Treasures of Japan with Nigel McGilchrist and Angus Lockyer
October 31 - November 12, 2018
Classic gardens, ancient temples, world-class architecture and museums, traditional villages and modern cities, blanketed with brilliant yellow, orange, and red leaves known as koh-yoh: that is Japan in the fall. An unobtrusive elegance permeates the arts and culture of the country, while cutting-edge design is still deeply rooted in the country’s oldest traditions. Highlights will include a two-night stay at Benesse House on the “art island” of Naoshima; a visit to the I.M. Pei-designed Miho Museum; Ise, where the art of stencils have an important history; and plenty of time in Kyoto. Experience time-honored traditions and benefit from the connections of SBMA on this one-of-a-kind tour to Japan. Art historian Nigel McGilchrist will provide lectures on the gardens and art, while art historian and former student of Nigel, Angus Lockyer, will lecture on Japan’s history. A Japanese guide talks during sightseeing. $13,990
WAITLIST ONLY
Tour Guide
Nigel McGilchrist and Angus Lockyer
Nigel McGilchrist is SBMA travelers’ favorite study leader. His ability to interpret and disseminate
information spellbinds and fascinates his fans. Japan is one of Nigel’s favorite places to travel and his
enthusiasm for its gardens and beauty will no doubt be passed on from his eyes to yours.
Angus Lockyer received his PhD in modern Japanese history from Stanford and has taught at SOAS
University of London since 2004. He also works with colleagues at the British Museum and helped curate a
blockbuster exhibition on Hokusai in 2017. Angus led SBMA’s tour to Japan in 2008 and we have been
pleading for him to do another. His lectures were noted as one of the main highlights of the trip.
Nigel was introduced to the Santa Barbara Museum of Art by his friend, the travel writer Pico Iyer, with
whom he studied at Oxford. Angus, in turn, was introduced to SBMA by Nigel McGilchrist. On this tour,
Pico and Angus will meet for the first time, and both are looking forward to this, when Pico joins the group
for a conversation and dinner in Kyoto.
Angus and Nigel have once done a tour to Japan together. As a pair, Nigel’s and Angus’s knowledge of art
history, Japanese history, and the politics of Japan, along with the wonderful ability both have to educate
and entertain, promises to make this a one-of-a-kind experience in Japan.
