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March 12, 2025
DIC Corporation
The International House of Japan, Inc.
DIC and the International House of Japan Agree to Collaborate in Various Fields, Beginning with the Visual Arts and Architecture
—Architectural firm SANAA will design a new Rothko Room—
DIC Corporation (DIC; Takashi Ikeda, President and CEO) and the International House of Japan, Inc. (IHJ; James Kondo, Chairman), announced today that they have agreed to collaborate in various fields.
Prior to this agreement, DIC had been looking for a site in the Tokyo metropolitan area that embodied the Kawamura Memorial DIC Museum of Art’s basic commitment to the harmonious union of works of art, architecture, and the natural environment, and would also maximize the benefits of related initiatives on both its operating performance and society. For its part, the IHJ, a pioneer in the promotion of private-sector diplomacy and international cultural exchange, had been seeking a partner with a world-class art collection with which it could collaborate to advance outstanding initiatives in the visual arts and architectural fields.
■Details of the agreement
- DIC and the IHJ have agreed to collaborate in various fields, beginning with the visual arts and architecture.
- The Kawamura Memorial DIC Museum of Art’s collection includes an extensive body of works by luminaries of 20th-century art, notably postwar American art. The museum will be relocated, along with these and other works of art, to the IHJ.
- All seven of the paintings from the Mark Rothko Seagram Murals series in the Kawamura Memorial DIC Museum of Art’s collection will be moved to a dedicated Rothko Room exhibition space in the IHJ’s new West Wing, which is currently under construction. The new Rothko Room will be designed by celebrated architectural firm SANAA (Sejima and Nishizawa and Associates). (Please see Attachment 1 for details.)
- DIC and IHJ will operate the new Rothko Room together as a joint public interest program that aims to promote private-sector diplomacy and international cultural exchange through the power of art and architecture.
- In working to successfully implement this joint public interest program, DIC and the IHJ will seek guidance and cooperation from leading experts and advisors in the visual arts and architectural fields. (Please see Attachment 2 for details.)
- DIC and the International House of Japan will continue to explore additional avenues for collaboration beyond the visual arts and architecture fields.
DIC and the IHJ will work together to leverage the latter’s unique site, which—while located in a busy area of Tokyo—is set in lush grounds, bringing together art, culture, and history to provide new opportunities to experience art. The partners are confident that this agreement between a publicly owned company and a private, nonprofit organization will serve as a model for a new form of collaboration, whereby art can benefit both operating performance and society.
■ Message from Takashi Ikeda, President and CEO, DIC Corporation:
For DIC, operating an art museum has always been something we see as critical to our mission of bringing “Color & Comfort” to people everywhere, as well as something that embodies our vision of how a company can exist in harmony with society. We are delighted at the opportunity to further evolve this vision in cooperation with the IHJ, which has long played a central role in promoting cultural exchange and intellectual dialogue across the globe. In addition to cherishing our individual traditions, DIC and the IHJ will work together to create new value through the collaboration between a publicly owned company and a private nonprofit organization.
■ Message from James Kondo, Chairman, International House of Japan:
Against the backdrop of a faltering international order and intensifying conflicts among nations, private-sector diplomacy and international cultural exchange are taking on increasing importance. It is my hope that the dedicated Rothko Room exhibition space, to be designed by SANAA, will serve to encourage quiet reflection among people who may be facing discord, expand empathy, and deepen mutual understanding. If, in so doing, this harmonious exhibition space in any way contributes to peace, its existence will indeed be of significance. We are grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with DIC to implement this joint public interest program.
■ Message from the family of Mark Rothko (Kate Rothko Prizel and Christopher Rothko):
The Kawamura Memorial DIC Museum, with its landmark collection, has been a much beloved destination for art lovers for decades. With its new location in Tokyo, that legacy will continue, with even more visitors able to appreciate its beauty. We are especially grateful that the Rothko Room, an alluring meditative space with seven paintings from the iconic Seagram Murals series, will be recreated in the new museum.
■ Message from SANAA
The International House of Japan’s site features a main building that is recognized as a masterpiece of Japanese modern architecture and a traditional Japanese garden that formerly belonged to Japan’s famous Iwasaki family. In rebuilding one portion of this facility, we have created a design that embodies three concepts—the fusing of nature and architecture, the preservation of history and the unlocking of new vistas, and the creation of a space that inspires intellectual dialogue and cultural exchange. We are grateful for the opportunity to design the new Rothko Room, which will house works of art from the Kawamura Memorial DIC Museum of Art, a key aspect of the International House of Japan’s realignment plan.
About DIC Corporation
DIC Corporation is one of the world’s leading fine chemicals companies and the core of the DIC Group, a multinational organization comprising over 180 companies, including Sun Chemical Corporation, in more than 60 countries and territories. The DIC Group is recognized as a global leader in the markets for a variety of products essential to modern lifestyles, notably packaging materials, display materials such as those used in television and computer displays, and high-performance materials for smartphones and other digital devices, as well as for automobiles. Through such products, the Group endeavors to deliver safety and peace of mind, and color and comfort, to people everywhere. The DIC Group also seeks to contribute to a sustainable society by developing innovative products that respond to social change and which help address social imperatives. With annual consolidated net sales exceeding ¥1 trillion and 21,000-plus employees worldwide, the Group pledges to continue working in close cooperation with its customers wherever they are.
For more information, please visit the DIC global website: https://www.dic-global.com/en/
About the International House of Japan
The International House of Japan has been a pioneer in private diplomacy and international cultural exchange in Japan. Since its establishment in 1952, it has consistently contributed to the peace and prosperity of Japan and the Asia-Pacific region. Its mission is to “contribute to building a free, open, and sustainable future through intellectual dialogue, policy research, and cultural exchange with a diverse world,” and its vision is to “become a hub for intellectual exchange in the Asia-Pacific region.” The main building of the International House of Japan, a registered tangible cultural property, is a notable example of modernist architecture, while its garden, designed by Ogawa Jihei VII, is considered a masterpiece. The forthcoming West Wing, designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architects SANAA, will expand public-interest programs in the Think Tank and Art & Design departments.
For more information, please visit https://ihj.global/en/
Attachment 1: SANAA
Attachment 2: Comments from the Advisors
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