An essential element for life, water is the theme of the newly inaugurated exhibition at Japan House São Paulo. For an island nation like Japan, the subject is even more relevant. Composed of numerous rivers and lakes, the waters of the eastern country not only support daily life but also influence the economy, tradition, science and technology, as well as the spirituality of the people. This is the approach of the exhibition Flows - Japan and Water. Curated by Natasha Barzaghi Geenen – who is also the cultural director of the institution – the exhibition presents the water from different perspectives, such as the infrastructure of cities and projects, the improvement of water supply quality, its importance to spirituality and Japanese traditions, as well as a poetic look at the precious liquid. A curious detail is that the exhibition design is also related to water, precisely to its centrifugal movement, inviting the public to explore an environment of rounded shapes with textures and lighting that seem to leave Japan House submerged. The infrastructure highlights the Underground Drainage Canal of the Tokyo Metropolitan Area, considered the largest underground flood diversion structure in the world. The canal was designed to assist part of the city during rainy seasons and in cases of typhoons, temporarily storing excess water for later pumping below ground level instead of overflowing. The hot springs, quite famous in Japan, also gained special attention in the exhibition, with explanations about the distinct characteristics and properties of each. Visitors will be able to contemplate information about the composition and high nutritional values, as well as the biodiversity and minerals found in Japanese hot springs. Another approach are the festivals and rituals that have water as a central element: Uchimizu (when the Japanese sprinkle water on gardens and streets as a way to sanitize the spaces, but also fulfilling a ritualistic and contemplative function), Temizu and Mizugori (purification rituals generally performed at the entrance of temples and shrines in Japan, where people wash their hands and mouth in running water with the help of a hishaku ladle), Takigyō (an ancient Buddhist training that consists of meditating under a waterfall to purify and strengthen body and mind), Mikumari Jinja (a Shinto shrine linked to the water deity, symbolizing the distribution and sharing of this resource), and the Okinami Tairyō festival, held annually in the city of Anamizu, in the province of Ishikawa, where residents pray for safety at sea and good fortune in the fishing season. To evoke a poetic and sensory view, the curator selected three works of art that highlight the deep relationship of Japanese society with water. The first and oldest is a print in the ukiyo-e style ("floating world pictures" in Japanese) made by artist Hiroshige Utagawa in 1857, as part of a series of 119 prints that depict scenes from the capital Edo, now the city of Tokyo. The style became known for representing everyday themes, landscapes, and Kabuki theater actors based on prints made from carved wooden blocks. Contemporary artist Tomoko Sauvage presents the work Buloklok, an installation that revisits the idea of a clepsydra – a water clock considered the oldest timing instrument in the world – whose sound patterns resemble the breathing of living beings. Sculptures shaped like shells and snails are submerged in a large aquarium with water, and a motor stimulates the formation of bubbles, whose movements are captured by a hydrophone and sonically expanded through speakers. Initially created by Sauvage in 2022, the 2025 installation was designed especially for the exhibition at Japan House. The third highlighted work is the installation Sans Room, by artist Shiori Watanabe, who developed an artificial ecosystem of microbial circulation through water. The project features a hydroponic rice cultivation greenhouse, connected to water tanks via tubes in a room with ultraviolet cultivation lighting, bringing a reflection on isolated spaces, considered empty but which concentrate life within their interiors. “We conceived this exhibition with the thought that debates on the conscious use of natural resources would be even more in focus at the time of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30) in November. Our idea is to extend these discussions by presenting habits and solutions that Japan has been finding for managing water resources for years. Besides a lot of informative content, the works of art occupy the center of the exhibition and reinforce with poetry the symbolism and importance of water. The exhibition design itself was conceived from the movement of a droplet of water resonating. We hope this exhibition is an invitation to reflection and contemplation,” concludes the curator. Service: Exhibition Flows – Japan and Water Period: October 21, 2025, to February 1, 2026 Location: Japan House São Paulo, 2nd floor – Av. Paulista, 52 - São Paulo/SP Opening hours: Tuesday to Friday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Free admission. Online advance reservations (optional) on the website.
