Tokyo’s dynamic art scene takes centre stage once again with Art Week Tokyo, unfolding from November 5 to 9 across the capital. Now in its fourth edition, the event brings together more than 50 museums, galleries and art spaces, affirming the capital’s position as a vital hub for contemporary art on the global stage. Organised by the Japan Contemporary Art Platform in collaboration with Art Basel, Art Week Tokyo seamlessly links the city’s artistic heritage with its vibrant present.
This year’s highlights include ‘Prism of the Real: Making Art in Japan 1989–2010’ at the National Art Center, Tokyo, a landmark survey developed with Hong Kong’s M+. At the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, multimedia artist Aki Sasamoto presents her first midcareer survey, while the Mori Art Museum showcases the visionary architecture of Sou Fujimoto. The Artizon Museum features a dual exhibition by Chikako Yamashiro and Lieko Shiga, whose works probe the lived realities of Okinawa and post-3.11 Tohoku.
Alongside the exhibitions, Art Week Tokyo encompasses curated sales platforms, video screenings, talks, and a pop-up bar designed under the guidance of Pritzker Prize-winning architect Kazuyo Sejima.
Free buses will connect venues, ensuring the entire city becomes a stage for art. Over three days, you can pick up an AWT wristband at any bus stop – that will get you discounted exhibition passes and free rides on the AWT Bus to hop between events and exhibitions. The buses will take seven different routes around the city, running every 15 minutes from 10am to 6pm.