As 2025 marks the 80th anniversary of the end of the war, research and studies have recently been advancing on how Hokkaido painters created their works during the war. In an era when art supplies were rationed and adequate production was not possible without taking the form of 'Bijutsu Hokoku' (Art for National Service), there are many examples of artists creating works in various forms related to the military, including official operational record paintings commissioned by the military, as well as for reporting and comfort visits.


This exhibition focuses on two painters, Nose Mami (1897-1982) and Kunimatsu Noboru (1907-1994). In July 1945, the three painters—Kunimatsu, Nose, and Otsuki Genji—traveled to the Chishima Islands as civilian employees of the army at the request of the Imperial Japanese Army. Despite their short stay of about one month, Nose and Kunimatsu left behind many war sketches vividly depicting the daily life of the troops, scenes of comfort visits, and the nature of the Chishima Islands. This exhibition is composed of a selection of works presumed to have been created during their stay in the Chishima Islands in 1945, chosen from the group of war sketches by Nose Mami donated to this museum in 2024, along with drawings and related works by Kunimatsu Noboru that were kept by his surviving family.