National Tide 1980

Art investment is nothing new for the upper class in any country.

As early as the end of the 19th century, American steel magnate and art collector Henry Clay Frick once remarked with great satisfaction, “Even during the period of ownership, some paintings appreciate in value faster than those that are best managed. A joint-stock company is hundreds or even a thousand times faster.”

And unlike stocks, paintings have no theoretical value.

They generate no cash flow and have no dividend yield or price-to-earnings ratio that would allow collectors to distinguish prudent investments from reckless speculation.

Once an auction establishes the price of an artist's work, it sets the benchmark for all subsequent valuations.

As Hughes said, "The price of art depends on the balance between real or artificial scarcity and the pure, irrational desire to possess, and the most easily manipulated thing in the world is desire."

So when it comes to Japan's upper class, whether it's the old aristocrats from famous families or the chaebol families that emerged later, they didn't give up this habit even during the war years.

It can be said that the more profound a family is, the more collections they have.

Especially after the signing of the Plaza Accord in 1985, due to the continuous appreciation of the yen, large-scale purchases of art by Japanese people occurred frequently.

This new change, which was enough to affect the international art market, not only became headline news at the time and attracted more and more attention, but also Japanese collectors became the main force in the global art market.

Even in 1986, the dollar value of Japan's imported foreign art alone had tripled from the previous year.

Ambitious Western auctioneers have various sales techniques learned in books in their heads, while Japanese speculators have their pockets filled with banknotes brought by the bubble economy.

It can be said that the two parties hit it off and jointly created the most indulgent art market in history.

In this historical background, as the executive director of the Japan Composers Association, the honorary president of Showa University of Music in Japan, the president of the Japan Music Improvisation Society, and one of the main leaders of the Japan Record Awards Development Committee.

As celebrities in the music industry, Mihara Masahashi and his wife Ruriko became one of the participants in the art collection of this era. It is completely logical.

As a member of the upper class, how can we not have some elegant hobbies?

Therefore, the couple often visit well-known galleries and art auctions in Tokyo, and sometimes even travel to Osaka and Kyoto.

However, they are not willing to pursue the works of well-known artists in the international market, but prefer the works of local Japanese artists.

In addition, they not only buy, but sometimes also sell. It can be said that they are a very active part of the art market.

Although the reasons they declare to the outside world are extremely high-sounding, they say that they are out of their responsibilities as artists and focus on supporting talented local artists in Japan.

But in fact, anyone who really knows a little bit about art collection knows that people like them, although their social status is not low, do not have a steady stream of cash flow.

After all, it is just an artistic family, which is incomparable to a truly wealthy or aristocratic family.

Mihara Masahiro's salary, holding important positions in various associations, and returns from academic lectures alone are not enough in art collection.

If families like them want to participate in the art market, they can only use this method of speculating on art based on their vision to satisfy their hobbies in art collection and decorate their appearance to decorate their own style.

This is the most practical approach and it counts as a small player, not a collector at all.

But for Ning Weimin, this is something he is very happy to hear.

Because desire brings weakness, as long as he gives in to what he likes, he is sure that Mihara Masahiro's "artistic conscience" will not be too stubborn.

…………

It was also the evening of Christmas Eve. Akira Okamoto, who was assigned to investigate the whereabouts and preferences of the Mihara couple, followed the couple in a taxi to a prestigious gallery in Taichung District.

This gallery was renovated from a Japanese bathhouse. It looks like a traditional wooden Japanese house and retains many details of the bathhouse, such as the cabinets where people used to store items and shoes before bathing.

But once guests enter this sento with a history of more than 200 years, they will find that it is completely filled with modern artworks, as if they were displaced in time and space.

The taxi stopped in front of the gallery. Akira Okamoto got out of the car and was not in a hurry to get in immediately.

He is a smart man with some talents as a private detective.

He was afraid that following too closely and leaving too many traces would make the target he was following suspicious.

So I stood at the door and patiently smoked a cigarette before walking in.

At the entrance of the gallery, there is a vertical signboard "Exhibition of Works by Somei Aoki in Europe".

Somei Aokini is a famous contemporary Western painting master who is very popular in the art world. Even Akira Okamoto knows this figure.

Akira Okamoto put out his cigarette, took a deep breath, and straightened his coat before gently pushing open the gallery door and entering.

As soon as you enter the reception hall, you will see many paintings hanging on the walls lined with black velvet.

However, Akira Okamoto did not look at the painting. Instead, he looked around at the figure standing in front of the painting.

In a space of about 150 square meters that is connected by several rooms, there are thirty-five six figures, each standing in front of a painting, leisurely admiring it carefully.

Ko Okamoto stared at each figure one by one, looking for the familiar figure he had followed all the way. Just when he turned his gaze to the back of the second room, his gaze stopped.

I found the pink profile and gray hair of Mihara, the executive director of the Japan Composers Association, as well as the slightly plump figure of his wife Ruriko.

Obviously, they were watching very slowly and appreciating with their heart.

So Okamoto Akira did not rush over immediately, but stayed where he was for the time being, pretending to admire the painting, but observing the Mihara couple with his peripheral vision.

None of them noticed the presence of Akira Okamoto, and they were flushed with excitement, talking in low voices and looking at the paintings on the wall.

After walking around for a while, the couple finally stopped in front of the painting on the far left of the third room and looked at it carefully.

Akira Okamoto walked around behind him without making any sound of footsteps.

Unexpectedly, a well-dressed man suddenly walked in beside the Mihara couple and greeted them politely.

"Teacher Mihara, I didn't expect you to come here again today. It's such an honor."

Of course Akira Okamoto was taken aback, but Masahiro Mihara seemed to be very familiar with him.

He turned his head and took a look, then said familiarly, "Oh, isn't this the store manager? I didn't see you when I came in just now. I thought you weren't in the gallery today."

Only then did Akira Okamoto realize that this person was the owner of a gallery.

"Excuse me, I really have something to do. Somei-sensei's paintings are very popular. I was just discussing the price of the paintings with the customer."

"Oh, that means the art exhibition is very successful. Congratulations on your prosperous business."

"Haha, it's also thanks to you. This is not a courtesy, it's true. Your visit to our store, Professor, is really rare. I heard that you have been very busy recently because of the Record Awards. I don’t even have time to eat. But it’s really an honor to visit our store so frequently. It seems that you are also very interested in Somei-sensei’s works..."

"No, no, it's like this every year. In fact, it's okay if you get used to it. As for these paintings, I can't say whether I like them or not. I just think that this local painter has a unique style and deserves support. . Some of them are quite popular. But when it comes to buying them, I haven’t made up my mind yet..."

Miyuan responded vaguely, and his intention was just to gain the upper hand on price.

Gallery owners naturally understand this, but businessmen are also very persistent about prices, and no one will let go easily.

Especially if the Mihara couple comes again in a short period of time, the store owner will naturally assume that they have the desire to buy.

So they began to use professional words and praise to deal with discounts, trying to make them relax their vigilance about prices.

"Teacher Mihara, your vision is really great. With all due respect, from my professional experience, good paintings must show wealth and exclusive privileges, and most importantly, they must be visible to others at a glance. Identity It must be high. This is the key to the appreciation of paintings. And Somei-sensei’s paintings have such potential. Mihara-sensei and I have the same views. And this painter is from Osaka like you, so he probably painted The nostalgia in it will move you more easily..."

"Haha, even so, in my opinion, the prices of these paintings in your store are a bit expensive. For me, buying paintings can not only support Japanese artists, but it is also an investment. Buy them when they are cheap. , you will make money in the future. Don’t just pull me to encourage you, and don’t think about how I can afford such an expensive painting with my dead salary as an executive director? Take the painting in front of me as an example. It is so small that it costs 600,000 yen for the first size! I don’t understand why it is so expensive. The price is almost as high as that of Yokoyama Taikan’s works. If this is the case, then why don’t I buy it by a famous artist? Woolen cloth……"

"Mr. Mihara, that's different. Yokoyama Taikan's works are all pure Japanese paintings, and they are not popular in the current market. But Somei's works are different. They are not only Western paintings, but also Impressionist paintings. , this kind of work is more suitable for modern decoration..."

"What kind of excuse is this? How can you measure a work of art in such a simple way? It's just nonsense and too perfunctory..."

"Teacher, don't be angry. I understand your mood. Yes, this excuse sounds outrageous. But you also have to understand that not all guests know how to appreciate art. I won't hide it from you. , for most customers, they don’t particularly care about the artist’s identity or artistic level. What they really want is capital gains, not a painting. The simpler the painting, the better it is to sell. From another perspective Come to think of it, although such works will lower the threshold of the art market, it will also make it open to everyone and ensure that speculative enthusiasm remains concentrated, thus helping to increase the value of a few selected artists. If you believe As for me, you must not miss Somei’s works. To be honest, the buyers of the works I sold recently were all financial practitioners. They are the most hyped group. If you invest 500 yuan now If it’s 10,000 yen, it will definitely double in a few years…”

"Then if you want to say that, what was the price of the two works by Takehisa Yumeji that I bought from you a few years ago? Didn't you say that the bankers were optimistic about them at the beginning? How much have they increased now?"

"It will probably appreciate by about three to four million yen. If you want to sell it and transfer it, I can help you contact the buyer..."

"Sell? No, no, I'm not satisfied with this price. Let me think about it again... Hahaha!" Mihara Masahiro laughed proudly in a loud voice.

At this point, Akira Okamoto has understood the thoughts of the executive director who holds half of the decision-making power of the Record Awards.

He quickly walked out of the gallery and found a nearby grocery store selling cigarettes, where he made a call from a public phone.

"Please help me turn to President Ning's office. I am Akira Okamoto from Matsumoto Office..."

After waiting for a long time, Ning Weimin's voice finally came. "Okamoto? How about..."

During this phone call, the two of them talked for at least ten minutes about what Akira Okamoto had observed.

However, when Akira Okamoto returned to the gallery, he was a little surprised to find that Masahiro Mihara and his wife had already left.

After searching all the exhibition rooms, Akira Okamoto found no trace of them. When he went out to look, even the private car they came in was gone.

But it doesn't matter, anyway, with Ning Weimin's latest instructions as the basis, Akira Okamoto still has the backbone.

He walked over to the painting that had stopped the Mihara couple when they had just eavesdropped on the conversation, and looked at it carefully.

The painting is of Notre Dame de Paris. The painting style is a bit abstract, with brown oil paint thickly covering the canvas.

Although he stood in front of the painting for a long time, Okamoto still showed a confused expression. He really couldn't understand why such a painting was valuable.

But the next moment, he waved to the clerk standing in the corner of the room, "Hey, I want to buy this painting..."

The clerk stared blankly at the strange-faced customer, and was stunned for a while before reacting.

"Yes, I will ask our boss to come over right away. Please wait a moment." He slipped towards the office.

After a while, the well-dressed man just now appeared. He rubbed his hands and walked towards Okamoto Akira.

"I am the boss, thank you for your patronage. Hey? Is this the one? You are really discerning! This painting is the best among all the works displayed here..." He responded with the unique courtesy and cunning of an art dealer. .

"how much is it?"

"Ah, Teacher Somei's paintings cost 600,000 yen for each number. This is the price agreed by the market. Come, please sit inside." He led Okamoto Akira into the reception room with sofas.

"Do you think this is good? Let me calculate for you. If you jump to the first number, it will be 600,000, and if you jump to the third number, it will be 1.8 million..."

"Can I get a discount? Isn't this a dead price?"

Akira Okamoto replied without any pretense, "How about 1.5 million?"

"One and a half million, this is really stumping me. It costs 1,680,000 yuan less than Chengdu. What's more, the painting itself has already been liked by customers, but they haven't made up their minds yet. You are bargaining so hard, so directly Just 20% off the price is too much..." The art dealer shook his head vigorously.

"Is the guest you are talking about Mihara, the executive director of the Composers Association?"

"Hey, do you know the conductor Mihara-sensei?"

"To tell you frankly, the painting is the gift I want to give to Mihara. If you agree to 20% off the price, I can even buy another work that Mihara likes, and then you can help me deliver it to me as soon as possible. Mihara’s home where the painting was exhibited.”

"Huh? Mihara's house... In this way, I can't say no. I hope you will come to patronize the store's business next time. Okay, I agreed, and the deal was made at 20% off." The art dealer finally made the purchase. Taking action means reaching an agreement.

"Then take the painting off the wall quickly. Wrap it up for me."

Akira Okamoto took out Ning Weimin's business card from the briefcase he held in his right hand and handed it over carefully.

"Tomorrow, in the name of the owner of this business card, you have to deliver these paintings to Mr. Mihara's home early in the morning. Do you understand? This business card also needs to be entrusted to you. It needs to be handed over to Mr. Mihara or his wife..."

"I understand, I will definitely do it." The art dealer respectfully took the business card and looked at it for a while, full of respect, but then asked, "Excuse me, guest, how do you want to pay for the painting? It is true that our store also has a pair of paintings that Mr. Mihara likes. work, but that painting is larger than this one. If the two paintings were added together, it would cost four million yen. Do you want cash or..."

"I don't have that much money, but it's easy. Someone has already sent the check. Just wait for a while. It's here in half an hour..."

"That's great. If the guest doesn't mind, how about taking a break in my office and drinking a glass of whiskey or coffee?"

Seeing that Akira Okamoto didn't even blink when he heard the price of four million, the art dealer suddenly began to flatter him.

"Well, thank you!" Akira Okamoto said arrogantly, slowly standing up from his seat and straightening his tie.

Unknowingly, he seemed to have become a wealthy and powerful person while working for Ning Weimin. (End of chapter)