Featured Events in Japan in April, 2025 (May Updated)

Overview Theme: Designing Future Society for Our Lives Subthemes: Saving Lives Empowering Lives Connecting Lives Concept: People's Living Lab 1. A space where 8 billion people from around the world will not only view exhibits but will co-create our future society. 2.Even before the Expo begins, an online platform for sharing challenges and solutions from around the world will be launched. 3.A place where the world’s knowledge such as cutting-edge technology will be brought together, used to create new ideas, and shared, all to help resolve global issues facing mankind. Purpose World Expo has both cohesive and communication capabilities. We will use these capabilities as a trigger to sustain growth and development of Osaka, Kansai as well as Japan following on from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics. What is a World Expo? A World Expo is an event that brings together people and innovations from around the world in an effort to address issues facing humankind on a global scale. The Osaka Expo 1970, Japan’s, and Asia’s, first ever, became a symbol of Japan’s rapid economic growth and one of the country’s most lauded events. Twenty years after the Aichi Expo 2005, Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai will bring the international community back to Japan. A World Exposition is a place, where new technologies and products are born, triggering greater convenience in our daily lives. Elevator (New York Exhibition, 1853), telephone (Philadelphia Centennial Exposition, 1876) Family restaurants, wireless telephones, electric cars, moving sidewalks (Expo 1970 Osaka) Entry tickets embedded with IC chips, AED, dry mist (Aichi Exposition, 2005) Goals of Expo 2025 Osaka Kansai To contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)Achievement of Japan’s national strategy Society 5.0EXPO for SDGs In 2025, the world will be a mere five years away from 2030, the year the United Nations has set as the target for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), making it a crucial one for ramping up efforts to achieve these goals. Therefore, Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai will become a key platform for reaching the SDGs by 2030. The key is “Society 5.0” “Society 5.0” is Japan’s national strategy to develop a human-centered society that progresses economically and resolves social issues through a system that combines both cyber and physical spaces in a sophisticated manner. It refers to a new form of society chronologically following hunting, farming, industry, and information societies. A society that is able to resolve a variety of issues on a global scale with technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), robotics, big data, and biotechnology is a society that will have achieved the SDGs. What we will realise at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai Bringing together the wisdom of the world, including breakthrough technologies, to create and communicate new ideasExpansion of domestic and overseas investmentCreation of innovation through activation of human interactionActivation of regional economies and small and medium enterprisesA chance to communicate the wealth of Japan’s cultureThe multiple merits of a world expo held in Osaka, Kansai, Japan Activation of Japan’s economy and the Osaka, Kansai regional economy, and strengthened management of small and medium enterprises resulting from expanded business opportunities are expected to have an economic ripple effect of about JPY 2 trillion.Further development of Osaka, Kansai’s world-class life sciences and biomedical achievements through new innovation in line with Expo’s theme.Further enrichment of Osaka, Kansai’s proud, long history and culture through interaction with foreign cultures, and elevation of its global recognition.Enabling Japan’s young, next-generation creators in a variety of fields to communicate their talents to the world.Japan possesses one of the safest environments and most advanced transport infrastructure in the world, and Osaka, Kansai can be easily accessed from major cities in the world.

This exhibition will trace the 60-plus year history of Sanrio, the company that has created many popular characters such as Hello Kitty and My Melody, through the "kawaii" culture that has become a global language. The exhibition will also focus on the background to the creation of the characters and how they developed, and will feature hundreds of exhibits such as precious original drawings, related materials, and nostalgic goods from that time. There will also be an exhibit of collaborative works with contemporary artists inspired by Sanrio characters.

The “Demon Slayer” anime, which began airing in 2019, is attracting more and more attention with the first chapter of the Infinity Castle Arc to be released on July 18 this year. A large-scale exhibition focusing on the “Hashira” class of characters recently drew 200,000 visitors in Tokyo, and this exhibit will now be coming to “Demon Slayer” Hashira Exhibition “To Infinity Castle" will be held at the Fukuoka City Museum from Thursday, April 24 to Sunday, June 22.

This exhibition introduces the world of prints by world-renowned avant-garde artist Yayoi Kusama (1929-). Yayoi Kusama made her international debut at the 45th Venice Biennale in 1993 as a representative Japanese artist, but her active involvement in printmaking from an earlier stage of her career was a major driving force behind her current acclaim. In 1979, Yayoi Kusama exhibited her first prints. In contrast to her other works based on themes such as death and suffering after returning from the U.S., her prints are rich in color with vivid motifs. In addition to abstract expressions of her earlier works, motifs such as pumpkins, dresses, grapes, flowers, and butterflies covered in distinct colors and composed of mesh and polka dots are distinctive in her printworks. It is no exaggeration to say that Kusama, whose creative activities are rooted in the proliferation of dots and nets, inevitably encountered printmaking, an art of reproduction.

Toshio Suzuki, producer of Studio Ghibli, has worked with directors Isao Takahata and Hayao Miyazaki to bring numerous animated films to the world. This exhibition will focus on the films and books Suzuki encountered as he continued to move through the ages, and will unravel the secrets of Ghibli works.

Nearly half a century has passed since the appearance of home game consoles - "video games," which began with pixel art, have now created many new worlds with beautiful images that rival those of movies. Games have become widespread in our lives and a part of popular culture, and it can be said that they have evolved into a comprehensive art that crosses the fields of technology and expression and demonstrates the creativity and individuality of creators. Capcom, headquartered in Osaka, has developed many titles and fascinated people around the world since its founding in 1983 and has grown into a global game software manufacturer. This exhibition will generously introduce the grand process of game creation, including proposals and original drawings made by the developers' hands, graphic work such as posters and packages, experiential content, and the latest technology, as well as the imagination and realization skills of the creators involved, creating an opportunity to reexamine Japan's proud game culture.

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!

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.

Born in Osaka and self-taught in architecture, Tadao Ando began his architectural design career in 1969. Since then, he has produced a succession of innovative architectural works that break through preconceived notions. Since the 1990s, he has expanded his scope of activity to the world, while also working hard on social contribution projects such as environmental restoration and earthquake recovery. His vigorous work across many fields, going beyond the framework of an architect, has earned him high praise both at home and abroad. This exhibition, which will be held in Osaka, where Ando remains based, will bring together the history of his grand challenges as well as his vision for the present and future, providing a comprehensive view of the work of Tadao Ando. Please come and experience that energy for yourself. The venue is "VS." at Gran Green Osaka, the forefront of the Osaka urban renewal project, where Ando has also worked hard for many years.

Attention Spells Return fans! The first large-scale manuscript exhibition is here! Since its serialization in "Weekly Shonen Jump", this dark fantasy work liberated in the modern era has been attracting attention and has caused great repercussions in TV anime series and theatrical animated movies. This time, we welcome a grand exhibition of original paintings, and let’s experience the world of martial arts described by the author Akumi Shigeta. Through the ingenious story structure, it swings back and forth between despair and hope, firmly grasping the hearts of readers.

"Maybe Yoshitake Shinsuke Exhibition" opened in Tokyo in April 2022 and then toured all over Japan. This time, the exhibition will be "plenty expanded" with new large-scale experience exhibits and original exhibition goods, and will open on March 20th at CREATIVE MUSEUM TOKYO as "Maybe Yoshitake Shinsuke Exhibition Plenty Expanded Type"! Yoshitake Shinsuke, the author of the best-selling "Maybe Apple" (Bronze Shinsha), made his debut in 2013. Since then, in about 11 years, he has published 30 picture books and about 100 books including other writings and illustration work. He has gained wide support from children to adults. This exhibition is a unveiling of the huge number of sketches that Yoshitake has accumulated over the years in small notebooks, observing events around him. There are also plenty of idea sketches and original drawings that allow you to trace the process of creating a picture book. The exhibition will also feature Yoshitake's treasured collection, which has served as a source of inspiration, and allow visitors to take a peek inside Yoshitake's mind from various angles.

"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.

The Matsuzakaya Museum of Art will be holding the "Pokémon x Crafts Exhibition -- Great Discoveries of Beauty and Crafts" from Saturday, April 26, 2025 to Sunday, June 15, 2025. The exhibition will be held at the National Crafts Museum (Ishikawa Prefecture) from March to June 2023, and will feature approximately 80 works that take on Pokémon using a wide variety of craft materials and techniques, and are the result of inspiration, difficulty, and enjoyment. Afterwards, the work was exhibited at JAPAN HOUSE LOS ANGELES in the US before returning to Japan in triumph, where it was exhibited at the Sagawa Art Museum in Shiga and the MOA Museum of Art in Shizuoka, before being shown at the Azabudai Hills Gallery in Tokyo from November 1st. The Aichi venue will be the fifth domestic venue for the exhibition. We plan to add new works, and deliver an even more evolved "Pokemon x Crafts Exhibition." Please look forward to it. [Purpose of the project] Pokémon x Crafts Exhibition: Great Discoveries of Beauty and Crafts What kind of chemical reaction would occur if Pokémon and crafts were brought together head-on? Twenty artists, from Living National Treasures to young artists, have taken on this question in earnest. Works that evoke the shapes, gestures and even aura of Pokémon. Works that trace memories from the game, such as evolution, communication, the setting of their journey and highly effective moves. And Pokémon that are drawn to stylish attire, such as vessels that add color to our daily lives, kimonos and obidome. What will the works that await you at the venue do... make you excited, enchanted, grin or give you chills? Enjoy discovering beauty and crafts amplified by the power of multiplication.  "booster" ©Yoshida Taiichiro "Booster" 2022 Private collection Photography: Taku Saijo  "Fern Arabesque Shaymin" ©Kasumi Ueha, Fern Arabesque Shaymin, 2022, Private Collection Photography: Taku Saijo "Venusaur" © Imai Kanshin, Venusaur, 2022, Private collection Photography: Taku Saijo  "Island Connect" © Eiichi Shiroma, Ryukyu Bingata Kimono "Shima Tsunagi" 2022, Private Collection Photography: Taku Saijo

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.

The popular Poop Museum has made its glorious return to Fukuoka, better than ever! “＼”Power up!!”／ Poop Museum FUKUOKA” will be making its return to the city starting from April 18th, 2025. The experience has evolved since visiting Fukuoka last, and plenty of mainstays of the original exhibit as well as brand new and thrilling poo-ventures await you there! Cute and pop art influenced poop-designs will transform your humdrum everyday into a unique and unforgettable experience!

In 2025, Osaka will be transformed into a giant art museum! "Learning: Osaka Kansai International Art Festival 2025" will be held from April to October. The exhibition will cover various areas of Osaka and take the World Expo as an opportunity to bring an unprecedented art feast. Among the first wave of 28 international artists announced, heavyweight creators such as surreal sculpture master Ron Mueck and conceptual artist Maurizio Cattelan will surely present a visual feast that subverts imagination!

I'm Uncle Friday, who graced the opening of Friday Road Show from 1997 to 2009. It was created by director Hayao Miyazaki and finished by director Yoshifumi Kondo. Now, everyone. Was it through Friday Road Show that you first encountered Studio Ghibli films? Since airing "Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind" in 1986, we have been bringing Studio Ghibli films to everyone. Many people all over Japan are watching at the same time. It's a special experience that can only be had through this program.

Experience the floating world of Edo as seen by Hokusai through technology. The works of Katsushika Hokusai, which everyone has seen at least once, are reproduced in high-definition images with a sense of realism using ultra-high definition image data and Sony's Crystal LED LED display. In addition, with effects such as Sony's haptics technology that makes it feel as if the floor has turned into a puddle or a sandy beach, visitors can experience the scenery and walking sensation of Edo as Hokusai saw it with an overwhelming sense of immersion. During the event, collaborative goods with brands that represent Japanese craftsmanship and are inspired by Katsushika Hokusai will also be on sale.

This exhibition is set in the magnificent world of the anime "Chi. - About the Movement of the Earth" and features a wealth of knowledge, from historical research on the heliocentric theory to modern observation technology. With the "Heliocentric Theory Research Notes" handed out at the entrance to the venue in hand, visitors can take part in quizzes, while experiencing the experiential exhibits that faithfully reproduce famous scenes from the anime, powerful images, and photo spots that allow visitors to experience the world of the anime as it is. This is an exhibition where adults and children alike can enjoy exploring the universe in a fully immersive way.

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.

In cooperation with the "Museum Spring Festival" held annually at the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, the Marubeni Gallery will be holding a special exhibition of "The Beautiful Simonetta," the only tempera painting by Botticelli (Sandro Botticelli, 1444/1445-1510) in Japan, which is owned by Marubeni. The model for this painting was the beautiful Simonetta Vespucci (1453-1476), who died young and is said to have been the model for Botticelli's masterpieces "Primavera (Spring)" and "The Birth of Venus," and was also a symbol of "Spring in Florence" or "Spring of the Renaissance. "The year 2025 also marks the 50th anniversary of the death of Yashiro Yukio, who is known worldwide for his research on Botticelli. Around the same time, the Yamato Bunkakan Museum in Nara will hold a special exhibition commemorating the 50th anniversary of Yashiro Yukio's death. Furthermore, 2025 marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Tsuji Kunio, author of "The Coronation of Spring," a novel in which Simonetta appears. This exhibition will be held in response to these anniversaries. We hope that as many people as possible will take this opportunity to enjoy "The Beautiful Simonetta."

The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo is pleased to present Hilma af Klint (tentative title) from March 4 to June 15, 2025. This will be the first major retrospective in Asia of Hilma af Klint (1862–1944), a pioneer of abstract painting. The painter from Sweden has been reevaluated in recent years as a creator of abstract paintings that preceded her contemporaries, such as Wassily Kandinsky and Piet Mondrian. For many years, her oeuvre of more than 1,000 works was known only to a very few people. As late as in the 1980s, several exhibitions began to introduce her works, and by the turn of the 21st century, her presence became international all at once. Her 2018 retrospective at the Guggenheim Museum in New York, the U.S., attracted 600,000 visitors, the largest attendance in the museum’s history. Including The Ten Largest (1907), a set of ten paintings over three meters high, all 140 works in this exhibition will travel to Japan for the first time. Centering on her representative accomplishment, The Paintings for the Temple, the exhibition will provide an overview of af Klint’s career, while introducing materials left by the artist and diverse sources of her inspiration, including the spiritualism and the women’s movements of her time.

Ancient DNA research involves deciphering minute traces of DNA remaining in the bones of ancient people excavated from ruins, and tracing the footsteps of humanity. In recent years, with the development of technology, it has made great strides, and it has become clear that the path that Homo sapiens walked was far more complicated than previously imagined. This exhibition uses ancient human bones and archaeological materials from all over Japan, as well as high-definition CG images of ancient human skulls, to convey the long path that the Japanese people have taken, as revealed by the latest research, and the message that the collective history has for the future.

Aubusson, a city in central France, has been known as a place where tapestries have been woven since the 15th century, and in 2009, tapestries woven in this region and the traditional techniques were registered as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. The Aubusson International Tapestry Center, which opened in 2016, introduces the history and techniques of tapestries and carpets through a wide range of examples. Since 2019, a project has been underway to weave scenes selected from Hayao Miyazaki's animated films into giant tapestries. In this special exhibition, a tapestry depicting a scene from the film "Spirited Away," one of the works in the project, will be shown for the first time in Japan. Materials related to the production of tapestries will also be exhibited at the venue, and Aubusson's tapestry techniques will be introduced.

This exhibition is hosted by the Japan Typeface Association. From a total of 2,045 works collected from Japan and abroad, high-scoring award-winning works including the Grand Prize, Student Award, and Best Works are selected for centralized display to present the latest style of font design. Welcome to come and experience the charm of "current" font design. The Japan Typeface Association will also hold a special lecture, inviting the designer of this year's award-winning work "From the Rock - Mr. Hakamada's Prison Letters" (Asahi Shimbun Editorial Bureau Design Department) to come to the scene and share the story behind the design.

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.

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.

This exhibition will feature 54 works by 18 ukiyo-e artists carefully selected from the museum's collection of masterpieces, including Kitagawa Utamaro, a leading figure in painting beautiful women who established the style of "large neck painting" that focuses on the face rather than the whole body, and Katsushika Hokusai, a genius artist who influenced not only Japan but the world. Please also take a look at 12 works being shown at the museum for the first time, including Kitagawa Utamaro's "Blue Chamber of Victory - Tamayauchi Komurasaki and Hanamurasaki" and Tsukioka Yoshitoshi's "One Hundred Views of the Moon - Nankaitsuki," known as the last ukiyo-e artist and active from the end of the Edo period to the Meiji era.