BOOSTER SHOTS: ODDITIES, MUSINGS AND NEWS FROM THE HEALTH WORLD

Heart disease risk rises with time spent sitting

Too much screen time increases the risk of heart problems. (Gary Baseman / For The Times)

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By Shari Roan, Los Angeles Times

January 10, 2011, 1:00 p.m.

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Heart disease risks rise dramatically among people who spend two or more hours a day sitting in front of a computer screen, television or video-game box, researchers reported Monday. Experts now think that prolonged sitting -- what they call "recreational sitting" -- is especially harmful to heart health.

Scientists at University College London examined data from 4,512 adults. Screen time was defined as TV or DVD watching, video gaming and leisure-time computer use. It did not take into account time spent sitting in front of a screen at work. The participants provided information about any cardiovascular problems.

The people who spent four or more hours a day on non-work screen time had a 48% increased risk of death from any cause and a 125% increased risk of a heart problem compared with people who spent less than two hours a day on screen-based entertainment.

"It is all a matter of habit," Emmanuel Stamatakis, the lead author of the study, said in a news release. "Many of us have learned to go back home, turn the TV set on and sit down for several hours -- it's convenient and easy to do. But doing so is bad for the heart and our health in general."

Researchers will now turn their attention to uncovering what prolonged sitting does in the body to increase heart-disease risk. For example, preliminary research shows cholesterol levels may be affected according to whether people are sitting or standing and moving. The study is published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

A CLOSER LOOK

Stem cell therapy for macular degeneration

The FDA has approved a new study aimed at fighting dry age-related macular degeneration.

• RELATED
• Graphic: Stem cell therapy for macular degeneration
• Omega-3s in seafood may prevent age-related macular degeneration
• FDA clears second clinical trial involving human embryonic stem cells

By Jill U. Adams, Special to the Los Angeles Times

January 10, 2011

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bout 10 million Americans suffer some degree of vision loss caused by age-related macular degeneration, and that figure is expected to grow as more baby boomers become senior citizens. There is no cure for the disease, but last week the U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave a green light to an unusual clinical trial that seeks to restore patients' sight by employing human embryonic stem cells.

None of the stem cells will be injected into patients; instead, they are grown into another kind of cell that will be delivered to the back of the eye, where the retina is damaged by the disease. The hope is that the cells will help repair the damaged retinal tissue.

The company behind the trial, Santa Monica-based Advanced Cell Technology Inc., developed the therapy to treat Stargardt's macular dystrophy, a rare childhood version of macular degeneration that affects about 1 in 10,000 kids. The FDA gave the company permission to test the therapy in Stargardt's patients in November. However, if they work, the cells would have a much bigger effect as a treatment for age-related macular degeneration.

Here's a closer look at the disease and the new therapy.

What is age-related macular degeneration?

Age-related macular degeneration is the leading cause of vision impairment and blindness among people who are 65 and older, says Dr. Jose Pulido, an ophthalmologist at theMayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. The dry version of the disease begins with tiny deposits of fat and protein — called drusen — that appear in the center of the retina, called the macula. As the deposits grow in number and size over the course of years, things begin to look blurry in the center of a person's field of vision. As the disease worsens, the blurriness may progress to a blind spot.

What causes it?

The main problem is that light-sensing cells in the macula, called photoreceptors, slowly break down. This is thought to be caused by the loss of another population of cells, called retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells, which support the photoreceptors in a number of ways.

Among other things, the RPE cells release growth factors important for photoreceptors to thrive. "The RPE are also the garbage trucks of the retina," removing toxic byproducts that the retina makes as it performs its light-sensing function, says Stephen Rose, chief research officer for the Foundation Fighting Blindness, a fundraising organization based in Columbia, Md.

Dry age-related macular degeneration can also progress into wet age-related macular degeneration, in which blood vessels grow abnormally and leak fluid into the macula. It's a much more aggressive form of the disease, but it's also more treatable.

How can human embryonic stem cells help?

The stem cells are grown into healthy replacement RPE cells and injected into the retina, says Gary Rabin, Advanced Cell Technology's chief executive. The company hopes the lab-grown cells will replace the dying RPE cells and keep vision intact — or even restore it to some degree.

"We've had incredible success with this in animal studies," Rabin says. A study published in the journal Stem Cells found that the RPE cells restored eye function in sick mice and rats to "near-normal levels," and another study in Cloning and Stem Cells reported that the treatment improved vision in affected rats until it was 70% as good as that of healthy animals.

Of course, success in animal studies doesn't always translate to humans. In addition, the eyes of people in their 50s and 60s likely present "a very different milieu for the RPE cells to try to hook onto," Pulido says.

Rose adds that the treatment, if it works, wouldn't amount to a cure because it doesn't address the reason why RPE cells deteriorate in the first place. But it would buy time for patients, delaying vision loss for perhaps years. "That's huge," he says.

What will the new trial assess?

The FDA granted permission to conduct a Phase I/II clinical trial, which is essentially a safety trial, that will involve a dozen patients. The first patients will get a very low "dose" of cells — 50,000 — and will be monitored for any untoward effects.

"If there are no safety issues after three-ish months, we will increase the dose [to a level where we] hope to see efficacy," Rabin says. "We anticipate that the photoreceptor cells will awaken and that there will be a gradual increase in visual acuity over time." For now, the protocol calls for a one-time treatment of up to 200,000 cells.

Aren't there ethical concerns about using human embryonic stem cells?

Generally speaking, many people are troubled by research involving human embryonic stem cells because they are typically made by dismantling — and thus destroying — embryos that are a few days old.

Advanced Cell Technology uses a proprietary technique to extract a single cell from a young embryo, allowing the rest to remain intact and develop normally, Rabin says. A similar method is routinely used to biopsy embryos for pre-implantation genetic diagnosis, in which embryos created through in vitro fertilization are scanned for genetic disorders before being transferred to a uterus.

health@latimes.com

Copyright © 2011, Los Angeles Times

Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2011

New horizons: The PS3 version of Final Fantasy XIV was scheduled for a March 2011 release, but has been postponed due to a lackluster reaction to the PC version.

TECH_JAPAN

GAMES

The best of last year's games and looking forward to 2011

By BRIAN ASHCRAFT

Last year was a rough one for Japan. China overtook the country as the world's second largest economy, yet another prime minister upped and resigned and the economy was stagnate as ever. Things weren't much better for the game industry.

Year after year, the game industry here keeps shrinking in size and relevance, finding fierce competitors in America and Europe. But this past year, a whole slew of big titles where churned out by Japanese game studios. Some of those games were truly innovative. Some were tremendous flops. But one thing that many had in common was that in 2010, they made waves in Japan.

Here's a look back at the biggest, but not necessarily best, Japanese games of 2010.

Gran Turismo 5 (PS3)

Gran Turismo 5 is not simply a driving simulation game. It's a role-playing game. Like in an RPG, players "level up" their skills in hopes of amassing more money and better abilities. Here, gamers don't buy shields and swords, they buy Subarus and super cars. There were complaints about lazy car modeling and "dumb" computer A.I., but the game's developers continue to roll out new features and fixes for any in-game issues, which makes the title feel like it hasn't quite yet crossed the finish line.

Final Fantasy XIV (PC)

In what could be this year's biggest bungled release, Final Fantasy XIV was released on PC to wide groans and moans from players. The game didn't feel finished, with players saying it was "broken." The reception was so bad that the studio replaced the game's director and producer and extended the 30-day free trial to 2 months. The release of the PS3 version was moved from this March to an unspecified later date.

Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker (PSP)

The latest entry in the Metal Gear stealth series, Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker was originally going to be called Metal Gear Solid 4. The game was written, produced and directed by Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima. In hopes of cashing in on Monster Hunter's popularity, the game even has a Monster Hunter-based mission, featuring creatures from the game. The result was that Peace Walker was a smash in Japan, but floundered embarrassingly abroad, due largely to the declining interest in Sony's PSP.

Ni no Kuni: Shikkoku no Madoushi (Nintendo DS)

Ni no Kuni is the first of two games from venerated anime company Studio Ghibli ("My Neighbor Totoro") and Fukuoka-based game studio Level-5 (the Professor Layton series). It is also the first Ghibli game collaboration. The game's art, done in the Ghibli style, is a treasure for the eyes. And like with most Ghibli productions, the score is by famed composer Joe Hisaishi. The gameeven comes bundled with 350-page book of spells!

Monster Hunter Portable 3rd (PSP)

Right now, Japan is in the midst of Monster Hunter panic — and has been for the past few years. The country's penchant for clocking hours upon hours in Monster Hunter hunting . . . monsters doesn't show any signs of stopping. Monster Hunter Portable 3rd looks set to be one of the biggest PSP hits ever.

Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Wii)

The original Super Mario Galaxy is a great, great game. But with the sequel, Nintendo fine tuned the title and made it greater. Joining Mario is his green friend Yoshi as they once again save Princess Peach from the evil Bowser. But Super Mario Galaxy 2 doesn't feel stale. Even 25 years into the series, Nintendo turned out a truly imaginative and purely fun Mario game.

Super Street Fighter IV (PS3, Xbox 360, Arcade)

Super Street Fighter IV is an updated version of fighting game Street Fighter IV with new characters and stages. While SFIV initially got an arcade release, Super Street Fighter IV was originally announced for home consoles — only. Fans went bananas, expressing their displeasure, and the game's studio finally released the title in game centers last month.

Vanquish (PS3, Xbox 360)

From the mind of the man who created Resident Evil, Vanquish was originally inspired by the classic anime Casshern and is game designer Shinji Mikami's love letter to cool robots and fast-action. While the game is furiously fun, the single player story is on the short side (around 6 hours) and Vanquish does not have multiplayer, something that no doubt hurt the game abroad, where multiplayer is considered a standard feature.

While 2010 might have been rocky at best, this year is looking up for Japan. In February, Nintendo is releasing its glasses-free portable 3-D gaming console, the Nintendo 3DS. A slew of game companies pledged support for the portable and will be releasing big name titles such as Resident Evil and Metal Gear for the console, along with Nintendo who will put out fan favorites including Mario and Zelda.

The 3DS isn't the only new portable expected this year. Rumors are circulating that Sony is prepping a new PlayStation Portable, a PSP 2, if you will. The device apparently has touch sensitive controllers and more processing power. If this indeed exists, Sony could help Nintendo turn 2011 into something special not just for Japanese gaming, but gaming in general.

Brian Ashcraft is a senior contributing editor at gaming website Kotaku.com.

Friday, Dec. 17, 2010

Today's artists 'paint' a new vision of 2-d art

By C.B. LIDDELL

Special to The Japan Times

The term "Primary Field" can either mean a group of aspirant candidates (in the United States) or an idea from physics that most laymen will find hard to understand; so the title of the "Primary Field II" exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art Hayama is surprisingly apt. Like many group shows of contemporary art, it gathers together a selection of artists who still have the weight of unfulfilled expectation on their shoulders, and whose art is likely to leave some members of the public scratching their heads.

Exploring new artistic terrain: "Joudo 2" (2007) by Mana KonishiDEPOSITED TO SHIZUOKA PREFECTURAL MUSEUM OF ART

The first Primary Field in 2007 focused entirely on sculpture. This time, the selection redresses the karmic imbalance in media by focusing entirely on 2-D art ("paintings," as we shall see, doesn't quite cover it). This progression raises the possibility that the next PF will swing toward yet another media — perhaps video or conceptual art.

But, what about this PF? For a contemporary art exhibition to focus on 2-D art is a path fraught with dangers and challenges. Two-dimensional art is intrinsically the least radical and "transgressive" medium of artistic expression. For better or worse, but probably the latter, contemporary art has — excuse the pun — painted itself into a corner of always challenging every norm and shaking each shibboleth; and this, it seems, is harder to do within the confines of a simple flat plane.

Despite the limitations of the medium, "Primary Field II" works hard to maintain its "contempo" credentials. First of all, it is clear that the seven selected artists have been chosen mainly for the way their diverse approaches explore the full range of possibilities of 2-D art. Luckily, this does not mean a total absence of merit, as the beautiful landscapes of Mana Konishi are an untrammeled joy. But her work is good because it is so traditional and conventional, rather than, as the artist takes pains to assert, because her work cuts images from their contexts to create worlds that are both "familiar and unfamiliar." This kind of edgy spin is merely the kind of tactic that conventional painters have to dig up to be included in shows like this, and is not to be taken seriously.

The realist paintings of Konishi and Mitsuko Miwa, who obviously like furniture, and the more abstract but still recognizably figurative works of Yasue Kodama and Nobuyuki Takahashi provide a middle ground to the exhibition that allows visitors to approach the remaining three, more radical, artists without too much of a jolt.

For example, Kodama's more ambiguous nature paintings are within touching distance of the purer abstraction of Tsuyoshi Higashiyama's. This is partly because Higashiyama's abstraction maintains an organic feel.

There are also affinities between Takahashi's figurative reductionism and the thread art of Zon Ito. The latter's inclusion is an obvious attempt to challenge conventional boundaries, as this "painter" sews to create lines onto his canvases. Both artists deal in figurative minimalism, but while this is largely forced on Ito by his preferred means of expression, Takahashi's simplification is a conscious artistic choice. As a consequence, Takahashi's works have an invigorating sense of how our minds embrace images, and how the artist "destroys" what he sees in order to re-create it on canvas. Ito's works, by contrast, sometimes seem like the meanderings of an insect.

Simple pleasure: "A Hot Spring Bath (Red)" by Nobuyuki Takahashi (2008) BASE GALLERY, TOKYO

The remaining artist at the exhibition is Takeshi Hosaka. He creates simple frame-and-box art decorated with stripes; rather like cubic humbug candies. The only reason I can think of why these uninteresting works are included is because they cross the border into 3-D art, and so tick the all-important curatorial box of challenging "conventional boundaries" again. This, if I may say so, has become its own kind of convention.

From a curatorial point of view, this is undoubtedly a well-designed exhibition. It sets out to show the full amplitude of 2-D art and does so admirably. But, the successful curator, it has to be remembered, is often the natural enemy of the simple art lover.

"Primary Field II" at The Museum of Modern Art, Kamakura & Hayama runs till Jan. 23; open 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m., closed Mon. and Dec. 29-Jan. 3. For more information visit, www.moma.pref.kanagawa.jp

Friday, Dec. 31, 2010

Japanese art has come a long way: a curator's top five 2010 exhibitions

As festivals took art out of the 'white cube,' galleries also began thinking outside the box

By SHINYA WATANABE

Special to The Japan Times

This year's art scene was largely dominated by two new major events, the Aichi Triennale and the Setouchi International Art Festival, both of which not only utilized gallery space, but showed a large number of works outside of the "white cube." They indicated a trend in Japan of art tourism merging with the stimulation of local economies, something that in today's economic climate, appears to have proved successful.

Meanwhile, under some pressure from the growing influence of neighboring countries, such as China and Korea, Japanese art professionals — not only artists but also exhibition and event organizers — are coming up with innovative forms of expression in the search for new forms of art. There were plenty of wonderful art exhibitions organized by museums and commercial galleries exploring this. Here are my top five, each of which I believe is of significance in Japanese contemporary art.

"Yasumasa Morimura: A Requiem — Art on Top of The Battlefield"
Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography (March 11-May 9). Now showing at the Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art till Jan. 10.

Tales of the unexpected: "A Requiem: Unexpected Visitors / 1945, Japan" (2010) from "A Requiem: Art on top of a Battlefield" by Yasumasa Morimura © YASUMASA MORIMURA, COURTESY OF SHUGO ARTS

Known for his self portraits in which he transformed himself into famous Hollywood actresses, Yasumasa Morimura surprised his fans this year by turning himself into several men for this "Requiem" series of images.

For Morimura, the 20th century was a time of war and an age of "the man." He chose to portray historical figures ranging from Western modern art masters, such as Pablo Picasso and Andy Warhol, to heroes of the third world, such as Mahatma Gandhi and Che Guevara. Japanese cultural icons were also included, such as manga author Osamu Tezuka and writer Yukio Mishima.

All were impressive portrayals; however, his most challenging piece has to be "A Requiem: Unexpected Visitors / 1945, Japan."

Born in 1951, the year that marked the end of the Allied Occupation, Morimura considers himself to be the offspring of the United States and Japan. For this image, he staged a wedding-like photo with General Douglas MacArthur of the United States as his father and Emperor Hirohito of Japan as his mother — both photographed at his real parents' green-tea merchant house in Osaka. Emperor Hirohito and his actions during World War II continues to be an extremely sensitive subject in Japan, yet here Morimura tackles the Imperial family without raising any tension among Japanese right wingers.

His new video "Gift of Sea: Raising a Flag on the Summit of the Battlefield," based on Shigeru Aoki's painting "Umi-no-sachi" ("Gifts of Sea," 1904), reinterprets Joe Rosenthal's iconic photo of soldiers raising the American flag on Iwo Jima in 1945. By making this a self-portrait, Morimura effectively narrates and questions transitions of the 20th century from both a 20th-century world-historical point of view as well as on a personal level.

"Isson Tanaka: The New Total Picture"
Chiba City Museum of Art (Aug. 21- Sept. 26)

Born in 1908 in Tochigi Prefecture, nihonga (Japanese-style painting) artist Isson Tanaka found little opportunity to show his work, especially after he moved to southern Amami Island at age 50. When he passed away in 1977, he was still completely unknown. It was not until a TV program in the 1980s showed his work and described him as a "Japanese Paul Gauguin" that Tanaka started to garner public attention.

This exhibition, the largest ever of Tanaka's works, was indeed the "total picture." It covered unknown works, including early paintings created during his childhood, others painted when he lived in Chiba Prefecture and later works he completed on Amami Island. Tanaka's compositions are daring for nihonga — like huge wide-angle lens photographs — with pine trees and tropical foliage set against backgrounds of southern blue skies and wide oceans.

All the art works — from his early classically influenced and calligraphic pieces, to his later, bolder works — were displayed to create a narrative context about Tanaka, giving the exhibition profound historical significance. It's no wonder it turned out to be a blockbuster of a show, where even the exhibition catalog sold out.

The curator of this grand exhibition, really should be applauded for introducing this talented and previously unknown artist in such a comprehensive and impressive manner.

"Shadows: Works from the National Museums of Art"
The National Art Center, Tokyo (Sept. 8-Oct. 18)

A collaboration of five national museums in Japan, this massive exhibition brought together a wide variety of mediums under the theme of "Shadows." One hundred and seventy works were selected from more than 33,300 artworks housed in the five museums.

Not only was this a rare opportunity to enjoy such a wide selection of fine quality of work in a single location, but the cross- genre artworks also allowed viewers to compare and contrast Western and Japanese painting, Japanese and foreign photography, and crafts and design.

Being able to see works by the likes of painter Gustave Courbet alongside Japanese near contemporaries such as Ryusei Kishida was fascinating. And after understanding the historical contexts and transitions of how modern artists approached shadows, contemporary expressions — such as Jiro Takamatsu's "shadow painting" and Krzysztof Wodiczko's metaphoric use of shadows in video art — became more accessible to the viewer. Particularly powerful were the substantial number of photographs from acclaimed artists such as Alfred Stieglitz, Robert Frank, Seiichi Furuya and Daido Moriyama.

"Genpei Akasegawa: Harvest from a Walk"
Yokohama Civic Art Gallery Azamino (Oct. 22-Nov. 7)

Local humor: "Jurassic Washbowl" (2008) by Genpei Asagawa. COURTESY OF THE YOKOHAMA CIVIC ART GALLERY AZAMINO

Born in 1937, the avant-garde artist Genpei Akasegawa is perhaps best known for the 1960s "Thousand-yen bill incident," when he was indicted for counterfeiting ¥1,000 notes to make invites to one of his shows. Since then, he has matured greatly. This exhibition displayed photographs taken by the artist during walks he took in his neighborhood in the last four years.

Since the '70s, Akasegawa has been taking photos of ordinary objects that look like conceptual artworks — a fun concept that became known as "Hyper-Art Thomasson." Also an Akutagawa Prize-winning author with a way with words, Akasegawa liked to give humorous titles to his unusual photos of ordinary objects. He titled a photo capturing the very tip of the Diet Building directly behind major construction work "Enlarging the Diet Building"; while an image of a trash bag with "nonflammable" printed on one side is titled "The House of Classification." The show celebrated a joyful freedom of photography, illustrating Akasegawa's talent for capturing transient moments of our everyday lives just before the art of them escapes us.

"Fumito Urabe: A Silent Wasteland"
Gallery Side 2 (Nov. 5-Dec. 4)

Loaded with ideas: "My Vehicle (Daughter)" (2010) by Fumito Urabe. COURTESY OF THE ARTIST AND GALLERY SIDE 2

"A Silent Wasteland" was the debut solo exhibition of Fumito Urabe, a 26-year-old Aichi-based artist who, unusually, also trained to become a Buddhist priest.

Right at the entrance of the exhibition space, miniature farming tools made of decayed wood and metal were unassumingly hung on the wall. On another wall, small paintings on tin plates, which compositionally use unpainted spaces in a similar way to Cezanne, give us a lyrical impression. The allegorical "My Vehicle (Daughter)" — a red tinplate miniature car, displayed on a pedestal and loaded with small boxes containing stones, wood and seeds — is a poignant piece that beautifully leaves its interpretation to the viewer's imagination.

Urabe draws much inspiration from kuu (vanity or a lack of substance), a Buddhist concept that is quite different from Western philosophy. In Buddhism, dependent origination (the law of conditionality) teaches that no single thing can exist independently of others, and therefore kuu goes beyond identity to become a spiritual awakening. Urabe subtly portrays this traditional Buddhist concept in all his contemporary art works, creating unique pieces that are sure to make this up-and-coming artist someone to look out for in the future.

Shinya Watanabe is an independent curator based in Tokyo and New York. He has Masters in Art from New York University and curates contemporary art exhibitions, mainly focusing on the relationship between art and the nation-state.

Friday, Jan. 7, 2011

The Blue Rider years: "Impressionism III, Concert" (1911) by Wassily Kandinksy COURTESY OF THE LENBACHHAUS, MUNICH AND MITSUBISHI ICHIGOKAN MUSEUM

The Kandinsky narcissistic blues

Abstract Expressionism born from the imagination and self-absorption of a master

By C.B. LIDDELL

Special to The Japan Times

Anyone who has seen the unrefined figurative works of Mark Rothko can easily understand why he later turned to his abstract Color Field works. Because of examples like this, there is always a suspicion that abstract art is merely the last refuge of the technically inept. Wassily Kandinsky — often seen as the first true abstract artist — however, proves this to be a misconception.

From the imagination: "The Bride" (1903) by Wassily KandinskyCOURTESY OF THE LENBACHHAUS, MUNICH AND MITSUBISHI ICHIGOKAN MUSEUM

With 60 paintings from Munich's Lenbachhaus museum, half by Kandinsky and most of the rest by associates from the Blue Rider group, "Kandinsky and the Blue Rider" at the Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum looks at the artist's early career. In the process, it reveals that he was a fast learner, an excellent figurative artist and probably just a little too wrapped up in himself.

But why did this talented artist take the abstract route? The answer seems to lie partly in his character. In the show's first section "1901-1907: A Time of Phalanx, a Time of Travel," a picture of a ruthless, strong-willed individual who often disregarded the society around him, starts to emerge.

One of the most interesting facts about Kandinsky is that he came to painting rather late in life, but then made remarkably quick progress. In 1896, at age 30, he decided to turn his back on a successful academic career, leave his wife behind in Russia and settle in Munich, Germany, to study art. If this had occurred a few years later in his life, it might have been described as a mid-life crisis.

In Munich, the confidence and high-powered intellect that he brought from his former occupation saw him quickly make the transition from art student to leader. In 1901 he helped found Phalanx, a group of artists with an anti-conservative bent, and although he was only five years into his own career, he also became the artistic director of the group's school.

Kandinsky's paintings from this period seem to fall into two types. On the one hand there are heavy re-workings of plein-air impressionism that don't really satisfy, such as "Kochel — Lake with Boat" (1902). In these works, there is a feeling of painting by numbers, of paying too much attention to the sights around him and doing what was expected by others. In sharp contrast to this, he also painted purely imaginary works such as "The Bride" (1903) that evoked a subjective, romanticized, mythical Russia.

The difference between these two artistic strains seems to suggest that Kandinsky was at his best when he turned from the outer muse to the inner one, from society and reality to imagination and idiosyncrasy.

This tension between the individual and the wider world was also echoed in his private life. Around this time he started an extramarital affair with one of his students, Gabriele Munter. You can see her in "Kallmunz — Gabriele Munter Painting II" (1903) and in the sensitive "Portrait of Gabriele Munter" (1905). Conforming to the moral dictates of the time, Munter wished to hold back their relationship until Kandinsky could divorce his wife. This, however, led him to constantly pressure her — until she gave in. Kandinsky's internal drives were more important than external moral censure.

To be together more easily, the couple took to traveling around Europe, as shown by several of the works on display. A cheaper way to escape the tut-tutting of Munich society was discovered in the picturesque village of Murnau, South of Munich, where they could stay together easily, often with other artist friends.

The second part of the exhibition focuses on this period, from 1908 to 1910, and the art that was created in Murnau. These are among Kandinsky's best paintings. The lyrical sense that he had previously shown in his purely imaginative works is combined with a keen appreciation of his surroundings in works such as "Railroad at Murnau" (1909). This shows a steam train against a sunny Alpine background, capturing both the visual drama and the psychological impact that the sight must have had on the painter — a fruitful melding of his inner and outer muses.

In narratives of Kandinsky, the sojourn at Murnau is usually presented as an important transitional stage on the road to what is regarded as his main historical achievement, namely the development of a fully fledged abstract style. But this period could be seen, instead, as the culmination of his art.

His later work was dominated by over-elaborate theories that few others appreciated and became increasingly esoteric and arid, the hallmarks of an artist who had tuned out all other voices and listened only to his own. Such self-absorption was also reflected in his private life. When the Blue Rider group broke up in 1914 on the outbreak of World War I, Kandinsky was forced to return to Russia. He left Munter, whom he had once promised to marry and never saw her again.

"Kandinsky and the Blue Rider from the Lenbachhaus, Munich" at the Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum, Tokyo runs till Feb. 6; admission ¥1,400; open 10 a.m.-8 p.m. (Wed., Thu., Fri. till 6 p.m.), closed Mon. For more information, visit mimt.jp