Furthermore, the sense of expression given by Hōitsu, his master, and associated individuals played a significant role in how Kiitsu established his uniqueness . This paper addresses an example of his work from the transitional phase.

Senro Kawai is considered one of the most outstanding seal carvers of modern Japan. The author examines the transition of his style in seal carving, dividing it into four periods.

In this paper, the author discusses the style of the fourth period, or later years, from the age of 50 until Senro’s death at the age of 75. Previous studies have described the style of this period as “sloppy,” “simple,” and

“uninteresting,” and have focused on its restrained technique. This research, however, has investigated the originality of Senro’s seal carving expressed in this period.

In particular, the author gives attention to the changes in style depending on the size of the seal surface, the characteristics of the Yishan carved stone captured in his red character seals in small seal scripts, and why the Yishan carved stone, which is a reprint, was accepted.

Also discussed are examples of fusions of textual materials from the pre-Qin periods with small seal script.

In addition, the “Qiman” theory of calligraphy proposed by Bao Shichen in Yizhou Shuangji is put into practice in the carved lines of the fourth period, and at the beginning and end of the brush strokes one can see changes that suggest “niru pingchu,” which can be seen as the embodiment of Bao Shichen’s theory of seal carving.

In Senro’s later years, he sublimated seal scripts from the Qin dynasty carved on stones, shigu wen, ancient seals, etc., and developed a style that was even more universal and versatile than any in his 40s. The style has a calculated and slightly decorative touch at the edges of the carved lines and at the corners of the turnings, showing a norm of acceptance of the classics in seal carving, without being carried away by sentimentality or fancy letter forms.

Ground preparation is one of the most important steps when working with a metalpoint. This study aims to clarify the conditions of the ground suitable for metalpoint and systematize them based on scientific evidence. Experiments and investigations were performed, particularly focusing on the surface hardness.

Previous research has reported that the relationship between the density and clarity of drawn lines and the Mohs hardness of the pigments in the base are the conditions for a suitable base for metalpoint. However, more quantitative research on surface hardness has seldom been performed. Therefore, in this study, bases were created using six types of media and the strength of each coating was tested using specialized equipment. The research method involved two types of scratch hardness tests and two types of adhesion tests between the coating film and support.

Comparison and consideration of the scratch hardness and adhesion of each ground revealed that the acrylic resin emulsion had excellent coating strength. Furthermore, when drawing was performed using metalpoint on the six different types of ground, it became evident that the stronger the base paint film, the darker and clearer the drawn lines. The results of this research can create a foundation for clarifying the conditions of the ground suitable for metalpoint and systematizing them based on scientific evidence.