Ghibli's Kazuo Oga Exhibit at Yupopo

Tazawako Art Village is a multi-purpose facility with restaurants, hotels, hot springs, and – most importantly—a theater company which emphasizes in preserving the traditional performing arts in Japanese culture.

Hiroshima/Nagasaki Exhibit by Kzauo Oga

The hotel, Yupopo, is exhibiting a small show of Oga Kazuo, who was the art director and a painter for Ghibli Studio. His style, specializing in water-color, has had the greatest influence in Japanese Animation industry.

Displayed in the hallway.

The exhibition is themed in Hiroshima/Nagasaki, since August is the unforgettable month for the Japanese people. These water-color paintings were based on some photographs taken during the war and post-war period. These paintings are ironically beautiful in portraying the difficult time in Nagasaki and Hiroshima.

The Poem by Sankichi Toge, Calligraphy by Sayuri Yoshinaga.

Based on a photo taken from an airplane.

His most-known works include Totoro, which is known for the beautiful sceneries in the countryside. He most likely took some inspirations from his childhood memories in Akita. In these Nagasaki/Hiroshima paintings also, you can clearly see the traces of his signature style.


Barefoot Gen ("Hadashi-no-Gen," 1983), a film based on an edu-comics about a boy who experiences the atomic bomb in Hiroshima, is another film that marked his career, whose paintings are displayed at the show as well.

Also: how does this sound-- a black tea flavored with Yamabudou, or Crimson Glory Vine?

Darjeeling Tea flavored with Crimson Glory Vine.

Katanko's Original flavor! Available for 450yen. Also: With Soda (480Yen)

It is available at a café called Katanko, near the walk-through to the Bakkya side. The sweet and tangy flavor is so irresistible!