Street Nihonga: The Art of Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani | Spencer Museum of Art

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Exhibition

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Street Nihonga: The Art of Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani

Kris Ercums, curator
Maki Kaneko, curator

August 24, 2026–December 7, 2026

University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, Museum of Art & University Galleries, Honolulu, Hawaii

Street Nihonga explores the art of Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani (1920–2012), whose work blends traditional Japanese aesthetics with the rawness of street life in New York City.

Exhibition images

Works of art

untitled collage (Akira Kurosawa), Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani — Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani

untitled collage (Akira Kurosawa), 2001

untitled (9/11) drawing (World Trade Center), Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani — Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani

untitled (9/11) drawing (World Trade Center), 2001

untitled (white dragon protecting Mirikitani and friends), Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani — Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani

untitled (white dragon protecting Mirikitani and friends), after 2002

untitled (Tule Lake: view of Castle Rock Mountain from bus) , Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani — Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani

untitled (Tule Lake: view of Castle Rock Mountain from bus) , 2002

untitled (cat with ginger flower and barcode), Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani — Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani

untitled (cat with ginger flower and barcode), date unknown

untitled (Tule Lake/Crystal City/Seabrook), Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani — Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani

untitled (Tule Lake/Crystal City/Seabrook), 2005

untitled (morning glories), Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani — Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani

untitled (morning glories), circa 1950s

untitled (kingfisher under “Japanese snowball”), Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani — Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani

untitled (kingfisher under “Japanese snowball”), circa 1950s

untitled (Tule Lake: “after ten years”), Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani — Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani

untitled (Tule Lake: “after ten years”), 2002

untitled (Atomic Bomb Dome, Kannon riding a dragon), Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani — Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani

untitled (Atomic Bomb Dome, Kannon riding a dragon), 2001

untitled (small sleeping cat), Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani — Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani

untitled (small sleeping cat), circa 1950s

untitled (hawk on a pine tree), Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani — Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani

untitled (hawk on a pine tree), circa 1950s

untitled (Tule Lake cat), Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani — Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani

untitled (Tule Lake cat), date unknown

untitled (Mirikitani age of 91, baby, Jackson Pollock), Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani — Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani

untitled (Mirikitani age of 91, baby, Jackson Pollock), 2011

untitled (Tule Lake), Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani — Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani

untitled (Tule Lake), 1940s

untitled (cat with blue peony), Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani — Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani

untitled (cat with blue peony), circa 2001

untitled (small owl in oak tree, moon and bamboo), Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani — Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani

untitled (small owl in oak tree, moon and bamboo), 2001

untitled (hawk and Plum Tree), Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani — Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani

untitled (hawk and Plum Tree), before 2001

untitled (blue “Heike” crab), Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani — Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani

untitled (blue “Heike” crab), date unknown

untitled (Yasuo Kuniyoshi and rabbit), Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani — Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani

untitled (Yasuo Kuniyoshi and rabbit), 2012

untitled (Kampo Cultural Center), Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani — Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani

untitled (Kampo Cultural Center), after 2007

untitled (big carp with purple iris), Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani — Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani

untitled (big carp with purple iris), date unknown

untitled (Tule Lake/Manzanar) collage (Tule Lake was one of ten American…), Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani — Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani

untitled (Tule Lake/Manzanar) collage (Tule Lake was one of ten American…), 2002

untitled (art in incarceration), Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani — Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani

untitled (art in incarceration), date unknown

untitled (Tule Lake: “End of War and Return”), Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani — Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani

untitled (Tule Lake: “End of War and Return”), circa 2002

untitled (Atomic Bomb Dome, Kannon, River), Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani — Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani

untitled (Atomic Bomb Dome, Kannon, River), date unknown

untitled (“education paper” with owl), Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani — Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani

untitled (“education paper” with owl), before 2001

untitled (“Shōchikubai”: pine, bamboo, plum; “the three friends of winter”), Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani — Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani

untitled (“Shōchikubai”: pine, bamboo, plum; “the three friends of winter”), after 1999

untitled (Mirikitani’s ID card, keys) — untitled (Mirikitani’s ID card, keys) , date unknown

untitled (two cats, fish, vegetables), Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani — Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani

untitled (two cats, fish, vegetables), date unknown

untitled (Takeda castle), Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani — Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani

untitled (Takeda castle), 1996

untitled (Roger Shimomura and white dragon), Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani — Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani

untitled (Roger Shimomura and white dragon), after 2001

untitled (family portraits), Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani — Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani

untitled (family portraits), date unknown

untitled (Mirikitani age 91), Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani — Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani

untitled (Mirikitani age 91), 2011

untitled (World Trade Center, peace), Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani — Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani

untitled (World Trade Center, peace), after 2006

untitled (World Trade Center and Kannon), Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani — Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani

untitled (World Trade Center and Kannon), 2005

untitled (cat with fish and peppers), Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani — Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani

untitled (cat with fish and peppers), date unknown

untitled (Tule Lake: artist, rabbit, woman and child), Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani — Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani

untitled (Tule Lake: artist, rabbit, woman and child), circa 2001

untitled (Yasuo Kuniyoshi, Takashi Murakami, Vincent van Gogh), Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani — Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani

untitled (Yasuo Kuniyoshi, Takashi Murakami, Vincent van Gogh), 2002

untitled (Young Mirikitani), Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani — Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani

untitled (Young Mirikitani), date unknown

untitled (smiling cat, fish, leaves), Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani — Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani

untitled (smiling cat, fish, leaves), 2000–2001

untitled (samurai, Yasuo Kuniyoshi), Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani — Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani

untitled (samurai, Yasuo Kuniyoshi), date unknown

untitled (“Mt. Fuji” and flames in homage to Hayami Gyoshū), Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani — Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani

untitled (“Mt. Fuji” and flames in homage to Hayami Gyoshū), after 2001

untitled (Hiroshima peace, Kyoto temple), Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani — Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani

untitled (Hiroshima peace, Kyoto temple), date unknown

untitled (Atomic Bomb Dome: “No More War!”), Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani — Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani

untitled (Atomic Bomb Dome: “No More War!”), date unknown

untitled (Atomic Bomb Dome, Kannon, Nagasaki), Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani — Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani

untitled (Atomic Bomb Dome, Kannon, Nagasaki), date unknown

untitled (Tule Lake: “Buddha’s heart), Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani — Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani

untitled (Tule Lake: “Buddha’s heart), 2002

untitled (cat with autumn leaves), Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani — Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani

untitled (cat with autumn leaves), 1995–1997

Image not available — Linda Hattendorf

Tule Lake Memory-Scape, 2025

Image not available — Linda Hattendorf

Entangled Memories, 2025

Image not available — Linda Hattendorf

Multiple Ground Zeros, 2025

Image not available — Linda Hattendorf

Sidewalk Stories, 2025

Image not available — Linda Hattendorf

Affinities and Connections, 2025

Image not available — Linda Hattendorf

Street Nihonga, 2025

Resources

Documents

Media Coverage

Media Coverage