Best shows to catch at bigger and better Designart Tokyo
The first week of November is a great time to visit Tokyo as the city’s largest creative event showcases the latest in art and design
DESIGN enthusiasts – or anyone who likes to look at pretty things – have even more reason to be in the Japanese capital this coming week when Designart Tokyo floods the city with cutting-edge exhibits from Oct 31 to Nov 9.
Spanning interior and industrial design to fashion, craft and even digital art, there is something for everyone at this mega festival which was launched in 2017 by a group of Tokyo-based creatives who wanted to bring design into public spaces including shopping malls, event spaces and art galleries.
Designart Tokyo differentiates itself from its predecessors such as DesignTide Tokyo (2005 to 2012) and Tokyo Designers Week (1986 to 2016) with art and technology components to reflect the modern day fusion of disciplines.
Last year, for example, design lab Honoka mesmerised visitors at its installation in Ginza Hibiya Okuroji – featuring crystalline-like blue objects made from used plastic water dispensers discarded by offices. The collaboration with water brand Aqua Clara produced chairs, plates and vases with an ethereal quality that belied their origins.
At the upscale Tokyo Midtown, shoppers were drawn to Japanese designer Saki Takeshita’s experiments of dyed balsa wood furniture in colours determined by their interaction with heat.
The 2024 event drew global creatives and some 230,000 visitors, with exhibits that explored pertinent issues including dying crafts and sustainability. For this year, the theme Brave – The Pursuit of Instinctive Beauty tackles the topic of what beauty is and defies conventional definitions of it.
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“Last year, we saw people and creatives from many countries interacting and enabling the creation of new business ventures,” says Akio Aoki, one of Designart Tokyo’s founders.
This year, the festival’s biggest highlight is Designart Gallery – an official collective exhibition held at Media Department Tokyo – boasting 1,000 square metres of space next to Shibuya Parco. “This will bring together 33 groups of designers, artists and makers with strikingly distinctive personalities,” adds Aoki.
Overall, visitors can pick from 130 exhibitions – up from last year’s 117 – which will be spread across 91 venues throughout popular districts such as Ginza, Shibuya, Roppongi, Omotesando, Gaienmae, Harajuku and the Tokyo Station area.
Notably, Designart Tokyo is not just a showcase; interested visitors can also purchase most of the works on display, making this a true shopping extravaganza for art and design lovers. There are also talks, parties and other events including the popular PechaKucha Night, which was started by Klein Dytham architecture (KDa). A Designart Tokyo Special version will take place at The Core Kitchen / Space on Nov 6.
Where to start: Shibuya
The Designart Gallery is a convenient one-stop for time-strapped visitors who cannot make it to the other different venues. Designed by Hong Kong-based architecture firm Collective, it is spread out over three levels of Media Department, spotlighting both Japanese and international designers. Scandi-chic fans can head to the special 25th exhibition by creative group Swedish style.
They can subsequently head to similarly themed exhibits at The Conran Shop in Azabudai Hills, Time & Style Atmosphere in Omotesando, as well as Sangenjaya House in collaboration with Anton Wormann – a Swedish entrepreneur who renovates abandoned homes in Japan by fusing Scandinavian minimalism with Japanese aesthetic concepts.
Get insight into the work of French creatives such as Studio 5.5, founded by Claire Renard and Jean-Sebastien Blanc. Some pieces from the design firm’s monumental showcase of 577 reused chairs – first shown at the National Archives Museum during Paris Design Week 2025 – will be on display.
Not to be missed is Zen’s solo exhibition. The parkour athlete and artist makes his debut with 18 works under his Urban Equivalence series of photographic works that were shot in Los Angeles.
Head to Tiers Gallery nearby for more inspiration, including Kaining He’s poetic, incense ash creations. The Tokyo-based He – who is of Chinese descent – is one of the young creatives picked to be part of Designart Tokyo’s Under 30s programme which provides support for up-and-coming talent.
Omotesando
It may be known for high fashion, but there are enough high-end furniture shops in this area to make it a great route for homemakers on holiday. To celebrate its 90th anniversary, Artek launches collaborative products with other Finnish icons such as Marimekko and Moomin. Fans can also get their hands on anniversary posters and rare reissues of Alvar Aalto’s designs.
What’s in a spoon? Plenty, according to Light Box Satellite, with its quirky display of wooden spoons customised by a group of creatives. Also check out the works of lacquer artist, Sasai Fumie, whose works are displayed in the Poltrona Frau showroom in an exhibition titled Urushi Shoyo.
In the new Itoki Design House Aoyama, Itoki Corporation will exhibit its first furniture brand Nill in Japan, conceived by a bevy of illustrious names – Michele De Lucchi, Todd Bracher, Rodolfo Agrella and Jun Aizaki/CrEme. For a dose of pop art, head to Espace Louis Vuitton Tokyo for the Andy Warhol – Serial Portraits display for a selection of both famous as well as lesser-known works by the artist.
Ginza and Tokyo Station area
The JR East elevated railway connecting Tokyo Station and Kanda Station is a historic elevated track that has been around since the Meiji era. It is a special space to experience works like that of another Under 30 selectee, Yoshiaki Kanamori, whose “Jokei-scene” (memory-scene) recreates a cityscape made from everyday items.
In the same venue, Torq Design blurs the line between technology and traditional craft with its Pyro Pla project. Here, 3D-printed PLA surfaces are heated over an open flame, which melt and blend layered parts into items that look charmingly handmade.
Meanwhile, Phat’s Out of the Blue highlights the potential of blue plywood; the protective floor material typically used in warehouses is known for its durability and bending strength, but is reimagined here with stylish results.
Sartorialists can also pursue their fashion passion at the Foundation d’ enterprise Hermes. In addition to the launch of its book Savoir & Faire: Kinzoku, le metal, the exhibition Metal questions stereotypical expressions of the material through the mediums of music, film and sculpture.
Roppongi
In Roppongi, make a note of the It Turns exhibition by siro. It is within the Axis Building, where 14 creatives address the concept of turning. Nearby at Ambientec Gallery Tokyo, the progressive Japanese lighting brand will launch Yoshiki Matsuyama’s Barcarolle portable lamp, alongside a sensory display merging light, fragrance and sound to the themes of light, water and city. This is a collaboration with Argentinean perfume brand Fueguia 1833 and German composer Felix Rosch.
Audiophiles can continue on to the Bang & Olufsen showroom to check out the Beolab 90 Alchemy Edition, made from 24 carat, gold-plated components, bronze, mesh covers and walnut wood parts; only 50 pairs are available worldwide for purchase.
At Jida Design Museum, sustainability is a key topic. Verce (a design studio comprising Toshitaka Ando and Takuya Shiotsuki) practises creative upcycling using discarded wood offcuts, broken stone and plastics. Upcycling is also the focus for Masato Senzaki of design studio Forman and interior designer Ryoga Osada. They will showcase their ideas at the Idee store in Tokyo Midtown. Grab a spot at the design shop’s cosy cafe for some coffee and cake between browsing.
Finally, head downstairs to Tokyo Midtown’s Canopy Square, where Range Rover’s partnership with Klein Dytham architecture (KDa) explores notions of artistry, craft and personal expression through the car brand’s Bespoke design service. KDa will also launch its new book Klein Dytham architecture: to Tokyo and Beyond at Designart Tokyo, on Nov 1. Signed copies are also available.
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