Hillary Clinton Visits Naoshima Ahead of Japan's Praemium Imperiale Ceremony
Hillary Clinton is in Japan this week for the 37th Praemium Imperiale, one of the world's best-known arts prizes. Before the ceremony, she spent time on Naoshima, a small island known for its art.
Clinton serves as the prize's U.S. advisor. She joined the Praemium Imperiale in 2022 as its international advisor and as chair of the U.S. nomination committee, the group that helps choose American candidates. ArtNews reports that she is the fifth U.S. international advisor to the prize.
The Japan Art Association set up the Praemium Imperiale in 1988. It honours achievement in painting, sculpture, architecture, music, and theatre and film. Winners are called laureates, the word for prize winners. The 37th ceremony takes place at Meiji Kinenkan, a historic venue in Tokyo.
The 2026 laureates were announced in September by the Japan Art Association, according to Artforum. They are:
- Jenny Holzer, painting
- Andy Goldsworthy, sculpture
- Daniel Libeskind, architecture
- Herbert Blomstedt, music
- Cate Blanchett, theatre and film
Clinton's visit to Naoshima included photos with two pumpkin sculptures by Yayoi Kusama, the Japanese artist who is herself a former Praemium laureate. She shared the photos on Instagram on Monday, October 26. The Instagram post is the first public record of the trip that she has shared.
On her official Facebook page, Clinton confirmed the visit. She wrote that she was in Japan this week for her annual stint as the prize's U.S. advisor. She said she treasured the chance to see Naoshima.
Naoshima sits in the Seto Inland Sea, between Japan's main island of Honshu and the island of Shikoku. Its museums, outdoor sculptures and art houses draw visitors from around the world, and Kusama's pumpkins are among its best-known works.
For anyone curious about the prize, the next step is the ceremony itself at Meiji Kinenkan, where the five laureates are due to be honoured.
