In 1936, the New York Shimpo held another Japanese Art Exhibition.The announcement for the exhibition stated,

“Last year, we, an organization of artists, collected works from the general public and held the so-called ‘Japanese Art Exhibition,’ which generated a tremendous response in various fields and had positive effects in introducing Japanese culture. This year, to further promote the purpose of the exhibition, we have decided to expand the scale of the exhibition and welcome entries from the public.”

(“Call for Works for the Japanese Art Exhibition,” New York Shimpo, March 21, 1936).

The exhibition was held at the ACA Gallery from April 20th to May 2nd, 1936, and included 44 works by Yosei Amemiya, Minoru Aoki, Isami Doi, Paul Hyun, Toyoji Inouye, his wife (first name unknown), Eitaro Ishigaki, Kenji Iwasaki, Roy Kadowaki, Rinnosuke Kato, David Komuro, Yasuo Kuniyoshi, Murray Kusanobu, Kaname Miyamoto, Thomas Nagai, Mitsu Nakayama, Fuji Nakamizo, Kenneth M. Nakano, Oliver K. Noji, Hirotatsu Nomura, Miki Sawada, Kiyoshi Shimizu, Sakari Suzuki, Bunji Tagawa, Chuzo Tamotzu, Bumpei Usui, Takeo Watari, Chikamichi Yamasaki, and Tokusuke Yajima.

Unfortunately, most of the works in the 1936 exhibition have been scattered and lost. However, some newspaper reviews provide a glimpse of the exhibition.

“Most of them are young.The American scene has quite obviously influenced some, while others have looked upon French modernism. But most of them retain something Oriental in their work and much of that work is decidedly interesting. […]K. Oliver Noji in a water-color of finishing craft, approaches the Japanese color print, and H.Nomura’s wash drawing of a mountain vista suggests the oriental screen.”

(Howard Devree, “Brief Comment on More Than a Score of Recently Opened Shows-Other News”, New York Times, April 26, 1936)

In an art review by Ayako Ishigaki in the New York Shimpo, she wrote:

“I felt the same way at last year’s exhibition of Japanese paintings, that is, the seriousness with which the artists deeply pursued reality was evident in every detail of the paintings, without the slightest hint of deception. I was deeply impressed by the fact that what touches the depths of people’s hearts is not artificial techniques but honest efforts that are pushed with full force. Compared to the number of exhibitors last year, the number of exhibitors this year has increased to 30, and what was particularly noticeable was the number of young newcomers who exhibited their works. The size of the works is generally smaller than last year’s, but one look at the exhibition hall and you will notice an underlying spirit that attracts the viewer’s attention. The exhibition brings a fresh life and a youthful bursting energy.”

“Minoru Aoki’s depiction of a skyscraper in the countryside contrasts the interplay of trees and buildings with his unique colors and brushwork, and the landscape is also a cohesive composition. Mr. Aoki is a gifted painter as well as an architectural engineer for the Bethlehem Steel Corp.

Toyoji Inoue is a government official in the Ministry of Commerce. He produced this neat white lily as a pretty flower blooming in a field, forgetting the troubles and worries of the floating world. The carefully executed realism and the work of the artist’s soul reflect the use of color thoroughly and skillfully, showing seriousness and a sense of calm.

Nakano Kenneth’s work has the tenderness of a Japanese-style painting, and he effortlessly captures the melancholy of the boat floating under the bridge and the light and shadow falling on the water’s surface. It is a fine, calming work.

Oliver Noji’s fish boats have a precise rhythm in the interplay between the scattered groups of boats and the beautiful shadows on the water’s surface, giving the work the delicate feel of a Japanese painting.

Hirotatsu Nomura has a fresh elegance with ink strokes, showing a new twist in color painting, his specialty.

Miki Sawada’s brush strokes are sophisticated, as expected from her training in Paris. If anything, ‘Woman’s Portrait’ is better than ‘Still Life,’ as it is less formal.” 

(Ayako Ishigaki, “Japanese Art Exhibition,” New York Shimpo, April 25, April 29, and May 2, 1936)

The exhibition of Japanese Art, sponsored by New York Shimpo in 1936 highlighted Issei artists who were born in Japan and studied in the United States and young artists and amateurs who used Western painting techniques and retained an Oriental flavor. The two Japanese art exhibitions held in the 1930s sponsored by the New York Shimpo may have shown the integration of Eastern and Western culture through the works of various Japanese people living in the area.  After 1936, the New York Shimpo held no more exhibitions. The reasons for this are probably  unemployment among artists and the rise of labor movements during the Great Depression, as well as the worsening situation in Japan and the rest of Asia, which was a cause for concern among the Japanese community in New York.