Masashi Akikawa, a dual-wielding singer and sculptor, has been selected for the Nikaten Exhibition for the fifth consecutive year! Previously selected works and works selected for 2025 will be exhibited in the lobby of the “Masashi Akikawa Concert Tokyo 2025” venue! Kyodo Medias Co., Ltd. Press Release: September 3, 2025 Masashi Akikawa, a dual-wielding singer and sculptor, has been selected for the Nikaten Exhibition for the fifth consecutive year! Past and 2025 selected works will be exhibited in the lobby of the “Masashi Akikawa Concert Tokyo 2025” venue! In 2007, tenor Masashi Akikawa’s song “A Thousand Winds” became a national hit. He is currently expanding his horizons as both a singer and a sculptor. More than 20 years have passed since his debut in 2001. While still actively touring Japan as a tenor, he also works as a sculptor. Since 2021, he has been selected for the sculpture category of the Nikaten Exhibition for four consecutive years. At this year’s 109th Nikaten Exhibition, his “Wood Carvings of Acteon Stag Beetle and Sumatran Flat-headed Stag Beetle” was selected for the fifth consecutive year.
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URL: https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/12949/3132/12949-3132-1bc52d99f304f735366c711185a34309-3000×2000.jpg [2025] Wood Carvings of Acteon Beetle and Sumatran Giant Stag Beetle [Masashi Akikawa Comment] When I first entered the Nika Exhibition, I simply chose the subject I wanted to carve at the time, and although my work was selected, it still didn’t quite capture the “Akigawa style.” However, as I continued to challenge myself with realistic sculptures themed around “confrontation” in my third and fourth years, I gradually began to see my own style. Last year’s subject was a showdown between the Hercules beetle, the world’s longest, and the Giraffe stag beetle. I’ve been breeding these insects for many years and am very familiar with their form. Even during the production stage, I had already decided on the concept for my next piece, which was a showdown between the Acteon beetle and the Sumatran flat-toothed stag beetle. I’m fascinated by giant insects and raise them as pets.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/12949/3132/12949-3132-11feca8190f676bac9e6175bc28d704e-2025×2700.jpg Action rhinoceros beetle that I bred In my previous work, I used Hercules’s signature throwing technique to depict a duel atop a tree branch. This time, I followed the theme of “weight” and used a tree stump to represent a sumo ring. The Acteon beetle is known for its low center of gravity and its ability to push its opponents away. By thrusting its rib cage into its opponent’s abdomen, it gains the upper hand, reminiscent of a sumo “underhand throw” or “grabbing the mawashi.” Surprisingly, the most difficult part of the carving was the belly. The thin legs tend to break along the grain, but they can be carved out carefully. However, the belly is very uneven, and many areas are difficult to reach with a regular carving knife. This required the use of special tools, such as curved blades and rounded edges, and the ability to carve out the invisible parts by feel, making this the most challenging part. When I was creating “Frog and Snake,” I sterilized the bamboo I used as reference in boiling water, which caused it to crack. By observing this and copying it into the work, I was able to enhance the realism of the piece. Similarly, this time, I carefully observed the texture of the cracks and used them in the details of the work. It really brings home to me that observation is the foundation of realistic expression. Itō Jakuchū kept chickens, Takeuchi Seihō kept cats, and Ōhashi Suiseki visited the circus daily to observe tigers. All of them inscribed life through repeated sketching. Inscribed into their artwork. It may be presumptuous to make a comparison, but when I use insects that live close to me as my subject, I also feel that my work has a sort of breath. Works selected for the Nikaten Exhibition to be exhibited at the “Masashi Akikawa Concert Tokyo 2025”
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/12949/3132/12949-3132-204cf91bf5cad0dbc0da86ab18b74850-3500×2333.jpg [2021] Wooden statue of Kusunoki
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/12949/3132/12949-3132-813a197ec246e56d2e069f7f15c3f53f-3500×2333.jpg [2022] Wood carving dragon
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/12949/3132/12949-3132-68a43b5b60614db8f156b46bb4e24a89-3500×2251.jpg [2023] Wood carving frog and snake
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/12949/3132/12949-3132-0121ab3850b1480e40dc1d4cdf0d5558-3500×2333.jpg [2024] Wood Carvings of Hercules Beetle and Giraffe Stag Beetle [Masashi Akikawa Profile]
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/12949/3132/12949-3132-873fc31abeb6d3c2766f0d5217a3e84b-1041×1560.jpg Born in Saijo, Ehime Prefecture in 1967. Started playing the violin and piano at the age of four. Later, under the tutelage of his father, a vocalist, he switched to a career in vocal music. After studying with Ken Nakamura at the Kunitachi College of Music and its graduate school, he studied under Delio Polenghi for four years in Parma, Italy. She made her CD debut in 2001. In 2006, she made her debut at the 57th NHK Kouhaku Uta Gassen, singing “A Thousand Winds.” The following year, she became the first classical singer to reach number one on the Oricon singles chart. She appeared at the NHK Kouhaku Uta Gassen consecutively in 2007 and 2008. Since 2021, she has been selected for the sculpture category of the Nikaten Exhibition for five consecutive years. She is currently active as both a singer and a sculptor. [Concert Overview] “Masashi Akikawa Concert Tokyo 2025” Date and Time: Friday, September 26, 2025, Doors open at 12:00 PM, Performance begins at 1:00 PM Venue: Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall Performers: Masafumi Akikawa, Sayaka Kojima (Pf) Tickets: All seats reserved Premium ticket: ¥9,800 (tax included) *Includes after-event and farewell gift General Ticket ¥7,500 (tax included) Selected works from the Nikaten Exhibition (this year’s selected works and the past five) will be exhibited in the venue lobby. *The exhibition is open only during opening hours and intermissions. There will be no exhibition after the performance. Official website:
https://www.bsfuji.tv/masafumi_akikawa_tokyo/ For inquiries: BS Fuji Event Inquiries event@bsfuji.co.jp Advertisement: Kyodo Medias For more information about this release