Vampire by Hanamisaki Monoko.
In numbers of eyeballs on artworks Tokyo is the unchallenged World capital of art. Some say this is because art in Japan is a substitute religion for an essentially non-religious people, some that it is all down to Japanese being a "bit more autistic" than most peoples, while others claim that it is because of their "superior spiritual qualities" (Sanseito theory!). Whatever its wellspring, this artistic appreciation is undeniable, so here is our monthly attempt to keep up with these artistic omnivores in the hopefully "cooling down" month of October.
Aqua Jenne in Paradise II" (1995), C Print, Collection of the National Museum of Art" © Miwa Yanagi
Fiesta, Toneyama Kojin (1977)
KOJIN TONEYAMA
Like Taro Okamoto (Japan's most famous modernist), Kojin Toneyama was deeply impacted by the "Great Mexican Art Exhibition" held at the Tokyo National Museum in 1955. This pivotal event inspired a generation of Japanese artists to break free from the rigid dichotomy of Western modernism vs traditional Japanese aesthetics, and thus liberate their creativity. The show now on at the SETAGAYA MUSEUM OF ART, "Nature and the Soul: The Journey of Toneyama Kojin" explores the ethnographic odyssey that followed the 1955 show, as Toneyama exuberantly explored the art and rituals Mexico, India, and China, and finally the ancient art of his own country.
Now - 9th November.
PRICE: ¥1400
PRISM OF THE REAL: MAKING ART IN JAPAN 1989-2025
This exhibition at the NATIONAL ART CENTER TOKYO is a must-see for anyone who has—like me—had a long-term interest in the Tokyo art world, or else for anyone who wants to take the cultural pulse of the metropolis over the last 36 years. It throws together a lot of big names and highlights the wild times and dynamic socio-political transformation that followed the joint end of the the Cold War and the Showa Period in 1989. Featuring works by more than 50 artists, mainly Japanese, including Makoto Aida, Yasumasa Morimura, Takashi Murakami, Yoshitomo Nara, Tabaimo, Tadasu Takamine, etc. As with all contemporary art, you'll hate some of it and you'll love some of it.
Now – 8th December
PRICE: ¥2,o00.
La Petite Communiante, Eglise de Deuil, Maurice Utrillo (1930) © Hélène Bruneau 2025
MAURICE UTRILLO
Maurice Utrillo holds a special place in the hearts of Japanese art fans, so every few years a big show comes to town and this one at the SOMPO MUSEUM OF ART is it! Organized in cooperation with Paris's own Musée National d'Art Moderne (MNAM), it brings together approximately 70 oil paintings, including works from the MNAM's collection, along with about 10 archival items from the Association Maurice Utrillo. Enjoy the vibe of Paris as the ultimate art city, captured in the textured oils and earthy tones of a man who had the artistic blood of his mother Suzanne Valadon and his "mystery father" (rumoured to have been Puvis de Chavannes or possibly Renoir!) coursing through his veins.
Now – 14th December.
PRICE: ¥1,800.
Li Jingyu, Ground-Zero, 2022, private collection
ATOMIC BOMB X ART
Japan will always be processing the fact that it, and it alone, was the target of nuclear bombing. To mark the 80th anniversary of this ultimate act of war, the show at the TARO OKAMOTO MUSEUM OF ART KAWASAKI presents art from contemporary artists and Hiroshima high school students, alongside Taro Okamoto's own artistic response to the threat of nuclear annihilation "The Myth of Tomorrow" painted in 1968, with Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and the nuclear tests on Bikini atoll in mind.
Now - 19th October.
PRICE: ¥1,o00.
EKIN: A GENIUS PAINTER AT THE END OF THE EDO PERIOD
Hirose Kinzō (1812–1876), known as Ekin, was a Japanese painter of the late-Edo and early-Meiji periods. Due to his strong connections with remote Shikoku, his art has been neglected here in Tokyo, but thanks to the efforts of the SUNTORY MUSEUM OF ART, an impressive show of his vibrant and colourful art is about to change that. This is the first large-scale exhibition of his work here in half a century, and features folding screens, ema lanterns, and festival banners, all in his lively and exuberant style.
Now - 3rd November.
PRICE: ¥1,600.
L'Arbre Blanc (The White Tree) 2019 Montpellier, France, Photo: Iwan Baan
THE ARCHITECTURE OF SOU FUJIMOTO: PRIMORDIAL FUTURE FOREST
Sou(suke) Fujimoto, the architect behind the International Expo now under way in Osaka (until 13th Oct), has a keen understanding of how the modern game of architecture is played: come up with concepts that reference nature and ecology, while ensuring commercial interests are well served, and you can't lose. This has made him one of the "cutting edge" architects of today, whose thought and ideas will shape the cityscapes of tomorrow. So he is well worth paying attention to. The exhibition at the MORI ART MUSEUM is the first major survey of his work, and provides a comprehensive overview with installations and large-scale models, while also exploring Fujimoto’s vision of the city as a kind of forest.
Now - 9th November
PRICE: ¥2,500.
Aki Sasamoto, Still from Point Reflection (video), 2023 🄫Aki Sasamoto. Courtesy of Take Ninagawa, Tokyo
AKI SASAMOTO'S LIFE LAB
Veering between what seems like stand-up comedy, improv, street dancing, and odd "science" experiments with everyday objects, Aki Sasamoto is one of the more offbeat and interesting contemporary artists out there. Her latest show at the MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART TOKYO is a kind of homecoming for the 45-year-old artist, who has been based in the USA for the last 20 years or so. She has also lived in England. Much in her "Life Lab" might baffle, bore, or seem banal, depending on tastes, but this is brave and gritty art about getting a better grip on all the weird stuff that clutters up our lives. I loved it a lot more than I thought I would.
Now - 24th November.
PRICE: ¥1,500.
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