Tomomi Kondo "100 Years Later's Kiss & Cry" 2018 Private Collection ©Tomomi Kondo
In numbers of eyeballs on artworks Tokyo is the unchallenged art capital of the Cosmos. In fact, there is simply too much art to get through, but TOKYO-MET has ways and means of creating order out of the artistic chaos, so here they are again, our never-bettered art picks for the month ahead.
Janet Cardiff and George Bures Miller, Suitcase Theatre, 2020/2023
JANET CARDIFF AND GEORGE BURES MILLER | SMALL WORKS
GALLERY KOYANAGI in Ginza is one of those artistic oases just behind a busy street that are quite common in Tokyo. Turn down a street or two, and there you are, getting free art!!! Also, unlike a lot of galleries, they tend to put on relatively long-running exhibitions, like this one which showcases some of the quaint mechanisms that make up Janet Cardiff and George Bures's art. The show presents 11 small, wall-mounted pieces made from various objects that play sound collages, music, or voices, blending the art of “seeing” with the art of “hearing.” Just push a button and let them happen.
Now – June 14, 2025.
PRICE: FREE.
More info.
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The Ten Largest (1907), Guggenheim installation view
HILFA AF KLINT: THE BEYOND
This is a little outside my comfort zone, but Hilma af Klint (1862–1944) at the MUSEUM OF MODERN ART TOKYO does look kind of interesting. Spurred on by a record-breaking show at the Guggenheim in 2018, this is the first retrospective of this major Swedish artist in Asia. Inspired by the "anthroposophy" of spiritualist Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925), Klint went "full abstract" before better known contemporaries, like Kandinsky and Mondrian. She also liked to paint big and the show includes her signature series "The Ten Largest" (1907), a set of ten paintings over three meters high that abstractly riff on the different ages of man (and woman of course).
Now - 15th June.
PRICE: ¥2,300.
Chanterelle, 1946, Collection Kakkonen. © Rauno Träskelin
TAPIO WIRKKALA: THE SCULPTOR OF ULTIMA THULE
Finnish designer Tapio Wirkkala (1915-1985) is considered a giant of the modern Scandinavian aesthetic that has now conquered the world (and especially Japan). His work encompassed glass, porcelain, silverware, jewellery, lighting, furniture, and graphics. With his wife, ceramic artist Rut Bryk, he was drawn to the condensed sense of nature characteristic of the frozen north, being inspired by Lapland in particular, as can be seen in masterpieces like his “Ultima Thule” series of glassware. The TOKYO STATION GALLERY presents 300 carefully selected objects, as well as photographs and drawings.
Now - 15th June!
PRICE: ¥1,500.
THE 7 PASSIONS OF LEONARD FOUJITA
The show at the SOMPO MUSEUM OF ART is definitely worth seeing, retelling the fascinating tale of Leonard Foujita, an early 20th century artistic icon who fluctuated between Tokyo and Paris, before deciding that the latter would give the greatest expression to his offbeat individuality. The show is reviewed HERE.
Now - 22nd June.
PRICE: 1,800 yen
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Now - 22nd June.
PRICE: 1,800 yen
More info.
TADANORI YOKOO: RIVER OF RENGA
Now 88, iconic graphic designer, illustrator, printmaker and painter, Tadanori Yokoo's latest exhibition at the always reasonably priced SETAGAYA MUSEUM OF ART focuses on themes of memory and looking back before the inevitable you know what. The show presents new paintings that stoically acknowledge the limitations of an aging body, while the term "Renga" is a repurposed from ancient poetry to refer to the way each painting is intended as an "answer" to another, symbolising the flow of time and memory. The show also includes artworks and items from his lengthy career.
Now - 22nd June.
PRICE: ¥1,400.
Odilon Redon, Mystical Conversation (c. 1896), The Museum of Fine Arts, Gifu
ODILON REDON: DREAM OF LIGHT, LUMINOUS SHADOW
The latest show at the THE PANASONIC SHIODOME MUSEUM OF ART focuses on the rather occult and mystical art of turn-of-the-century French artist Odilon Redon. Mainly sourced from the Museum of Fine Art Gifu's collection, it highlights the transition point in Redon's career when he switched from sooty charcoals to technicolour pastels. The museum's lighting team has done an excellent job in bringing out the artist's dreamlike colours, much better than we can reproduce here.
The show is reviewed HERE.
Now - 22nd June.
PRICE: ¥1,300.
More Info.
Installation view
SPECTRUM/SPEKTRUM
Hermès is obviously making so much money from their high end fashion goods that they can afford to put on fun exhibitions in the middle of Ginza totally for free. The latest show, held at the MAISON HERMES FORUM on the 8th and 9th floor of their flagship Ginza store is a lot of fun. Featuring works and installations by a collection of disparate artists (Kentaro Kawabata, Marie Laurencin, Motoyuki Daifu, and others) the show has been well woven together and is also designed to incorporate visitors into the show with a playful camera and mirror set-up by Michiko Tsuda.
Now - June 29.
PRICE: FREE.
More info.
Now - June 29.
PRICE: FREE.
More info.
Figure in front of the sun. 1968 Acrylic on canvas, 174×260cm Fundació Joan Miró, Barcelona © Successió Miró / ADAGP, Paris & JASPAR, Tokyo, 2025 E5746
JOAN MIRO
When Spain needed a fast rebrand after the death of General Franco in order to get fast-tracked into the EU, they turned to the bright primitivism, lyrical symbolism, and playful forms of Joan Miro's paintings. Job done! This is because his art is the antithesis of anything fascistic and overly orderly. This also gives it tremendous appeal in Japan, where a big Miro show comes along every few year. The latest one at the TOKYO METROPOLITAN MUSEYM OF ART tries to cover all aspects of his career, while foregrounding several works from his Constellation series, painted in the 1940s apparently as escapism from a world sliding into tyranny and war. Why does that sound so familiar?
Now - 6th July.
PRICE: ¥2,300.
More info.
Now - 6th July.
PRICE: ¥2,300.
More info.
Tower of the Sun at the 1970 Osaka Expo
TARO OKAMOTO AND THE TOWER OF THE SUN
Inspired by French occultism and Mexican art amongst others, Taro Okamoto was tapped to come up with a design for the Osaka Expo -- not the one now underway but the original one in 1970. Along with the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, the 1970 Osaka Expo was an important milestone on Japan's post-war path. The show at the TARO OKAMOTO MUSEUM OF ART (set in the beautiful Ikuta Ryokuchi Park) focuses on the work leading up to Okamoto's iconic Tower of the Sun, which dominated the Expo. The exhibition highlights his interests in ethnology, ritualism, and primitive vitality, which all fed into the final design.
Now - 6th July.
PRICE: ¥900.
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Kohei Nawa《Cells in the Grotto》2025, mixed media, 455×955×495 mm, photo: Nobutada OMOTE
KOHEI NAWA: SENTIENT
SCAI THE BATHHOUSE always seems to be closed when I drop by, so check their site before going, but it's always well worth popping in for a bit of free art. The latest exhibition focuses on Kohei Nawa, who creates extremely odd sculptures that often involve animals, and which seem like a form of bejewelled taxidermy. This is Nawa’s sixth solo exhibition at the Bathhouse and his first in three years. Ignore the over-intellectualised artspeak and just take the works viscerally. Among the 20 or so new works, there are pieces incorporating a 1970s television, a kazariuma doll used in seasonal festivals, and a plaster cast of a Greek sculpture once employed in drawing classes. The mind boggles!
Now - 12th July.
PRICE: FREE!
More info.
Now - 12th July.
PRICE: FREE!
More info.
Exhibition Flyer
JAPAN UNIFORM CHRONICLE
Following 2018's "Sailor Suit and Female Student" exhibition and 2019's "100-year history of Japanese uniforms" exhibition, the YAYOI YUMEIJI MUSEUM, located in the shadow of Tokyo University, is getting ready with a third instalment of its school uniforms series! This time the focus is on how students wore and customised their uniforms, both to fit in and to stand out. Included are the extreme styles of the 1970s~80s, like tsuppari & sukeban, along with the 1990s ganguro & loose socks look. Prepare to be amazed!
7th June – 14th September.
PRICE: ¥900
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