The mito food wars is a term that I first heard in a lecture on Japanese art and culture by author and artist, Yoshimi Inafune.
Inafune is one of the most influential thinkers in Japan, and his ideas have affected the way that Japan has been viewed for over a hundred years.
The mito food wars is the name given to a series of art exhibitions that were held in Japan in the 1980’s, where artists and critics exhibited their work and debated its social, cultural and political significance.
Inafune said that the mito food wars is “a kind of art that is not about art, but about the art world, that is not about the artists, but about the art world.” To read more about Inafune and his ideas, read my interview with him.
The mito food wars exhibit was in Tokyo. To read more about the exhibit, read my interview with the artist.
You can find this exhibit in Tokyo on the National Art Center website, but the exhibit was actually held in New York City in 1987. I have a friend who has a wonderful collection of Japanese art and he let me know that the exhibit was held at the MoMA in New York. It’s a fascinating collection of Japanese art. In the exhibit, you can see how mito artists used the art world to push the boundaries of what art could be.
I’ve heard it’s a little bit like a “food war” but it’s a bit more complex. I think what you’ve just described is a war of the words. The artists are using art in a way that makes the word “taste” seem like an empty concept. That’s a war of the culture.
I think there is an art war happening. One thing I see constantly in the art world is a constant battle for the right to exist. I think we are in a very similar position when it comes to the art world. With art becoming more accessible, the artist has the opportunity to create an art style that people will accept. More and more we are being told that we are a culture of one, with one language, one tradition. I see this everywhere.
With the art world becoming more accessible, the artist has the opportunity to create an art style that people will accept. More and more we are being told that we are a culture of one, with one language, one tradition. I see this everywhere.
When you hear all this talk about how people are losing their culture, you know you’ve found the mito.
