UBC Library has significantly expanded its collection of Bijutsu Techō, one of the most influential, independently published periodicals on visual art in Japan. Funding for this expansion was provided through a grant from the Metropolitan Center for Far Eastern Art Studies, based in Kyoto, Japan.
“In my view, UBC has long been recognized for its strengths in classical Japanese literature and premodern art,” says Tomoko Kitayama Yen, Japanese Studies Librarian at UBC Asian Library. “The acquisition of these back issues represents a meaningful shift toward a more inclusive and balanced representation of Japanese art across time periods in our collection.”
She explains that, while Bijutsu Techō does occasionally address premodern topics, its primary value lies in capturing the dynamic evolution of postwar and contemporary visual culture in Japan.
A row of Bijutsu Techō periodicals from 2006 to 2007.
“Bijutsu Techō has been a vital platform for artistic and cultural discourse in Japan,” says Dr. Ignacio Adriasola, Associate Professor in the UBC Department of Art History, Visual Art & Theory. “It’s a magazine that publishes not only on visual arts, but also on architecture, design and craft. The scope is incredibly comprehensive.”
UBC Library has subscribed to the journal since 2013, and then began acquiring back issues, from the period between 1998 and 2010, after receiving a 2017/18 Metropolitan Center grant. In receiving the 2024/25 Metropolitan Center grant, UBC Library adds a total of 516 issues to its holdings, filling in a historical gap from 1948 to 1997.
Very few North American institutions hold extensive runs of the journal, says Kitayama Yen, and truly comprehensive coverage—especially from the earliest decades of the periodical’s publication history—is very rare. Working together, Kitayama Yen and Dr. Adriasola applied for the grant in hopes of expanding access to this resource.
“Dr. Adriasola has played a pivotal role in developing our Japanese-language art and art history collections. I’m excited to continue collaborating with him as we expand the library’s resources,” says Kitayama Yen. “These newly acquired volumes will substantially strengthen our holdings and complement other large collections elsewhere.”