Sébastien Raineri

At 23 years young, Art Osaka is going stronger than ever. That’s our main takeaway after the 2025 edition of the longest-running contemporary art fair in Japan ended its five-day programme across two complementary venues: the Osaka City Central Public Hall in Nakanoshima and Creative Center Osaka in Kitakagaya. From June 5 to 9, Osaka once again shone as a vital axis of the country’s contemporary art scene, as it hosted a celebration of cutting-edge work; one that continues to distinguish itself through a dual commitment to curatorial ambition and grassroots creativity. Here are some of the things that caught our eye at Art Osaka 2025. RECOMMENDED: How to see the highlights of Osaka’s arts and culture scene in one day

タイムアウト東京 > アート&カルチャー > 「KYOTOGRAPHIE 2025」に行くべき6のこと 春が広がる京都。写真という芸術メディアを通じた、文化交流のための国内随一の国際的なプラットフォーム「KYOTOGRAPHIE」が開催される時期だ。京都の伝統とイノベーションが融合したこの国際写真祭は、京都1000年の遺産と国際的な文化発信地としての役割が合わさっている。 KYOTOGRAPHIEは単なる国際写真祭ではない。京都への入り口である。京都の寺院、伝統的な町家、近代的なランドマークなど、詩的な背景の中、毎年恒例の本写真祭は、京都という文化都市をオープンエアのギャラリーへと変えていく。 明治時代の酒蔵から京都駅の洗練された鉄骨まで、京都の最も象徴的であり、かつ思いがけない場所に、考え抜かれ、埋め込まれた力強いビジュアルが期待できるのだ。2025年4月12日〜5月11日（日）の会期で開催される今年のテーマは「HUMANITY」。ここでは英語版編集部によるKYOTOGRAPHIEが、毎春アートファンにとって行くべきディスティネーションとなる理由を6つ紹介したい。

The Setouchi Triennale is one of Japan’s most celebrated contemporary art festivals. Since its inception in 2010, the showcase has brought world-class art to the islands of the Seto Inland Sea in the form of site-specific installations, interactive projects, and performances that integrate seamlessly with the natural and cultural environment. Visitors can explore artworks scattered across Naoshima, Teshima, Shodoshima, and around 10 other islands, encountering everything from avant-garde sculptures to traditional crafts reinterpreted in contemporary forms. Returning in 2025 to once again transform the Inland Sea area into a massive open-air museum, the Triennale is held across three seasons: Spring (April 18 to May 25), Summer (August 1 to August 31) and Autumn (October 3 to November 9). The festival always brings together artists from around the world to engage with the region’s rich history, breathtaking landscapes and vibrant local communities, and the 2025 edition will continue this legacy with new commissions that reflect themes of ecology, sustainability and coexistence – urgent topics in an era of climate change and depopulation. Read on for our picks of things not to miss at the 2025 Setouchi Triennale. RECOMMENDED: Check out our ultimate guide to the Setouchi area

As spring unfolds in the ancient city of Kyoto, the spotlight once again turns to Kyotographie – Japan’s premier international platform for the exchange of culture through the artistic medium of photography. Celebrating its home city’s unique blend of tradition and innovation, this festival intertwines Kyoto’s thousand-year legacy with its role as a beacon of international culture. But Kyotographie isn’t just a photo festival: it’s a portal. Set against the poetic backdrop of Kyoto’s temples, teahouses, traditional machiya dwellings and modern landmarks, the annual springtime celebration transforms Japan’s cultural capital into an open-air gallery. Expect powerful visuals thoughtfully embedded in some of the city’s most iconic – and unexpected – venues, from a Meiji-era (1868–1912) sake brewery to the sleek steel face of Kyoto Station. Running from April 12 to May 11, this year’s edition of the festival highlights the unifying theme of ‘Humanity’. Here’s why Kyotographie makes for an essential addition to any art fan’s spring itinerary.

Their time in the subcultural shadows long gone, manga and anime are now common sights at prestigious art museums around the world, with large-scale exhibitions showcasing otaku culture and popular titles popping up from New York and London to Singapore in recent years. But Tokyo is still the world capital of anime and manga shows, and this year brings another packed slate of highlights to exhibition venues around the city. These are our picks of the best displays coming up in 2025 – from cyberpunk dreams and epic sagas to art inspired by the world’s most famous monster. RECOMMENDED: The best art exhibitions to see in Tokyo this year

The art year 2025 in Tokyo is looking packed, with a hefty slate of exhibitions and events highlighting everything from cutting-edge contemporary art to thousand-year old treasures. The visionary sound installations of Ryuichi Sakamoto can be appreciated at the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo through the end of March, while spring sees the Mori Museum highlight the intersection of art and digital technology and the Azabudai Hills Gallery showcase the eclectic work of Tomokazu Matsuyama. Big draws in the latter half of the year include an in-depth look at the career of Expo 2025 site designer Sou Fujimoto and the Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum’s celebration of 1920s fashion. Mark your calendars… RECOMMENDED: The best new attractions and facilities opening in Tokyo in 2025

Founded by Chanel in Paris in 2021, le19M is a ground-breaking hub that brings together 11 maisons d’art and over 700 artisans, dedicated to preserving and advancing the intricate crafts behind haute couture: embroidery, pleating, millinery, shoemaking, feather work and more. As both a creative incubator and a guardian of heritage, le19M is home to la Galerie du 19M, a cultural space that celebrates craftsmanship, fosters innovation and nurtures future generations of artisans. From September 30 to October 20, Chanel invites Tokyo audiences to discover the extraordinary world of the métiers d’art with la Galerie du 19M Tokyo, an exhibition on an unprecedented scale, held on the 52nd floor of the Mori Tower in Roppongi Hills. La Galerie du 19M Tokyo offers a free, immersive experience for visitors of all ages and backgrounds. Through a curated journey blending tradition and contemporary creation, visitors are invited witness the meticulous artistry and dedication behind some of Chanel’s most iconic pieces. It’s a dialogue between cultures and crafts, honouring the value of human hands and the timeless beauty of artisanal excellence, brought to life high above the Tokyo skyline.

Yoshitoshi Abe rose to international prominence as the character designer of 1998’s avant-garde anime masterpiece Serial Experiments Lain, a hauntingly prescient exploration of identity and technology. Over the past three decades, the Tokyo native has forged a path that straddles fine art, manga and anime, evolving while remaining unmistakably his own. His distinctive, emotionally resonant style has influenced a generation through works like Haibane Renmei, Texhnolyze and NieA_7. Abe’s considerable impact on the visual language of late-90s and early-2000s anime can be explored until August 30 at Déesse Space Caiman in Shibuya, where this anniversary exhibition presents a sweeping selection of original drawings, from rough sketches and setting materials to newly printed large-scale works using advanced techniques. A particular highlight is ‘Lain in Shibuya’ – life-size renderings of Serial Experiments Lain’s protagonist Lain Iwakura, reimagined in the heart of present-day Tokyo. Meditating on how the past continues to inform the present, ‘Return Point’ invites visitors to reflect on the cyclical nature of creativity. Alongside the art, limited-edition merch and event exclusives offer fans a rare chance to engage directly with Abe’s enduring world.

The visionary studio founded by game auteur Hideo Kojima returns to centre stage with the much-anticipated sequel Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, launching worldwide on June 26. Known for pushing the boundaries of interactive storytelling, the Death Stranding series has reached over 20 million players globally with its philosophical themes, star-studded cast and innovative ‘social strand’ gameplay. With Death Stranding 2, Kojima Productions promises an even deeper journey into a fragmented world, where human connection is both a mission and a mystery. To celebrate the release, Other Space on the sixth floor of Shibuya Parco will host this immersive pop-up from June 26 to July 21 as part of a nationwide event spanning six cities. You can look forward to exclusive merchandise, including original tour items and high-profile brand collaborations with Brain Dead, Louis Robuchon, Geeks Rule and Disk Union, plus the latest goods from Kojima Productions. A special collab menu will be served at Kome to Circus on the B1 floor, offering fans a tasty culinary tie-in.

The Roppongi Museum invites visitors to step into a parallel past this summer with the chilling and poetic ‘1999: Memories of a Day that Doesn’t Exist’, which runs from July 11 to September 27. Inspired by the apocalyptic prophecy of Nostradamus, who famously predicted the world’s end in July 1999, the exhibition explores a question both eerie and alluring: what if it really happened? Brought to life by the newly formed horror creators’ unit Bermuda 3 – novelist Sesuji, Siren screenwriter Naoko Sato and rising director Masaki Nishiyama – the exhibition offers a sensory narrative that blurs the boundaries between memory and imagination, and reality and fiction. Guests are led by a mysterious ‘End-Time Girl’ through immersive environments and surreal soundscapes into a world suspended in time: a forgotten room in 1999, phantom voices from a vanishing landscape, and visions from a train window that never existed. Illustrated by animator and illustrator Mai Yoneyama, the exhibition culminates in a limited-edition short story written by Sesuji, gifted to those who experience the ‘end’. At once unsettling and strangely beautiful, this otherworldly journey dares visitors to remember what never happened, and discover who they might have been.

Ukiyo-e superstar Katsushika Hokusai’s legacy continues to ripple through and beyond the art world even today, centuries after his death – the meme-ification of Under the Wave off Kanagawa being only the most obvious example. But what makes Hokusai a standout among the many Edo-period (1603–1867) masters who captured the lives, dreams and landscapes of the city? This summer, the Sumida Hokusai Museum invites visitors to explore answers to that very question through an interactive exhibition highlighting the craftsmanship of Hokusai and his disciples. ‘Wow, Hokusai!’ encourages close observation, helping viewers notice shared motifs, subtle differences and clever compositional techniques across the artist’s oeuvre. The show zooms in on key elements in Hokusai’s work – from thunderous skies to bustling riverbanks, from swirling waves to architectural wonders – to provoke moments of discovery. As such, it offers a vivid introduction to ukiyo-e and an intimate look into Hokusai’s genius.

Few artists have touched the soul of modern art as profoundly as Vincent van Gogh (1853–1890). In a mere decade, the Dutchman produced an astonishing body of work, including vivid landscapes, tormented portraits and expressive still lifes, that continues to resonate deeply with audiences worldwide. Yet Van Gogh’s posthumous fame owes much to those closest to him: his brother Theo, Theo’s wife Johanna, and their son Vincent Willem. Together, they ensured that the painter’s vision and legacy would endure for generations. The first exhibition in Japan to focus on the Van Gogh family and their collection, ‘Van Gogh’s Home’ at the Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts features over 30 of its protagonist’s works, from early drawings to late masterpieces, as well as four letters shown on these shores for the first time. The display traces the journey of the collection from the artist’s death to the present day, with highlights including immersive digital experiences and rarely seen works by Van Gogh’s contemporaries.

Tsuguharu Foujita (1886–1968) and Yasuo Kuniyoshi (1889–1953) were two Japanese-born artists whose lives and careers unfolded far from their native land, yet often in parallel. Foujita, a graduate of the Tokyo School of Fine Arts, moved to Paris in 1913 and became a leading figure of the École de Paris, renowned for his signature milky-white nudes and bold fusion of Japanese and European techniques.  Kuniyoshi, who left Japan for the United States as a teenager, rose to prominence as a painter in New York, developing a distinctive style that merged Eastern themes with Western modernism. The two artists crossed paths in Paris in the 1920s and in New York in 1930, yet their relationship was ruined by the Pacific War between the US and Japan. ‘The Parallel Careers of Foujita and Yasuo Kuniyoshi: A Centennial Reunion’ at the Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art reunites these two modern masters, contrasting their journeys through nine thematic chapters. Featuring a rich selection of paintings, the exhibition invites visitors to explore the shared challenges and divergent dreams of two artists shaped by transnational experiences, as they navigated artistic success, exile and the complex legacy of war.

At 8.15am on August 6 1945, a single atomic bomb dropped by the US military obliterated Hiroshima, claiming an estimated 140,000 lives by the year’s end. Marking eight decades since the devastation, the Tokyo Photographic Art Museum’s ‘Hiroshima 1945’ consists of 160 haunting photographs and two films that document the A-bomb’s human cost: bodies shattered by radiation, survivors wandering in shock, the cityscape reduced to ashes. These materials, many of which were preserved against the odds during the censorship regime imposed by the US occupation after the war, form part of the Visual Archives of the Hiroshima Atomic Bombing, which was submitted as a candidate for the Unesco Memory of the World register in 2023. The images were captured in the immediate aftermath of the bombing by survivors, photojournalists and photographers. The exhibition – a collaborative effort bringing together major Japanese media organisations – marks the first time such a comprehensive visual record has been assembled for public viewing. As nuclear threats persist and conflicts rage around the world, ‘Hiroshima 1945’ is an urgent reminder of the devastating power of nuclear weapons, and amplifies the pleas of Japan’s nuclear survivors for the world to never repeat the tragedy of Hiroshima.

The whimsical world of Moomin returns to Tokyo this summer with ‘Tove Jansson and the Moomins’, opening at the Mori Arts Center Gallery from July 16 to September 17. Held in celebration of the 80th anniversary of the first Moomin novel, the exhibition offers an opportunity to explore the artistic universe of Tove Jansson, the Finnish creator behind one of the world’s most beloved literary families. Organised in cooperation with the Helsinki Art Museum, the exhibition brings together approximately 300 items that trace Jansson’s multifaceted career. From early, surrealist-inspired oil paintings and satirical cartoons from the pre- and post-war periods to original illustrations and sketches for the Moomin books and comics, the show reveals the depth and diversity of her creative legacy. Personal items and lesser-known works, many being shown in Japan for the first time, provide further insight into Jansson’s imaginative world. Visitors will also be treated to immersive installations that bring the Moomin Valley to life, inviting both long-time fans and new visitors to step into the poetic and philosophical realm of the Moomins – a world shaped by Tove Jansson’s personal values, humour and enduring artistry.

Classical elegance and Mediterranean heritage meet daring innovation in the artisanal jewellery of Bulgari, the Rome-based luxury house that’s become synonymous with exceptional craftsmanship over its 140-year history. This show, the brand’s largest in Japan and its first in a decade, offers an opulent journey through nearly 350 pieces of jewellery and contemporary art. Its name a portmanteau of the Greek words kalos (beautiful) and eidos (form), the show presents a kaleidoscopic narrative where colour is both the medium and the message. It showcases Bulgari’s use of hues as a hallmark of its innovation, from the postwar ‘chromatic revolution’ in gemstones to the vibrant combinations that define the brand’s legacy today. Divided into three thematic chapters, the exhibition explores colour through scientific, cultural and sensory lenses. Contemporary artists Mariko Mori, Lara Favaretto and Akiko Nakayama offer personal meditations on the theme, while scenography by architect Kazuyo Sejima and design studio Formafantasma unites Roman grandeur with Japanese minimalism.

Explore the roots of modern Japanese visual culture through the vibrant and ephemeral printed media of the early 20th century at the Sompo Museum of Art this summer. The Shinjuku museum’s ‘Taisho Imagerie’ exhibition features approximately 400 works from the collection of the late Toshiyuki Yamada, a noted scholar and collector, and the co-founder of the Taisho Imagery Society. The show offers a rare opportunity to trace the aesthetic evolution of Japan’s publishing industry from the early 1900s through to the late 1920s. The Taisho era (1912–1926) in particular marked a golden age of graphic design, where Japanese sensibilities intertwined harmoniously with the global currents of Art Nouveau, Art Deco and Western illustration techniques. Highlights include striking works by seminal artists such as Takeji Fujishima, Hisui Sugiura and Yumeji Takehisa, alongside a rich array of magazines, postcards and posters. Together they evoke the fleeting yet powerful visual language that defined an era – one where literature, art and music converged on the printed page, laying the foundation for contemporary Japanese pop culture.

While the ongoing Expo 2025 art exhibitions all over Osaka are soaking up plenty of attention, the Kyoto ddd Gallery is quietly presenting one of this summer’s most interesting Expo-adjacent shows. Tracing the evolving identity of World Expositions through graphic design, ‘Modern Expo Posters: A Graphical Journey Through World Expos’ offers a glimpse into the visual language that has defined Expos over the past seven decades. The exhibition showcases 14 posters from 11 world’s fairs, starting with Expo 1958 in Brussels – the first in the modern Expo era – and culminating with the bold vision of Osaka’s Expo 2025. Also featured are posters from two Specialised Expos in Okinawa and Tsukuba, and the International Garden and Greenery Exposition in Osaka.  More than promotional materials, these posters embody the spirit and themes of their respective Expos, reflecting the aspirations and challenges of each era. Highlighting the diverse visual approaches of acclaimed designers such as Kenya Hara, David Hockney and Yusaku Kamekura, the exhibition invites visitors to explore how Expos have transformed from showcases of objects into platforms for addressing global issues and imagining collective futures.

Few would argue against the late Leiji Matsumoto as one of Japan’s most visionary manga artists. Best known for sci-fi epics like Space Battleship Yamato, Galaxy Express 999 and Space Pirate Captain Harlock, the Fukuoka native conjured up incredibly intricate worlds to convey a deeply humanistic message. This summer, the master storyteller’s seven-decade career and the creative cosmos he envisioned can be explored in great detail at Tokyo City View, where ‘Leiji Matsumoto Exhibition: A Creative Journey’ is on show until September 7. ©Leiji Matsumoto/Leijisha | Photo: Sébastien Raineri The first large-scale retrospective dedicated to Matsumoto, who passed away in 2023, the exhibition traces the evolution of an artist whose pen moved across space and time with unshakable conviction and emotional resonance. Among the highlights on display is a trove of original drawings discovered in the artist’s studio after his death, each a testament to his precision, poetic imagination and narrative mastery. These hand-drawn works, some shown for the first time, allow you to rediscover Matsumoto as both a craftsman and a dreamer. Here’s what else to look forward to at the exhibition. The departure platform in the sky Before stepping into the world of Leiji Matsumoto’s imagination, you’re invited to begin your travels in the sky. High above the city, a familiar scene awaits: an evocative recreation of the departure platform from Galaxy Express 999. ©Leiji Matsumoto/Leijisha | Photo: Sébast

From the dreamlike forests of My Neighbor Totoro to the bustling bathhouse of Spirited Away, Studio Ghibli has enchanted audiences around the world with unforgettable visuals as much as with its acclaimed poetic storytelling. Over the four decades since Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata and producer Toshio Suzuki co-founded the studio back in 1985, Ghibli has cultivated an imagery so recognisable that it’s come to be considered a style all unto its own – as the recent brouhaha over AI-generated Ghibli art proved. This summer, Miyazaki and co’s magical universe takes physical form at Tennozu Isle, where Warehouse Terrada B&C Hall is hosting the Studio Ghibli 3D Sculpture Exhibition until September 23. Both a meticulous exploration of iconic Ghibli scenes and a celebration of the international bonds that have carried the studio’s stories far beyond Japan’s shores, the show offers an unmissable opportunity to see, feel and experience some of your favourite Ghibli moments in an all-new format. A new dimension of animation Photo: Sébastien RaineriThe bakery from ‘Kiki’s Delivery Service’ The centrepiece of the exhibition is an extraordinary collection of three-dimensional models and sculptures, each capturing a key scene from some of Ghibli’s most iconic films. Titles such as Kiki’s Delivery Service, Castle in the Sky, Pom Poko and My Neighbor Totoro come alive in everything from miniature landscapes to life-sized recreations, allowing you to step into spaces once confined to the tw

Seventy years after the King of the Monsters first emerged from the depths of the Pacific, Godzilla returns to Tokyo by way of a sweeping, boundary-defying art exhibition at the Mori Arts Center Gallery. Running until June 29, ‘Godzilla The Art Exhibition’ marks the fifth instalment of the celebrated Godzilla: The Art series and one of the most ambitious artistic reinterpretations of the cinematic icon to date. The exhibition employs contemporary art to showcase Godzilla as a mirror for modern anxieties, a symbol of cyclical destruction and rebirth, and an evolving artistic archetype capable of speaking across media, cultures and generations. It’s also an absolute blast, providing a monster-sized serving of material for die-hard Big G fans and lizard laypeople alike to geek out over. Art beyond the silver screen Ever since making its first cinematic appearance in 1954, Godzilla has loomed large as a vessel for cultural and historical tensions. Born from the trauma of nuclear warfare and inspired by the real-world fallout of hydrogen bomb testing, the irradiated lizard initially symbolised Japan’s post-war fears. But over time, this figure has taken on new shapes: protector, anti-hero, metaphor for environmental catastrophe. Photo: Maki Matsumoto | Haroshi "GODZILLA" TM ＆ © TOHO CO., LTD. © HAROSHI Courtesy of NANZUKA | Roby dwi Antono "Godzi-lab" TM ＆ © TOHO CO., LTD. © Roby Dwi Antono Courtesy of NANZUKA ‘Godzilla The Art Exhibition’ makes it clear that there’s no single a

If you’re looking to escape the city and soak up some inspiration in soothing surroundings this Golden Week, consider heading out to the Hyogo coast between May 4 and 6. That’s when the Hayashisaki Matsue Beach House in the city of Akashi will open its doors for ‘The Homesick Moon’, a collaborative exhibition between celebrated Thai artist Juli Baker & Summer and Akio Isshiki Architects. Photo: Ludovic BalayInside the house at Hayashisaki Matsue Beach The venue, a 50-year-old seaside home lovingly restored by and for the aforementioned architectural firm, provides an immersive environment for an event that blends art, architecture and dialogue while reflecting on memory, light and place. Photo: Yosuke OhtakeThe venue seen from the outside Known for her radiant illustrations and poetic storytelling, Juli Baker & Summer presents a series of lantern-inspired works designed to harmonise with the house’s warm, nostalgic atmosphere. Her exhibition explores the emotional resonance of light and how it connects rural and urban experiences, past and present, and homesickness and belonging. Photo: SuppliedArtwork by Juli Baker & Summer The event also features a series of talks and a portrait workshop, including a talk session on May 4 about regional revitalisation through international artistic collaboration, and a family-friendly portrait session with Juli Baker & Summer on May 5. Proceedings will close with a discussion on the intersection of art and architecture on May 6. The e

Deservedly known as the ‘God of Manga’, Osamu Tezuka continues to loom large over Japanese pop culture more than 35 years after his passing. A visionary whose artistic and philosophical contribution to the medium of comics is without equal, the Osaka native created a wealth of works now considered masterpieces. Phoenix (Hinotori; 1967–1988), however, stands apart as Tezuka’s self-proclaimed ‘life’s work’: a sprawling epic that weaves together past and future, delving into profound questions about life, death, and humanity’s eternal struggle for meaning. Tokyo City View at Roppongi Hills now presents the first large-scale exhibition dedicated to this epic saga. Running from March 7 to May 19 2025, ‘Osamu Tezuka’s “Hinotori” Exhibition’ offers an unprecedented look into the artist’s most monumental undertaking. It’s a display worth making the trip for, whether you’re a hardcore Tezuka acolyte or a complete newcomer to the manga form. Photo: Sébastien Raineri The god of manga Over the course of a career that spanned more than four decades – from the immediate post-World War II period to the dawn of the Heisei era – Osamu Tezuka revolutionised the medium of comics, shaping its narrative and artistic conventions. With more than 700 titles and 150,000 pages, his extensive body of work laid the foundation for modern manga and anime. Born in 1928, Tezuka’s artistic vision was shaped by Western cinema, early Disney animation, and Japanese storytelling traditions. His breakthrough wo

If your familiarity with Ryuichi Sakamoto is limited to his scores for films like Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence and The Last Emperor, a visit to the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo this winter or spring may prove startling and satisfying in equal measure. At ‘Ryuichi Sakamoto: seeing sound, hearing time’, on at the MOT until March 30 2025, the interdisciplinary segment of Sakamoto’s oeuvre takes on a monumental dimension by way of a multisensory experience that connects sound, space and time. Encouraging contemplation, lingering and meditation, the immersive retrospective offers an unparalleled opportunity to discover the artist’s sound installations and traces his experimental and pioneering journey through landmark pieces as well as previously unseen works conceived shortly before his untimely death in 2023. Photo: Kisa Toyoshima Room-sized artworks explore Sakamoto’s concept of ‘installation music’, under which the artist and his collaborators designed environments for the public to experience sound in physical space. These three-dimensional experiences interact dynamically with the museum’s architecture and highlight Sakamoto’s understanding of technology as an essential tool for making sense of the world as a whole, including the relationship between humans and their environment. An eclectic career – and a lingering influence Born in Tokyo in 1952, Ryuichi Sakamoto’s passion for music began early, inspired by a home rich in art and literature. His love for Debussy an