Featured Events in Tokyo in April, 2025 (July Updated)

Ramses The Great and the Gold of the Pharaohs will feature 183 pieces of rare artefacts from ancient Egypt that focus on the almighty pharaoh, Ramses The Great and it will be the largest collection of artefacts on Ramses II to ever leave Egypt. This spectacular exhibition will also boast the FIRST ever virtual walkthrough of Ramses II’s famous temples as well as a full-length documentary ever produced on Ramses II’s tomb.

Japanese game auteur Hideo Kojima, the mind behind Death Stranding and the Metal Gear series, has revolutionised interactive storytelling with his cinematic sensibility. Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn, celebrated for Drive and Only God Forgives, is known for his stylised, meditative explorations of violence and human nature. Bound by mutual respect and a fascination with the convergence of their mediums, the two artists share a decade-long friendship that has sparked artistic collaborations across film and video games. The two visionary creators now reunite in Tokyo for an ambitious installation. From April 18 to August 25, Prada Aoyama hosts ‘Satellites: Nicolas Winding Refn with Hideo Kojima’, an exhibition that invites visitors into a retro-futuristic space where Refn and Kojima appear across six exposed television screens together shaped like a spaceship, engaging in dialogue on identity, death and creativity.The journey continues in an adjacent dressing room filled with cassette tapes, interweaving AI-translated soundbites and film soundtracks, allowing guests to craft their own narrative from fragments of conversation. Blurring the lines between analogue and digital, film and games, ‘Satellites’ explores human connection in an age of technological fusion.

The official name of Sensoji Temple comes from the Golden Dragon Mountain, and it is called "Golden Dragon Mountain Sensoji Temple", and the name "Golden Dragon Dance" comes from the name of this mountain. "Golden Dragon Dance" is a dance that started in 1958 to commemorate the reconstruction of the main hall of Sensoji Temple, Kannon Hall. This dance is based on the story of Guanyin Bodhisattva enshrined in Sensoji Temple. According to legend, she appeared as a golden dragon that descended from the sky, and overnight she created a thousand pine trees that symbolize a good harvest. The 18-meter-long, 88-kilogram shining golden dragon dances gorgeously to the music of the celebration, and this scene is absolutely impressive.

For millions of years, unique aesthetics have been born on the islands of Japan and have been passed down from generation to generation. From Jomon earthenware, Haniwa, Erika, armor, and ukiyo-e, to the popular anime that has taken the world by storm, this is an immersive theater that combines NHK's high-definition video technology with “New Wafuism”. The New Wafuism Theater is an immersive theater that incorporates NHK's high-definition video technology. In the theater, you will be able to experience Japanese culture through a time-traveling journey with national treasures and important cultural properties of the Tokyo National Museum.

From a young age, Kusama has suffered from visual and auditory hallucinations. Her mental health condition has had a tremendous impact on the artist’s creative activities. In the 1950s, driven by her own obsessions, Kusama created an enormous number of drawings, resulting in an opportunity to make her breakthrough as an artist. After relocating to the United States in 1957, the artist began to create a series of works that could be described as ritual of “self-obliteration,” where all existence is engulfed in infinitely repetitive patterns such as polka dots and nets while the self is immersed into a boundless world. These works express a desire for salvation from psychological disorders and simultaneously reflect her intention to liberate society from absurd oppression through happenings and other forms of expression.

Tokyo Metropolitan Government has created a new tourist resource for nighttime viewing by using the exterior wall of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building No. 1 as a screen to express a variety of art with light and sound, and to perform projection mapping all year round in order to activate and revitalize nighttime tourism. This time, as the 45th anniversary is approaching next year, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government will begin showing works using the world-famous "Pac-Man". The game board appears on the outer wall of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, and Pac-Man, who is making a futuristic scene, eats up everything vividly. The music of the game of Pac-Man, which has a futuristic feel, and the music of the highly friendly soundtrack maker Mr. Haraguchi Sasuke have produced. Please enjoy the collaborative work of Pac-Man and Tokyo that can only be seen in the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building.

"Design Ah! Neo" is an exhibition that expands the concept of the program "Design Ah! Neo" currently airing on NHK Educational TV into an experiential space. It has been held as a "Design Ah! Exhibition" at 21_21 DESIGN SIGHT in 2013, and at six museums across the country, including the Miraikan, the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation, and the Toyama Prefectural Museum of Art from 2018 to 2021. The third "Design Ah! Neo" exhibition will exhibit new works with new themes, while retaining the concept of encouraging children to enjoy various thoughts and discoveries about design.

Are you ready for a great party? Join Kuromi, My Melody and Hapidanbui for an exciting exhibition! Dive into interactive displays, dance to hit music, and enjoy hands-on fun.

When Charlie Brown and his sister Sally get on the school bus with their friends and head off to school, various events await them. They meet unique friends and teachers. Classes are conducted day by day, and sometimes there are tense presentations, and as a reward, there are dance events. When they get home, they do their homework, and during summer vacation, they meet new people at summer camp. The school life of the Peanuts gang is a familiar, bittersweet experience. Enjoy school life with the Peanuts gang through about 45 carefully selected comics.

The "Anpanman the Movie" exhibition is an exhibition themed around the classic animation IP "Anpanman", which is open to the public free of charge. It will be held at Suginami Animation Museum from April 12 to July 21, 2025.

Miffy, born in 1955 by Dutch picture book author and graphic designer Dick Bruna, will celebrate its 70th anniversary in 2025. To commemorate this, we will hold the "Miffy 70th Anniversary Exhibition" with the theme "More, More, Miffy". This exhibition will display the original drawings and sketches of all 32 picture books in the Miffy series, including the original drawings of "Miffy Stays Over" (1988) and "Miffy's Favorite Grandma" (1996), which will be the first time they visit Japan. In addition, early paintings, paperback bindings, and poster designs will also be on display. More than 200 works and materials will explore the charms of Miffy and Bruna. This exhibition will introduce the charm of Miffy from every angle, including her heartwarming story, adorable characters, rhythmic words, graphical colors, lines and composition, allowing you to love Miffy more deeply, more enjoyably and even more.

The newly launched "Ginza Sony Park" has officially opened on January 26, 2025 (Sunday), and the first wave of planning activities "Sony Park Exhibition 2025" will be held simultaneously. With the theme of Sony's six major fields of music, semiconductors, finance, games, entertainment technology and movies, six groups of artists including YOASOBI, Sheep Literature, Vaundy, BABYMONSTER, Creepy Nuts, and Kensuke Ushio will be invited to participate in the creation, using art and high technology to create amazing experiences. Exhibiting works, the event will be divided into two stages, with three groups of works on display in each stage.

Japan, whose otaku culture based on cartoons and games has swept the world, actually has another entertainment that it is proud of: "special photography"! In 2024, "Godzilla-1.0" won the Academy Award for "Best Visual Effects", pushing it to the peak of popularity. Continuing this trend, the "Godzilla 70th Anniversary Art Exhibition" at the Mori Art Museum in Tokyo will be held from April 26 (Saturday) to June 29 (Sunday), 2025!

Beginning in the 1920s, architects including Le Corbusier and Mies van der Rohe explored new residential designs with function and comfort in mind. Their experimental visions and innovative ideas eventually intersected with everyday life, greatly reshaping people’s lifestyles. This exhibition focuses on seven dimensions of modern houses: hygiene, materials, windows, kitchen, furnishings, media, and landscape. Approximately 14 masterworks of residential architecture spanning the world will be presented in detail through photographs and drawings, sketches, models, furniture, textiles, tableware, magazines, graphics, and films. The modernity of this residential architecture in this exhibition continues to resonate today, offering an opportunity to reflect on our own living spaces and ways of living.

LOEWE's first major exhibition, "LOEWE Crafted World" will open in Tokyo in spring 2025. It will celebrate LOEWE's rich history, Spanish traditions and dedication to handcraft. 179 years of creativity and innovation. "LOEWE Crafted World" will showcase LOEWE's avant-garde approach to fashion and its craft culture that has been passed down through generations. The exhibition first opened in Shanghai in 2024 as a global traveling exhibition. In March 2025, "LOEWE Crafted World" will return to Harajuku, Tokyo. Japan was the first country where LOEWE opened a store outside of Europe, with the first store opening in 1973. Since then, LOEWE and Japan have had a rich cultural dialogue. Designed in collaboration with OMA, the architectural firm behind some of the most innovative architecture of the 21st century, the exhibition takes visitors on a journey through the iconic designs and cultural collaborations that have defined Loewe's evolution from its founding as a leatherworking workshop in Madrid in 1846 to its growth into one of the world's leading fashion brands. Filled with art and culture, the exhibition tells a story of the joy of making things by hand. Visitors can experience the sights and sounds of Spain, a front row seat to a Paris runway and spectacular interactive rooms that immerse them in the imaginative worlds that have inspired recent Loewe collections, including Studio Ghibli and Kyoto ceramicist Suna Fujita.

Joan Miró (1893-1983) is one of the most important Spanish artists of the 20th century, as famous as Picasso and Dali. His creations experienced changes from Fauvism, Realism to Surrealism, and finally established his own unique style. His paintings are famous for their strong colors, imagination and poetry. This exhibition will present the artist's works collected by the Joan Miró Foundation. Through Miró's representative works from his early years to his later years, it will review his creative career of more than 60 years and show the development of his artistic language and creative process. .

Tsutaya Juzaburo (1750-97), a prominent publisher in the Edo period, is known for publishing Ukiyo-e artists such as Kitagawa Utamaro and Toshusai Sharaku, who are now considered world-class artists. This exhibition takes a close look at Tsutaju's activities, showcasing the diverse culture of Edo, focusing on the Tenmei and Kansei periods (1781-1801). With the red-light district and kabuki of Edo as his backdrop, Tsutaju deepened his friendships with kyoka poets and comic poets during the rise of kyoka poetry. He expanded his network of samurai, wealthy townspeople, popular actors, comic poets, and artists in every direction, linking various fields and introducing various new ideas to the publishing industry through a kind of media mix. Tsutajyu used his business acumen to endlessly innovate the content business. What is rooted in this is a thorough user (consumer) perspective, and the vitality with which he pursued things that people would enjoy and find interesting. This exhibition is in collaboration with NHK's 2025 taiga drama "Berabou: Tsutaju Eika no Yumebanashi," which will feature Tsutaya Jusaburo as the main character. Through a look at Tsutaju's publishing activities along with aspects of the Edo cityscape, visitors will be able to experience not only the part Tsutaju played in the publishing culture of the late Edo period, but also the values ​​and artistry that he created.

Walk through this Western-style Japanese garden and enjoy the blooming roses. It is famous for its fusion of Eastern and Western aesthetics; the Western architecture recreates the British style of the 20th century, while the Japanese garden embodies the authentic Japanese spirit. All of this is presented in the gorgeous scent of roses!

Ryudai Takano (1963-) is a photographer and artist who won the 31st Kimura Ihei Photography Award for his photo book "IN MY ROOM" (2005) and continues to work both in Japan and abroad. In addition to his works on the theme of sexuality, such as "IN MY ROOM," Takano also takes snapshots of everyday life, such as "Daily Photos" and "Kasubaba." Since the Great East Japan Earthquake, he has also been working on the theme of exploring the origins of photography, using "shadows" as a subject. The title of this exhibition, "Kasubaba," is a word coined by Takano and is the plural of the word for a place like kas (ba). We live in the midst of rapid change in the times, with large-scale natural disasters, global epidemics of infectious diseases, environmental destruction and urban development due to economic development. Takano accepts reality, which is not just beautiful, and presents the viewer with raw images of weak and ugly things as they are. Through Takano's works, we will be able to see anew the richness and chaos of the everyday life we ​​live in, something that is familiar to us but that we do not look closely at. We hope that this exhibition, which surveys Takano's career, including works shown for the first time, will provide some hints for surviving this everyday life, from which it is becoming increasingly difficult to see an exit.

This exhibition was initiated by the Mino Ramen Bowl Exhibition, one of the Mino ware projects Sato and Hashimoto have been working on since 2012. Mino ware is a general term for ceramics made in the western Tono region of Gifu Prefecture (Tajimi City, Toki City, Mizunami City), among other areas. In fact, 90% of ramen bowls in Japan are Mino ware. By looking at ramen bowls from various perspectives, Sato and Hashimoto have conveyed the history and background of Mino ware, which has a history of more than 1,300 years, the activities of its makers, and the richness that everyday tableware brings to our lives.

While preparing for the exhibition "Anzelm Kifle: Solaris" at Nijo Castle in Kyoto, Kiefer was deeply attracted by the resonance between two paintings - "E.T.A. Homan no Tame" (2015-2024) and "er hexte eine Schlange ausdem Wasser" (2016). The pastoral scenery reflected on the calm water surface, and the paintings of the snake-themed sculptures use gold, ultramarine, ochre and soft white tones, which resonate with each other in the exhibition space filled with natural light. In Japanese culture, snakes represent a symbol of wisdom, wealth, change, rebirth, and renewal, and are also regarded as messengers of God. This year is also the Year of the Snake, which can be said to be the best year to exhibit these two masterpieces.

First aired in 1991, SBS Inkigayo is one of Korea’s most iconic music programs, where top artists perform their latest hits and a No.1 artist is selected each week. To bring the excitement of this beloved show to a live audience, “SBS INKIGAYO LIVE in TOKYO” was launched as a special event. Following an overwhelming response, the event returns this year on an even bigger scale — rebranded as “INGALIVE ‘UNI-CON’ in TOKYO DOME powered by SBS INKIGAYO” and set to take place at the legendary Tokyo Dome! The theme of this year’s show is “UNI-CON”, bringing together a lineup of top-tier artists for spectacular performances that can only be seen on this very stage.

The techniques of woodblock printing that flourished in the Edo period and Meiji era developed into a modernized artform called Shin-hanga in 1915. Shin-hanga builds on the tradition of collaborative work among the publisher, carver, printer, and designer, while also reflecting modern, eclectic tastes. Landscapes by Kawase Hasui (1883–1957) and Yoshida Hiroshi (1876–1950) as well as images of beauties by Hashiguchi Goyō (1880–1921) and Itō Shinsui (1898–1972) captivated Japanese people of Taishō and Shōwa eras and are still widely admired around the world. In conjunction with the special exhibitions, Tsutaya Jūzaburō: Creative Visionary of Edo andUkiyo-ein Play, this exhibition explores the variety and depth of woodblock printing and its expressive forms.

The Embedded/Edge Computing Expo [Spring] 2025 is poised to be a pivotal event in the tech calendar, taking place from April 23 to April 25 at the renowned Tokyo Big Sight East Hall 4 in Koto, Tokyo, Japan. This expo serves as a premier platform for industry leaders, innovators, and enthusiasts to delve into the cutting-edge world of embedded and edge computing technologies. Attendees will have the opportunity to explore the latest advancements, network with key players, and gain insights from expert-led sessions and workshops. With a focus on the transformative impact of these technologies on sectors such as IoT, AI, and smart infrastructure, the event promises to be a hub of knowledge and collaboration. The Embedded/Edge Computing Expo [Spring] 2025 is not just an exhibition; it's a gateway to understanding the future of computing and its role in shaping tomorrow's digital landscape.

Tokyo Metropolitan Government is promoting a new experience of visiting parks by combining seasonal flowers and light performances, and is implementing a project called "Flower and Light Movement". At Hibiya Park, following last year, this year will also show the new charm of the park through large-scale art installations that combine flowers, lights and art. This year, the content and exhibition period of the art installations will be further expanded. With the theme of "Hibiva ArtPark 2025 - Visit and go out for a month -", the exhibition period will be divided into two phases. The first phase will focus on public art, Transformed Composition - Group together and see and travel -| (April 25 (Friday) to May 11 (Sunday)), and the second phase will focus on the performing arts ""Play"ing Catch - Gathering and practicing -" (May 17 (Saturday) to May 25 (Sunday)).

This spectacular light show is the brainchild of renowned Japanese lighting designer Motoko Ishii. The term Jewellumination stands for jewels and lights, and it is brought to life by seven jewel colors: diamond, ruby, amber, topaz, emerald, sapphire and amethyst. The park is lit up by four million LED lights and divided into five colorful and themed areas: "Amusement Park", "Water Park", "Beautiful Stream", "Kawaii Park" and "Forest", with dance performances synchronized with lights and music. If you purchase an unlimited ride pass, you can also see these lights and the amazing night view of Tokyo from the top of the roller coaster or Ferris wheel.

"MAM Collection 019: Perspective" focuses on the photographic expressions of three female artists from the Mori Art Museum Collection: Maiko Haruki, Mari Katayama, and Tomoko Yoneda. This exhibition introduces photographic works in which the image is completed through the viewer's involvement, rather than as a so-called recording medium. Maiko Haruki's series "either portrait or landscape" attempts to destabilize and liberate the viewer's perspective from the perspective of form, and also by incorporating the relationship between photography and abstract expression as a theme. Mari Katayama reverses the power relationship between image and viewer, challenging conventional traditional notions of diversity, normative values, and agency. Tomoko Yoneda's series "Between the Visible and the Invisible" expresses the interrelationship between the image on the surface and the narrative behind it.

With the explosive growth of artificial intelligence (AI) and the integration of virtual and real worlds, the latest cutting-edge technologies have quickly penetrated our daily lives. This tendency has become especially apparent since the COVID-19 pandemic, when many human activities shifted towards virtual space. Looking back, the progress of art and technology has run parallel to each other throughout the course of history, a phenomenon that is especially evident in the field of computer art and video art. While recent innovations in video game engines and AI offer unprecedented possibilities for artists, the advent of generative AI also has raised significant concerns. Such developments are now attracting considerable attention in various fields and industries, including the contemporary art world.

From the late 1960s to the 1970s, the "underground," commonly known as "angura," took the Japanese art world by storm, mainly in the urban space of Tokyo. The underground, which replaced the "avant-garde" as the gathering point of cutting-edge art, was imported to Japan from the United States through experimental films and spread to fields such as fine art, music, manga, design, theater, and dance, becoming a trend recognized by the general public in just a few years. However, because it was established through its interaction with the anti-establishment movement of the time, it disappeared in the early 1970s as the movement declined. Although it was a short-lived phenomenon, underground culture had a great impact on postwar Japanese society, and it can be said that it remains as a style to this day. In addition, by its very nature, underground culture focused on temporary "events" rather than physical "works," and placed importance on the "places" that welcomed its bearers. For this reason, the underground is seen as the atmosphere of the times, and its actual nature has yet to be clarified. "MAM Research 011: Tokyo Underground 1960s-1970s - A turning point in postwar Japanese culture" will display many materials, mainly ephemera (printed material intended for temporary use), that are suited to conveying the rise and fall of underground culture in Tokyo. Furthermore, by examining these materials, we will attempt to look in detail at the history of "underground," its ideas and those who carried it, as well as its spread and limitations.