Featured Events in Tokyo in January, 2025 (February Updated)

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.

British art from the turn of the century is often introduced in terms of its lineage with the Pre-Raphaelites or its relationship with Aestheticism and Symbolism, but inspired by the development of modern French painting, various movements arose in which young artists sought to create new environments for their work. The New English Art Club was founded in 1886 in opposition to the Royal Academy of Arts, which dominated the art world, the Camden Town Group was formed in 1911 in response to the Academy's conservatism, and the Newlyn School, which formed an artists' colony in a fishing village in Cornwall. In these movements, we can see responses to Impressionism and Post-Impressionism, as well as a backlash against London's rapid urbanization and industrialization.

British art from the turn of the century is often introduced in terms of its lineage with the Pre-Raphaelites or its relationship with Aestheticism and Symbolism, but inspired by the development of modern French painting, various movements arose in which young artists sought to create new environments for their work. The New English Art Club was founded in 1886 in opposition to the Royal Academy of Arts, which dominated the art world, the Camden Town Group was formed in 1911 in response to the Academy's conservatism, and the Newlyn School, which formed an artists' colony in a fishing village in Cornwall. In these movements, we can see responses to Impressionism and Post-Impressionism, as well as a backlash against London's rapid urbanization and industrialization.

Yayoi Kusama has constantly faced the critical realities of life and death as pressing issues. Her experience of the Pacific War in a complex family environment, along with her overcoming of suicidal impulses triggered by trauma and neurosis through her creative practices, has influenced her perception of these issues. This exhibition unveils Kusama’s evolving outlook on life and death, alongside the corresponding shifts in her artistic presentation, through a series of diverse works—from her 1940s and 1950s paintings, which bear the imprint of war, to her very latest pieces. After relocating to the United States in 1957, Kusama gained a reputation for her net paintings and sculptures that embody ‘self-obliteration’: the feeling of losing the boundary between the self and the other through the obsessive repetition of motifs originating from her hallucinations. In her anti-war happenings in the late 1960s, she painted dots onto the human body using the same concept of ‘self-obliteration’ while also highlighting the beauty of life and the human body. During the 1970s and 80s, following the loss of her father and her lover, as well as her return to Japan due to health issues, Kusama produced numerous dark-toned collages and three-dimensional works centered on the theme of death, as well as poetry and novels imbued with a sense of mortality. As she continued creating fantastical works exploring death and the afterlife, her works from the late 1980s began to explore themes of transmigration and cyclical returns to eternity through ‘self-obliteration’. Kusama’s works, which increasingly incorporated more colors, reveal how her creative process evolved from a means of coping with death to becoming synonymous with her very existence. In her painting series from 2000 onwards, Kusama has been relentlessly depicting the beauty of life and the joy of living on canvases overflowing with vibrant colors, driven by the ever-looming presence of her own death.

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.

Claude Monet (1840-1926), one of the leading painters of the Impressionists, captured the vicissitudes of nature on his canvas with a keen eye that caught a moment of light. In later years, however, his art was transformed into more abstract and internal images. Monet's later years were also a time when he faced many challenges, such as the death of a beloved family member, his own eye disease, and the First World War. In such a situation, the source of his greatest creativity was the water lily pond built in the garden of his residence in Giverny, where the surrounding trees, sky, and light are reflected as one. And the idea of a "large decorative painting" that covers the walls of the room with a huge canvas depicting this subject would occupy Monet's mind until his very end. At the center of this exhibition is a number of large-scale "water lilies" created through this process of trial and error. This time, about 50 works from the Musée Marmottan Monet in Paris will be exhibited for the first time in Japan, including many important works. In addition, works from various collections in Japan will be added to introduce the pinnacle of Monet's late art. It will be a valuable opportunity for the largest "water lilies" ever to gather in Japan.

"Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba", which has been loved by generations, is a manga created by Koyoharu Gotouge and animated by ufotable. It has been 5 years since the first episode was aired, and after the final episode of "Hiraru Training Arc" aired in May this year, the "Theatrical Version of "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba" Infinite Castle Arc" was announced, which has set off a new wave of topics. The focus of this exhibition is on the "Hiraru" swordsmen of the Demon Slayer Corps, who have inherited the love-hate relationship with Muzan Kibutsuji for thousands of years. The exhibition will allow the audience to have a deeper understanding of the personality and background of the nine pillars through exquisite displays and interactive experiences.

"Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba", which has been loved by generations, is a manga created by Koyoharu Gotouge and animated by ufotable. It has been 5 years since the first episode was aired, and after the final episode of "Hiraru Training Arc" aired in May this year, the "Theatrical Version of "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba" Infinite Castle Arc" was announced, which has set off a new wave of topics. The focus of this exhibition is on the "Hiraru" swordsmen of the Demon Slayer Corps, who have inherited the love-hate relationship with Muzan Kibutsuji for thousands of years. The exhibition will allow the audience to have a deeper understanding of the personality and background of the nine pillars through exquisite displays and interactive experiences.

Pliny the Elder’s encyclopedicNaturalis Historia(77 CE) includes the story of the daughter of a ceramic tile maker in Corinth, a city in ancient Greece, wanting a record of the young man she loved, who was setting out on a trip. She drew an outline of his shadow on the wall. In the latter half of the eighteenth and the early nineteenth century, that story was often mentioned as the origin of painting. In fact, if we look at the history of art in Europe, “depicting a person,” figure painting, has long been a significant element in creating works. For example, self-portraits have been both opportunities to display one’s skill and experimental settings for trying new styles. Portrait painting has been a staple source of painters’ livelihoods. In addition to actual human figures, portraits also depict the characters in stories. This exhibition introduces the abundance of paintings of the human figure.

The Ishibashi Foundation Collection now consists of approximately 3,000 works, including Impressionist paintings from the latter half of the nineteenth century, modern paintings from the twentieth century, modern Japanese paintings from the Meiji period on, postwar Abstract paintings, early modern art from Japan and elsewhere in East Asia, and ancient Greek and Roman art. Here we introduce, throughout the year, a variety of works selected from the collection. Special Section Matisse’s Studio Interiors were consistently important elements in paintings by Henri Matisse (1869-1954). Particularly from the 1940s on, his studio was a vitally important space, where daily life and creating came together. This exhibition, in connection with the acquisition of his Dancer and Rocaille Armchair, Black Background (1942), explores, through works in the Ishibashi Foundation Collection and from multiple viewpoints, the role of the studio in Matisse’s paintings.

This is the museum's first bird-themed special exhibition. It introduces the origins and evolution of birds, and displays many specimens based on the evolutionary lineage hypothesis revealed by the latest research using genome analysis.

Like all illuminations, this one has a theme: Exciting Moments. The illuminations are divided into three main areas, and you can head to the streets outside Hibiya Nakamura to enjoy the gradient of colors, to the Hibiya Steps Plaza to enjoy the star-studded Christmas tree (open only until December 25), and to the Park View Garden on the sixth floor to enjoy the winter white wonderland.

The sunlight pouring down, the sunlit spots that give a sense of gentle warmth, the moonlight shining through the darkness... we encounter various kinds of light in our lives. In this exhibition, two artists who continue to be active at the forefront of contemporary art, Aoki Noe and Mishima Ritsue, will install their works in various places in the museum and illuminate the Art Deco decorative space from a new perspective. Aoki has opened up new horizons of expression with her sculptures that draw lines in space using iron, while Mishima has scooped up the energy of the place and converted it into light through her colorless and transparent glass works. The materials "iron" and "glass" that the two artists use are blessings of nature that have been passed down to us over time, and are also used extensively in the decoration of the venue, the former Asaka Palace, for chandeliers, reliefs, tympanums on doors, etc. The two artists have visited this place many times and engaged in dialogue with the decorative space of the 1930s to create a once-in-a-lifetime exhibition plan for this exhibition. Both Aoki Noe and Mishima Ritsue use fire in their creations, breathing life into materials with hot, shining flames. Their forms, imbued with primitive power, evoke the energy and cycles of nature, bringing surprise and awareness to the viewer and enveloping the world around us in a new light.

Sagano, located in the northwest of Kyoto, is a beautiful place that has been a favorite place for entertainment for the royal family since ancient times. In the early Heian period, Emperor Saga (786-842) built a detached palace, Saga-in, here. Later, he followed the advice of the monk Kukai (774-835) and placed the Five Great Myogo statues in the Jibutsu-do. In 876, Princess Masako, the daughter of Emperor Saga, transformed this place into a temple, and the history of Daikaku-ji Temple began. 2026 marks the 1,150th anniversary of the founding of Daikaku-ji Temple. In celebration of this important historical moment, this special exhibition brings together many treasures from Daikaku-ji Temple for display. The Shinden, located in the center of the temple, is said to have been given to Emperor Go-Mizunoo in 1620 when Tofukumon In Kazuko married him as a concubine. The shoji paintings and other screen paintings inside the Shinden are masterpieces of Kano Sanraku (1559-1635), a representative painter from the Azuchi-Momoyama to the Edo period, and are designated as important cultural properties. This special exhibition not only displays more than 100 screen paintings, but also calligraphy works by successive emperors that reflect the history of faith, and famous works of esoteric Buddhist art such as the "Godai Myogo-sama" (Myouen-sculpture), which is regarded as the best Buddhist statue in the late Heian period. Please enjoy.

The founder of the museum, Matsuoka Seijiro, was familiar with Gidayu from a young age. During wartime, he visited soldiers to entertain them and gave passionate performances. He was also involved in the establishment of the Gidayu Association, a general incorporated association, which was launched in 1970, and provided financial support. In his art collection, he has amassed a large number of paintings themed around Bunraku. He also has a collection of other paintings themed around Noh masks and Noh and Kabuki, which suggests that he was a broad lover of traditional performing arts. This time, we will guide you into the world of traditional performing arts, focusing on paintings themed around Bunraku, Noh, Kabuki, and more.

Glaze is a glassy film that covers the surface of ceramics, and is an element unique to ceramics. Since ancient times, people have sought not only practical use in glazes, but also beauty that changes in various ways depending on the nature and method of application. This pursuit, which has continued for many years, has brought about great developments in the world of Chinese ceramics. Crafts with completely different styles were born, such as Sancai, which boldly uses vivid colors, Celadon, which has a refined appearance, and Yatsuo-gure, which has a fantastic purple-red color. This exhibition will display about 50 pieces that are full of the beauty of glazes, such as green glazes, Sancai, Celadon, and Yatsuo-gure, from about 1,500 years from the Later Han to the Ming dynasties. Please enjoy the rich expressions and unique colors that are born from applying glaze and firing.

The Ishibashi Foundation Collection now consists of approximately 3,000 works, including Impressionist paintings from the latter half of the nineteenth century, modern paintings from the twentieth century, modern Japanese paintings from the Meiji period on, postwar Abstract paintings, early modern art from Japan and elsewhere in East Asia, and ancient Greek and Roman art. Here we introduce, throughout the year, a variety of works selected from the collection. Special Section Matisse’s Studio Interiors were consistently important elements in paintings by Henri Matisse (1869-1954). Particularly from the 1940s on, his studio was a vitally important space, where daily life and creating came together. This exhibition, in connection with the acquisition of his Dancer and Rocaille Armchair, Black Background (1942), explores, through works in the Ishibashi Foundation Collection and from multiple viewpoints, the role of the studio in Matisse’s paintings.

Pliny the Elder’s encyclopedic Naturalis Historia (77 CE) includes the story of the daughter of a ceramic tile maker in Corinth, a city in ancient Greece, wanting a record of the young man she loved, who was setting out on a trip. She drew an outline of his shadow on the wall. In the latter half of the eighteenth and the early nineteenth century, that story was often mentioned as the origin of painting. In fact, if we look at the history of art in Europe, “depicting a person,” figure painting, has long been a significant element in creating works. For example, self-portraits have been both opportunities to display one’s skill and experimental settings for trying new styles. Portrait painting has been a staple source of painters’ livelihoods. In addition to actual human figures, portraits also depict the characters in stories. This exhibition introduces the abundance of paintings of the human figure.

Since its opening in 2020, the Artizon Museum has been holding the annual exhibition "Jam Session," a collaboration between the Ishibashi Foundation Collection and artists. This fifth exhibition will feature Yuko Mohri, an artist garnering attention in the international art scene. Mohri primarily uses installations and sculptures to give form to the flows and changing phenomena that exist latent in a particular space, such as magnetism, electric current, air, dust, water, and temperature, in an attempt to open up new circuits of perception for those who witness her work. The word "physis" in the title of this exhibition is an ancient Greek word that is usually translated as "nature" or "nature." In early Greek philosophy, which gave rise to the question "What is the origin of all things, the principle?" that has continued to this day in philosophy, "physis" was the central subject of consideration. Although only fragments of his writings remain from that time, they were later given the title "Physis = On Nature," and convey the thoughts of philosophers who find the true nature in movements such as creation, change, and disappearance. Their approach to perceiving the world as a constantly changing, vibrant, dynamic world can be seen as overlapping with Mohri's. This exhibition, Mohri's first large-scale exhibition in Japan, will feature new and old works alongside works from the Ishibashi Foundation Collection selected from the artist's perspective, inviting visitors into a tranquil yet organic space filled with subtle sounds and movements that can only be experienced here.

Pliny the Elder’s encyclopedic Naturalis Historia (77 CE) includes the story of the daughter of a ceramic tile maker in Corinth, a city in ancient Greece, wanting a record of the young man she loved, who was setting out on a trip. She drew an outline of his shadow on the wall. In the latter half of the eighteenth and the early nineteenth century, that story was often mentioned as the origin of painting. In fact, if we look at the history of art in Europe, “depicting a person,” figure painting, has long been a significant element in creating works. For example, self-portraits have been both opportunities to display one’s skill and experimental settings for trying new styles. Portrait painting has been a staple source of painters’ livelihoods. In addition to actual human figures, portraits also depict the characters in stories. This exhibition introduces the abundance of paintings of the human figure.

Pliny the Elder’s encyclopedic Naturalis Historia (77 CE) includes the story of the daughter of a ceramic tile maker in Corinth, a city in ancient Greece, wanting a record of the young man she loved, who was setting out on a trip. She drew an outline of his shadow on the wall. In the latter half of the eighteenth and the early nineteenth century, that story was often mentioned as the origin of painting. In fact, if we look at the history of art in Europe, “depicting a person,” figure painting, has long been a significant element in creating works. For example, self-portraits have been both opportunities to display one’s skill and experimental settings for trying new styles. Portrait painting has been a staple source of painters’ livelihoods. In addition to actual human figures, portraits also depict the characters in stories. This exhibition introduces the abundance of paintings of the human figure.

The Tokyo Dome City Winter Illumination is one of the most popular light events in Tokyo in winter. It is famous for its unique theme and design, using LED lights to create a dreamy landscape that covers every corner of Tokyo Dome City. The event usually starts in mid-November and lasts until around mid-February of the following year. No additional tickets are required to watch the event, which is very suitable for families, couples or tourists to visit at night.

The Tokyo Dome City Winter Illumination is one of the most popular light events in Tokyo in winter. It is famous for its unique theme and design, using LED lights to create a dreamy landscape that covers every corner of Tokyo Dome City. The event usually starts in mid-November and lasts until around mid-February of the following year. No additional tickets are required to watch the event, which is very suitable for families, couples or tourists to visit at night.

The Tokyo Dome City Winter Illumination is one of the most popular light events in Tokyo in winter. It is famous for its unique theme and design, using LED lights to create a dreamy landscape that covers every corner of Tokyo Dome City. The event usually starts in mid-November and lasts until around mid-February of the following year. No additional tickets are required to watch the event, which is very suitable for families, couples or tourists to visit at night.

As a young leading director of the "Polish School," Andrzej Wajda (1926-2016) blew a breath of fresh air into the world of film with "Kanal" (1957) and "Ashes and Diamonds" (1958), and later produced "Man of Marble" (1977) and "Man of Steel" (1981) in opposition to the socialist regime of the time. He also became an eloquent narrator of Poland's harsh history and built a magnificent world of stories by frequently adapting masterpieces of Polish literature. This exhibition was compiled by Polish experts from a valuable collection of materials, mainly from the collection of the Japanese Museum of Art and Technology Manggha, which were born from Wajda's more than 60-year career of work. This is the first overseas tour of a project that was held at the National Museum in Krakow in 2019. This Tokyo exhibition will introduce Wajda as an artist and the world of his work, with an original chapter showing the deep ties he built with Japan.

As a young leading director of the "Polish School," Andrzej Wajda (1926-2016) blew a breath of fresh air into the world of film with "Kanal" (1957) and "Ashes and Diamonds" (1958), and later produced "Man of Marble" (1977) and "Man of Steel" (1981) in opposition to the socialist regime of the time. He also became an eloquent narrator of Poland's harsh history and built a magnificent world of stories by frequently adapting masterpieces of Polish literature. This exhibition was compiled by Polish experts from a valuable collection of materials, mainly from the collection of the Japanese Museum of Art and Technology Manggha, which were born from Wajda's more than 60-year career of work. This is the first overseas tour of a project that was held at the National Museum in Krakow in 2019. This Tokyo exhibition will introduce Wajda as an artist and the world of his work, with an original chapter showing the deep ties he built with Japan.