About the Museum | Kubo Osamu Paper Cutting Museum

This museum is part of the Sumino Isamu Foundation's "Operation and Maintenance of Museums for Exhibiting Artworks" project, and is promoting the charm and splendor of Japan both in Japan and overseas through the works of paper cutting artist Osamu Kubo, who incorporates his own unique techniques into traditional Japanese persimmon tannin washi paper. It is an experiential facility where you can enjoy both a museum where you can "view" paper cuttings and a workshop where you can "make" paper cuttings.
The appeal of KUBO Shu's work lies in the vitality that overflows from it.
Of course, we want people today to view Kubo Osamu's work, but we also want you to feel the energy with which he continues to create paper cuttings as paintings (works of art), saying, "I want to create works that people 100 or 200 years from now can enjoy."

KUBO Shu's biography

1951: Born in Mine City, Yamaguchi Prefecture
1971: Started paper cutting while studying architecture at university
1974: Started painting Japanese houses
1976: 1st solo exhibition (Yamaguchi)
1977: Solo exhibition of "Hometown Drawings" (Osaka)
1979: Responsible for the title illustrations for the Kansai TV program "Hi! Saturday"
1980: Commentary on "Chinese Arrow Paper" by Kaigai Publishing / Serialization of illustrations and text in "Discovering Japan" by Akatsuki Educational Books / Solo exhibition sponsored by Kansai Television (Kyoto) / Solo exhibition sponsored by Komatsu Sakyo Office (Osaka, Tokyo) / Solo exhibition planned by Sony Tower Building (Osaka)
1981: Solo exhibition at the Osaka Prefectural Contemporary Art Center (Osaka) / Solo exhibition at the Grand Gallery (Osaka) Held annually until 1997
1982: Responsible for illustrations in the Sankei Shimbun "The Woman Who Carries Love" / Osaka Shimbun "Hometown Kansai" illustration and text series / Solo exhibition sponsored by Izushi Town (Hyogo) / Solo exhibition sponsored by the Sankei Shimbun Company (Osaka)
1983: Responsible for illustrations in the Asahi Shimbun "Life and Greenery" / Mainichi Shimbun "The Science of Baths" / Cover art for the public relations graphic magazine "Osakafu"
1984: Study in Spain (until 1985)
1986: Sankei Shimbun "Journey to Spain" illustration and text series / Solo exhibition hosted by Izushi Town (Hyogo) / Solo exhibition at Tsukashin Seibu (Hyogo)
1987: KUBO Shu Papercutting World Exhibition (Philippines) / Ito Kiyonaga Museum of Art Exhibition (Hyogo)
1988: Itami City Art Gallery Exhibition (Hyogo) / "Paper Cutting: A Journey Along the Silk Road" Exhibition (Silk Road Expo Pavilion, Nara)
1989: Serialized in Asahi Shimbun "Kubo Osamu's Papercutting Journey" / Appeared on Mainichi Broadcasting System's "Pearl Box" / Solo exhibition hosted by Izushi Town (Hyogo) / Solo exhibition at Hankyu Umeda Main Store (Osaka)
1990: Mine City Hospital Lobby "The Four Seasons of Mine" Papercut (200 size) / Mine Junior Chamber of Commerce Exhibition (Yamaguchi)
1991: Appeared on NHK TV's "A Little Good Trip" and Mainichi Broadcasting System's "A Small Box of Pearls"
1992: Solo exhibition at Mitsukoshi Shinjuku store (Tokyo) / Exhibition sponsored by Asahi Family News Co., Ltd. (Hyogo)
1993: Responsible for the cover art of the magazine "Ama-Kara Techo" / Solo exhibition at Okinawa Mitsukoshi (Okinawa) / Solo exhibition at Mitsukoshi Shinjuku (Tokyo) / Exhibition at the Municipal Miyama Kayabuki Museum (Kyoto) / Exhibition of Night Scene Paper Cuttings (Hokkaido)
1994: Regular appearance on Sun Television's Hyogo Prefecture public relations program "Furusato Station" / Serialization of illustrations and text for Sports Nippon's "Kubo Osamu's Asia Dances" / Mine City 40th Anniversary Exhibition (Yamaguchi)
1995: Created the work "Ancient Dragonfly" for the Mine City Fossil Museum (100cm)
1996: Responsible for illustrations for Asahi Shimbun's "Tomorrow" / Asahi Broadcasting Television's "ABCDE-su" with illustrations by Kubo Osamu / Regular appearance in the "100 Views of Tajima" / Solo exhibition for the Hanshin Earthquake Reconstruction Spring Colors Exhibition (Hyogo)
1997: Nikkan Gendai "Kubo Osamu's Delicious Travelogue" illustration and text series / Ito Kiyonaga Museum of Art Exhibition (Hyogo)
1998: Shogakukan "Bungei Post" front cover illustration series / Invited sketching for Taiwan Tourism Bureau / Invited sketching for Austrian Government Tourist Board / Exhibition at Daimaru Ashiya store (Hyogo)
1999: Adoption of the "Sumida River Fireworks and Morning Glory" design for the hometown stamp / Commemorative exhibition for the adoption of the "Sumida River Fireworks" hometown stamp (Tokyo) / Exhibition sponsored by Tachiyoshi (Kyoto)
2000: Participated in the Inner Mongolia Culture and Arts Festival / Invited to do sketching for the Austrian National Tourist Board / Invited to do sketching for the Uzbekistan National Tourist Board / Solo exhibition at Gallery Seiho (Tokyo)
2001: Uzbekistan Airlines In-flight magazine production sketch research / Osaka Takashimaya solo exhibition (Osaka) / Isetan Shinjuku store solo exhibition (Tokyo) held every year until 2012
2002: Niigata Isetan Solo Exhibition (Niigata) / Kobe Daimaru Solo Exhibition (Hyogo) / Himehana Park Gallery Exhibition (Hyogo)
2003: Gifu Takashimaya solo exhibition (Gifu) / Keio Plaza Hotel Lobby Gallery solo exhibition (Tokyo) / Municipal Miyama Kayabuki Museum Exhibition (Kyoto)
2004: Papua New Guinea coverage for Bungeishunju's "All Readings" project / Solo exhibition at Matsuyama Mitsukoshi (Ehime) / Solo exhibition at Isetan Matsudo, Tachikawa, and Urawa stores (Chiba, Tokyo, Saitama) / Solo exhibition at Okayama Takashimaya (Okayama) / Exhibition at the Miyama Kayabuki Museum (Kyoto)
2005: New Year's postcards "Inkjet paper gloss" surface design adopted / Iwataya solo exhibition (Fukuoka) / Asahi Shimbun sponsored exhibition (Osaka, Nara)
2006: New Year's postcard "with donation" front design adopted/exhibition hosted by Kanayama Town, Fukushima Prefecture
2007: Sankei Shimbun "Seasonal Shapes" illustrated and written serial / Keio Electric Railway homepage "Machi Happi" illustrated and written serial / Magazine "Kominka Style" illustrated and written serial / Meitetsu Mza solo exhibition (Ishikawa) / TBS TV "hito" appearance / Mitsukoshi "Ochoba Tsuushin" cover illustration / Yomiuri Shimbun, Yomiuri TV, JR West sponsored solo exhibition (Osaka)
2008: Regular appearance on TBS TV's "Tokyo Walking Map" / Appearance on BS11 TV's "ROVIN" / Exhibition hosted by THE NIPPON CLUB (New York, USA) / Appearance on Fuji TV's "Mezamashi TV" from New York
2009: Serialized "Japonisme Paper" in Sankei Shimbun and Sankei Express until 2012 / Appointed as a cultural ambassador by the Agency for Cultural Affairs / Designed "Fukagawa Hachiman Festival" for hometown stamp
2010: Based in New York, he worked as a cultural ambassador for the Agency for Cultural Affairs; appeared on TV Japan's "Jonetsu Talk" (broadcast in North America); invited to Drexel University in Philadelphia to participate in a gallery exhibition at the university; participated in a cultural exchange program in Spain and Portugal as part of the Japan Foundation's Japanese Culture Introduction and Dispatch Program; held an exhibition at the Espacio Valverde Gallery (Madrid, Spain); and exhibited original illustrations for the exhibition "Folk Songs in Love, Folk Dances in Dancing" (Sanseido Bookstore, Jimbocho Main Branch) organized by Ehon no Mori.
2011: Kyodo News Planning Distribution "Paintings of Paper Cutting" Picture and text serialization / Okayama Takashimaya (Okayama) / Appearance in NHK Educational TV "You are an artist too" / Appearance in NHK Educational TV "Welfare Network Heart Exhibition" / Design and production of the stage curtain for the 50th anniversary of Omine Junior High School in Mine City, Yamaguchi Prefecture
2012: Cultural exchange activities in Philadelphia and New York as part of the 100th anniversary of the Japan-US Cherry Blossom Donation. Exhibited works in the lobby of the Empire State Building (New York, USA); Museum of Art "Eki" KYOTO Exhibition (Kyoto); "Tenjin Festival" design adopted for hometown stamp; Solo exhibition at JR Osaka Mitsukoshi Isetan (Osaka); Cultural Japanese Course Dispatch Program sponsored by the Japan Foundation; Exhibited works and engaged in cultural exchange activities in Malaysia, the Philippines, Ukraine, and Russia.
2013: Invited by the Japanese Embassy in Iran to Japan Culture Week, exhibition at the Iranian Artists Forum (Tehran, Iran) / Exhibition at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan (Tokyo) / Invited by the Japanese Embassy in Russia to J-FEST2013 / Exhibition sponsored by Hankyu Umeda Main Store (Osaka) / In charge of packaging design for Kyoto's famous confectionery "Otabe"
2014: Solo exhibition at Isetan Shinjuku (Tokyo) and held annually since then / "National Museum of Oriental Art" exhibition (Moscow, Russia) / "Yamabikokan Exhibition at Tottori City Museum of History" (Tottori) / "Toyooka City Museum of Art, Ito Kiyonaga Memorial Museum" exhibition (Hyogo)
2015: Invited by the Japanese Embassy in Cuba for the cultural exchange program "Galeria Carmen Montilla" Exhibition / Invited by the Consulate General in Istanbul for the "Beyoglu Art Gallery" Exhibition / Invited by the Ministry of Cultural Heritage Protection of Georgia for the "Shaiba Amiranashvili Georgian National Museum of Fine Arts" Exhibition (Tbilisi, Georgia) / "Rainbow Gallery" Exhibition (Shanghai, China) / Designed Suntory Premium Malt's cans (JR Tokai Aki)
2016: Invited by Drexel University in Philadelphia / Appeared on Nippon Television's "Genki no Appli" / Invited to the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Singapore and exhibited at The Arts House (Singapore) / Solo exhibition at the Heisei Memorial Museum Gallery (Tokyo) / Received the Art Award from the Japan-America Society of Philadelphia / Designed Suntory Premium Malt's cans (Spring, JR Central Summer, Autumn, JR Central Autumn, Hokkaido)　
2017: Appeared on Nippon Television's "24-Hour TV: Love Saves the Earth" from Yamaguchi Broadcasting / Solo exhibition at Hankyu Umeda Main Store (Osaka) / Solo exhibition at Sendai Mitsukoshi (Miyagi) / Responsible for designing Suntory Premium Malt's cans (Ochugen gift)
2018: Invited to the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Indonesia, "Japanese Culture Village" exhibition (Indonesia) / Opened the Kubo Osamu Papercutting Museum (Osaka) / Exhibition sponsored by Fukushima Minpo (Fukushima) / Exhibition sponsored by Shiinoki Guest House to commemorate the Ishikawa Prefectural Government (Ishikawa) / Appeared on Nippon Television's "24-Hour TV Love Saves the Earth" from Yamaguchi Broadcasting / Designed Suntory Premium Malt's cans (Fukushima Prefecture only)
2019: Museum "Eki" KYOTO Exhibition (Kyoto) / "Nittoudo" Exhibition (Kyoto) / Sendai Mitsukoshi Solo Exhibition (Miyagi) / Yamaguchi Prefecture Cultural Merit Award / Agency for Cultural Affairs Commissioner's Award / Appearance on NHK's "Salameshi"
2020: Appeared on NHK Radio's "Rajiru Labo" / In charge of packaging design for Fukushima Prefecture Tourist and Products Center / Solo exhibition at Hankyu Umeda Main Store (Osaka) / Solo exhibition at Hakata Daimaru (Fukuoka) / In charge of Suntory Premium Malt's can design (spring and summer Aeon exclusive)
2021: Shimonoseki City Museum of Art Exhibition (Yamaguchi) / Toyooka City Museum of Art and Kiyonaga Ito Memorial Museum Exhibition (Hyogo)
2022: Package design for Suntory Iyemon (Autumn) / Invited by Drexel University, Philadelphia / Invited by the Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Japan to exhibit at the Acoustic Art Gallery (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia) / Solo exhibition at Hankyu Umeda Main Store (Osaka)
2023: Solo exhibition at Isetan Shinjuku store (Tokyo) / Solo exhibition at Okayama Takashimaya (Okayama)
2024: Solo exhibition at Hankyu Umeda Main Store (Osaka) / Exhibition at Genso Okuda and Sayume Museum (Hiroshima) / Solo exhibition at Isetan Shinjuku Store (Tokyo)