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THE Oita Asian Sculpture Competition is an interesting bi-annual cultural event that is held in the town of Asaji, which is located within Oita Prefecture in Japan. The Oita Prefecture is situated on the southern Japanese island of Kyushu.
Oita City is the capital of Oita Prefecture, and is a medium- sized city noted for its stunning rural landscapes and natural hot springs and health spas. The town of Asaji is noted for its farming proclivities and its verdant rural lanscape, somewhat akin to England's Lake District area, minus the lakes.
The town of Asaji, where this bi-annual Asian Sculpture Competition is held, is also the birthplace of the famous pioneering modern Japanese sculptor Asakura Fumio (1883 - 1965), now considered the father of modern Japanese sculpture. (Figure 1).
Asakura Fumio went to study sculpture in Tokyo around the turn of the century and was influenced by the naturalistic approach of French sculptors such as Bourdelle, Mailliol and most especially, Auguste Rodin. He became an accomplished sculptor of the human figure and also of animals. (Figure 2).
Although Asakura Fumio lived and practised his art in Tokyo for most of his life, he had always harboured the idea of building a sculpture park in his own hometown of Asaji. Unfortunately, he was never able to realise this dream. Asakura Fumio died in 1965 at the age of 82.
The townspeople of Asaji were especially...