I think that people should more grasp situations in larger scale in some cases. Opinions sometimes too much emphasize trivial doubts. Should consider how much important it is, how much worth emphasizing it.

The current tendency that populism is powerful is partly because of social media. The public influences each other and its influence directs them to a certain way. At this moment, social media is not what citizens are capable of. However, we should not exclude member of community.

Upload: 8 November 2020, Last update: 3 January 2022

In the technological developed world, the importance of philosophy and its critical perspectives into the world is getting more important as some tech people are aware of, but others are not conscious of it.

It gives rise to theoretical framework in society, by which people recognize what’s been happening in the world.

Uploaded 1 November 2019, Last updated 15 September 2022

The international art festival held in Aichi, Japan, AICHI TRIENNALE 2019: Taming Y/Our Passion which began on 1 August has ended on 14 October. There have been a lot of controversies around this triennale. The freedom of expression was and is in the center of disputes.

A controversial and important point is that the decision made on 3 August to suspend the exhibition of “After ‘Freedom of Expression?'” which is one of the exhibitions of the Aichi Triennale was whether censorship or not. The exhibition of “After ‘Freedom of Expression?'” displayed the works subject to (self-)censorship in the past. The idea to have them on this festival were raised in a meeting on 10 May 2018 by Daisuke Tsuda[1], artistic director of this triennale and who visited the non-freedom of expression exhibition in Tokyo in winter 2015[2]. In the process of preparation of this exhibition, the governor of Aichi prefecture Hideaki Omura had concern over the statue of peace, but finally he agreed with a condition not allowing audiences to post pictures on social media[3].

After the triennale started, more than anticipated amount of intimidating, threatening, and protesting calls, emails, faxes were received, some protestors visited the site in person[4]. Just in August the triennale organising committee and Aichi prefecture received 3,936 calls, 6,050 e-mails, 393 faxes among which there was one fax sent on the morning of 2 August threatening to make gasoline terrorism happen whose sender was arrested 5 days later — the number in August amounted to 10,379[5]. The fear was intensified by the Kyoto Animation arson happened on 18 July[6] as well as the relationship between Japan and South Korea getting more tensions. Since the calls were too many, those who weren’t in charge of phone calls had to deal with them throughout the day which led to the difficult situation to continue[7].

Given this circumstance, the proposition to stop the exhibition by the governor of Aichi prefecture was agreed by the artistic director Tsuda. The decision was made along with the following timeline. On 2 August around 10:00pm the governor of Aichi prefecture Omura suggested the canceling of the exhibition of “After ‘Freedom of Expression?'” to the artistic director Tsuda and he agreed, but since the director couldn’t get consent from the committee of the exhibition that night, the proposition of Omura became once off the table in the morning of 3 August[8]. As it got exacerbated, the governor again proposed to cancel the exhibition around 3:30pm[9]. Given the accelerating situation until 3 August, Tsuda accepted it[10] — it was officially announced 5pm on the same day[11]. In parallel with this decision-making, the artistic director communicated in detail with the organizer of the exhibition — as he said in the press conference at Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan held on 2 September, for example, conversation on the night of 2 August, using group chat to tell what was happening behind the operation the following day, conveying the requests from the organizer of exhibition to the governor at the time the decision of 3 August was made[12].

On the other hand, the committee of the exhibition as well as other artists have different perspectives. Yuka Okamoto, member of the organizing committee of the exhibition expressed the decision as “the violation of freedom of expression”[13] and censorship[14]. They think that the decision-making lacked enough “opportunity to hear the opinions”[15] of them. Besides, there were artists who “recognized it as actual censorship and canceled … or changed their works”[16] on the triennale. After the organizer of “After ‘Freedom of Expression?'” and the triennale had discussions to resume, the reopening came true on 8 October — all exhibitions resumed. As to the “After ‘Freedom of Expression?'”, there were several rules imposed such as the number of audiences was limited, photos cannot be posted on social media until the triennale ends, and security-check.

Also, there is a doubt whether the decision was made because of political interventions such as the mention by the chief cabinet secretary Yoshihide Suga in the press conference of 2 August, the criticisms by the mayor of Nagoya city, Takashi Kawamura, and comments by other politicians. Tsuda denied it, and explained that it was because “the function of the office of organizing committee was paralyzed”, they “faced the threat of terrorism”, of “stress of staff”, and of “impossibility of smooth operation”[17].

Related to the individual and organizational protests, on the Internet, especially on social media the dissemination of false-images or zoomed-out images of the works of “After ‘Freedom of Expression?'” are shared among the Internet users. Many say the works are hate-speech or racism, in many cases of those posts, the contexts, concepts, and intentions of its works and artists are ignored. Presumably, many people spread information they get from Internet users which already emphasized the aspects the organizers of the event didn’t intend. This phenomenon represented the current state that museums are no longer closed to those who are interested in. Social media can reach out to much wider range of people and in some cases spread different impressions.

There are mainly four works targeted. One is “Holding Perspective Part II”, 20-minute video work having the scene of burning collages of the former Japanese emperor Hirohito[18], by Nobuyuki Oura. The scene was widely spread on the Internet and many criticized. The series of “Holding Perspective” was made in 1970s to 80s[19], and the Part II was made for this triennale[20]. In an interview with VICE in 2013, Oura talked about his series that “At the very least, I didn’t make this series to criticize the Emperor”[21] and “As an artist, I wish my work could have been discussed more openly by people with new perspectives who are more flexible in their thinking”[22]. Another work which got huge attention among protesters is the “Statue of Peace” by Kim Seo kyung and Kim Eun sung. According to the explanation by Okamoto, it is a statue “hoping (for the world) without war and sexual violence and to restore the dignity of women”[23]. Also, as for “Portrait of the Period – Endangered Species idiot JAPONICA – Round barrow-“ by Katsuhisa Nakagaki, although the work has warnings and messages to society[24], many protests interpreted the work as the grave of idiot Japanese which contains racism. The artist Chim↑Pom displayed the work “KI-AI 100”, a video artists and young people chant together in Fukushima, which was made a few months after 3.11. A part of his work has the scene “radiation is great”[25]. The words were misinterpreted and spread in an unintended way.

In a way to enjoy arts, not just interpreting arts by first impression, people can get deeper understanding by thinking about the contexts and concepts of its artists. Contexts are parts of works and arts has depths which are hard to understand just by a glance or by looking at appearances, much harder on the Internet. Moreover, there’s been a tendency that people critical of Japanese history or politics are regarded as anti-Japanese, but posing critical questions and perspectives to society is not necessarily anti-Japanese (in many cases not at all). Opposing opinions are always welcomed but threatening to take exhibitions down is not acceptable.

Restrictions on freedom of expression and depriving opportunities to get different and critical perspectives don’t help society to develop. It deprives chances for people to think about or have discussions to the issues raised by artists.

The Aichi Triennale 2019 focused on the meaning of having the “After ‘Freedom of Expression?'” exhibition in public as a part of the festival. Some protests said that it should be held privately if the organizers want, but in Japanese society there have been the atmosphere shared by its society and pressures that narrow the range of freedom of expression especially in topics related to the war time period. Since the organizers resolutely stepped into the current circumstance around these sensitive issues, they faced the huge backlash. However there’s a hope that the Aichi Triennale and Aichi protocol would be a turning point towards the future of freedom of expression.

[1] あいちトリエンナーレのあり方検証委員会. Interim report. 25 September 2019. p8. Downloaded 13 October 2019. Available at https://www.pref.aichi.jp/soshiki/bunka/triennale-interimreport.html 中間報告（最新版）.

[2] The press conference of the Aichi Triennale artistic director Daisuke Tsuda at The Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan (FCCJ) on 2 September 2019 available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5QrNRES5C0 7:31-. Accessed 30 October 2019

[3] あいちトリエンナーレのあり方検証委員会. Interim report. 25 September 2019. p11. Downloaded 13 October 2019. Available at https://www.pref.aichi.jp/soshiki/bunka/triennale-interimreport.html 中間報告（最新版）.

[4] Ibid. p3

[5] The press conference of the Aichi Triennale artistic director Daisuke Tsuda at The Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan (FCCJ) on 2 September 2019 available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5QrNRES5C0 15:31-16:39. Accessed 30 October 2019. あいちトリエンナーレのあり方検証委員会. Interim report. 25 September 2019. p26. Downloaded 13 October 2019. Available at https://www.pref.aichi.jp/soshiki/bunka/triennale-interimreport.html 中間報告（最新版）.

[6] KYODO NEWS. 33 dead after man sets fire to Kyoto anime studio. https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2019/07/7cc0f7f7c6e2-dozens-injured-in-fire-after-man-sprays-liquid-at-kyoto-anime-studio.html Published 18 July 2019. Accessed 30 October 2019.

[7] The press conference of the Aichi Triennale artistic director Daisuke Tsuda at The Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan (FCCJ) on 2 September 2019 available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5QrNRES5C0 20:36-. 39:55-. Accessed 30 October 2019.

[8] The press conference of the Aichi Triennale artistic director Daisuke Tsuda at The Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan (FCCJ) on 2 September 2019 available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5QrNRES5C0 44:32-. Accessed 30 October 2019. あいちトリエンナーレのあり方検証委員会. Interim report. 25 September 2019. p20. Downloaded 13 October 2019. Available at https://www.pref.aichi.jp/soshiki/bunka/triennale-interimreport.html 中間報告（最新版）.

[9] The press conference of the Aichi Triennale artistic director Daisuke Tsuda at The Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan (FCCJ) on 2 September 2019 available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5QrNRES5C0 47:57-. Accessed 30 October 2019. あいちトリエンナーレのあり方検証委員会. Interim report. 25 September 2019. p20. Downloaded 13 October 2019. Available at https://www.pref.aichi.jp/soshiki/bunka/triennale-interimreport.html 中間報告（最新版）.

[10] The press conference of the Aichi Triennale artistic director Daisuke Tsuda at The Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan (FCCJ) on 2 September 2019 available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5QrNRES5C0 22:44-24:46. Accessed 30 October 2019.

[11] あいちトリエンナーレのあり方検証委員会. Interim report. 25 September 2019. p3. Downloaded 13 October 2019. Available at https://www.pref.aichi.jp/soshiki/bunka/triennale-interimreport.html 中間報告（最新版）.

[12] The press conference of the Aichi Triennale artistic director Daisuke Tsuda at The Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan (FCCJ) on 2 September 2019 available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5QrNRES5C0 47:35-50:07. Accessed 30 October 2019.

[13] The press conference of the organizing committee of “After ‘freedom of expression?'” on 2 September 2019. Available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0iHEXZ1BYWY. 12:22-. Accessed 31 October 2019.

[14] Ibid. 18:48-19:06.

[15] Ibid. 12:32-. Quote comes from interpretation.

[16] あいちトリエンナーレのあり方検証委員会. Interim report. 25 September 2019. p3. Downloaded 13 October 2019. Available at https://www.pref.aichi.jp/soshiki/bunka/triennale-interimreport.html 中間報告（最新版）.

[17] The press conference of the Aichi Triennale artistic director Daisuke Tsuda at The Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan (FCCJ) on 2 September 2019 available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5QrNRES5C0 25:58-. Accessed 30 October 2019.

[18] A symposium on 21 September 2019. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-p14VEv11T0. 35:48-. Accessed 31 October 2019.

[19] https://censorship.social/artists/oura-nobuyuki/ Accessed 31 October 2019.

[20] Ibid.

[21] VICE Japan. (2013). The Art of Taboo: 大浦信行 Nobuyuki Oura. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaCKL0Bcito 5:22-. Published on YouTube 28 April 2013. Accessed 31 October 2019.

[22] Ibid. 5:28-

[23] The press conference of the organizing committee of “After ‘freedom of expression?'” on 2 September 2019. Available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0iHEXZ1BYWY. 19:50-. Accessed 31 October 2019.

[24] https://censorship.social/artists/nakagaki-katsuhisa/ Accessed 31 October 2019.

[25] Only the audio is available at https://www.tbsradio.jp/418202 (as of 15 October 2019). 13:50-