The Nitten is the most popular of all the major art organizations in Japan. The Nitten has a long and industrious history, which began in 1907 as a result of the First Ministry of Education Art Exhibition. In the beginning, the Nitten was referred to as the Bunten. In 1919, the Imperial Art Academy was established, and following this the Imperial Art Exhibition or the Teiten. In the years 1935 and 1937, the Imperial Art Academy was re-organized, and once again was referred to as the Bunten. In 1946, after World War II, the management of the Imperial art Academy was taken over by the Japan Fine Arts Exhibition and the Nitten was formed. In 1958, there was further re-organization by the Nitten corporation and finally in 1969, the present structure was formulated.

Throughout Nitten's long and developing history, it has made significant contributions to the Modern Japanese Art World. Today, the Nitten claims to be the largest combined art exhibition of its kind in the world, attracting a great number of fans and critics. The current management of Nitten is administered by Tadahiko Nakayama, the chief official. The Nitten comprises five art faculties; namely Japanese Style and Western Style Painting, Sculpture, Craft as Art and Calligraphy. Each of these departments feature works by some of the great masters of the Modern Japanese Art World as well as works by talented young artists.

Japanese Style Painting; features such names as Taiji Hamada, Chikuhaku Suzuki, Yujin Nakaji, Hisashi Iwakura, Haruhiko Kawasaki, Reiichi Tsuchiya and Senkei Fukuda all of whom value the tradition of this style of art, and display their works with strong individuality, befitting this modern art.

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Chikuhaku Suzuki	Yujin Nakaji	Hisashi Iwakura	Haruhiko Kawasaki
Reiichi Tsuchiya	Senkei Fukuda

Western Style Painting; features Yuzuru Hiramatsu, Tadahiko Nakayama, Eikichi Shoji, Shoichiro Nushi, Tadao Terasaka, Shozo Murata and Kaneaki Fujimori who collectively have aimed at producing a modern interpretation, representative of the natural features of Japan.

Yuzuru Hiramatsu	Tadahiko Nakayama	Eikichi Shoji	Shoichiro Nushi
Tadao Terasaka	Shozo Murata	Kaneaki Fujimori

Leading artists engaged in Sculpture, include such names as, Shin-ya Nakamura, Keiko Amenomiya, Kentaro Hashimoto, Atsushi Amenomiya, Hiroteru Kawasaki, Jiro Hiruta, Seiji Nojima, Rokuro Ichimura and Shinsuke Yamamoto. All their works display character and place emphasis on the depiction of firm reality.

Shin-ya Nakamura	Keiko Amenomiya	Kentaro Hashimoto	Atsushi Amenomiya
Hiroteru Kawasaki	Jiro Hiruta	Seiji Nojima	Rokuro Ichimura
Shinsuke Yamamoto

Craft as Art; has been unfolded to present magnificent, innovative and intriguing qualities of the modern craft artists such as Sayume Okuda, Toshiro Ohi. Goichi Mitani. Masayuki Imai, Seitoku Kawai and Teiji Nakai.

Sayume Okuda	Toshiro Ohi	Goichi Mitani	Masayuki Imai
Seitoku Kawai	Teiji Nakai

Calligraphy; traditionally profound, has been presented by those such as, Kason Sugioka, Soin Furutani and Koho Hibino to reveal to this modern world, new works in Kanji, Kana, Chowatai (Kanji and Kana) and Seal Engraving.

Kason Sugioka

Soin Furutani

Koho Hibino

Every autumn, the Nitten is opened for public viewing at The National Art Center Tokyo. It is expected about 200,000 spectators will enjoy the exhibition, prior to its tour of the principle cities of Japan: after which, an estimated 500,000 people will have had the opportunity to have been part of the growing development of the Nitten. So we as Nitten artists, are to be more responsible and self-confident in the future.

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