Overview
- Musashino Art University professor emeritus Shigeo Toya has died of pneumonia at age 78.
- A private funeral was held with close relatives, his wife Tamiko served as chief mourner, and a public farewell will be scheduled later.
- He carved wood with a chainsaw to create dense, scored surfaces in his long-running Mori (Forest) series.
- Exhibitions ranged from the 1988 Venice Biennale to a 2022–23 solo show that toured museums in Nagano and Saitama.
- Japan honored him with the Medal with Purple Ribbon in 2009 and the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette, in 2025.