Azabudai Hills Gallery – "Tomokazu Matsuyama: FIRST LAST"
The "Tomokazu Matsuyama: FIRST LAST" exhibition will be held at Azabudai Hills Gallery from March 8 (Sat) to May 11 (Sun), 2025. This marks Matsuyama’s first large-scale solo exhibition in Tokyo. Matsuyama, a globally active artist based in New York, has been a key figure in contemporary art for over 25 years. This exhibition features 15 large-scale works making their Japan debut, along with approximately 40 pieces, including the new "First Last" series.

Period: March 8 (Sat) - May 11 (Sun), 2025
Venue: Azabudai Hills Gallery (Azabudai Hills Garden Plaza A MB Floor)
Opening Hours:
Mon-Thu, Sun: 10:00 - 18:00 (Last entry at 17:30)
Fri, Sat, Pre-holiday: 10:00 - 19:00 (Last entry at 18:30)
Closed: Open throughout the exhibition period (tentative)
Image Credit: Tomokazu Matsuyama, Passage Immortalitas, 2024, H267 x W470 cm, Acrylic and mixed media on canvas
URL: https://tinyurl.com/3wvwn7e7

The National Art Center, Tokyo - LIVING Modernity: Experiments in the Exceptional and Everyday 1920s–1970s
The National Art Center, Tokyo, will host the exhibition "LIVING Modernity: Experiments in the Exceptional and Everyday 1920s–1970s" from March 19 to June 30, 2025. This exhibition explores the functional and comfortable housing designs pioneered by architects such as Le Corbusier and Mies van der Rohe between the 1920s and the 1970s. Covering seven perspectives, including sanitation, kitchens, furniture, windows, and landscapes, the exhibition presents the evolution of modern housing through photographs, models, and furniture.

Period: March 19 (Wed) - June 30 (Mon), 2025
Venue: The National Art Center, Tokyo - Special Exhibition Rooms 1E & 2E
Opening Hours: 10:00 - 18:00 (Fridays and Saturdays until 20:00, last entry 30 minutes before closing)
Closed: Tuesdays (Except April 29 and May 6, open on those days; closed on May 7)
Image Credit: Lina Bo Bardi, Casa de Vidro, 1951
Organizers: The National Art Center, Tokyo, Tokyo Shimbun, Japan Arts Council, Agency for Cultural Affairs
URL: https://tinyurl.com/457yem4r

Mori Art Museum - Machine Love: Video Games, AI, and Contemporary Art
Mori Art Museum presents "Machine Love," an exhibition running from February 13 to June 8, 2025. This exhibition explores the relationship between creativity and technology through contemporary art utilizing game engines and AI. Featuring immersive works, the exhibition invites visitors to consider the future of humanity and ethics. By incorporating digital space data, new aesthetics, avatars, and superrealistic landscapes, the exhibition also examines universal themes such as life, death, and environmental issues.

Period: February 13 (Thu) - June 8 (Sun), 2025
Venue: Mori Art Museum (Roppongi Hills Mori Tower 53F, Tokyo)
Opening Hours: 10:00 - 22:00 (Tuesdays until 17:00; April 29 and May 6 until 22:00)
Last entry 30 minutes before closing
Closed: Open throughout the exhibition period
Image Credit: Kim Ayoung, Delivery Dancers Sphere, 2022, Video, 25 min
URL:https://tinyurl.com/yvpawhnm

21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa - Collection Exhibition 3
To commemorate its 20th anniversary, the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa, will hold "Collection Exhibition 3," focusing on its extensive collection of approximately 4,200 works. This large-scale exhibition reflects on the museum’s history and future.

Period: February 1 (Sat) - May 11 (Sun), 2025
First Half: February 1 - March 23, 2025
Second Half: March 25 - May 11, 2025
Venue: 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa
Opening Hours: 10:00 - 18:00 (Fridays and Saturdays until 20:00, last entry 30 minutes before closing)
Closed: Mondays (Open on February 24 and May 5; closed on February 25 and May 7)
Number of Artists: 12
Number of Works: 128 (including rotating exhibits)
Image Credit: Rebecca Horn, Eight Tufts of Hair in Flames, 1993
URL:https://tinyurl.com/3acuhht8

Tokyo Photographic Art Museum - TOP 30th Anniversary Takano Ryudai: kasubaba
Living through the ordinary"
Tokyo Photographic Art Museum presents "Kasubaba – To Survive This Everyday Life," a solo exhibition by Ryudai Takano from February 27 to June 8, 2025. Known for his award-winning work IN MY ROOM, Takano explores themes of sexuality, daily life, and post-disaster photography, showcasing the richness and chaos of everyday life through his unique perspective.

Period: February 27 (Thu) - June 8 (Sun), 2025
Venue: Tokyo Photographic Art Museum
Closed: Mondays (Open on May 5; closed on May 7)
Admission Fees:
General: 700 (560 for groups of 20+)
Students: 560 (440 for groups of 20+)
Middle/High School Students & Seniors (65+): 350 (280 for groups of 20+)
Free entry for elementary school students and younger, Tokyo residents studying in junior high school, and visitors with disabilities
Image Credit: Ryudai Takano, 2019.12.31.P.#02 (Distance), Red Room Project, 2019
URL: https://tinyurl.com/ystjbhca

21_21 DESIGN SIGHT Special Exhibition "Ramen Donburi Exhibition"
21_21 DESIGN SIGHT presents the special exhibition "Ramen Donburi Exhibition." Directed by Taku Satoh and Mari Hashimoto, this exhibition explores the relationship between ramen and its bowls. Featuring Mino ware, which accounts for 90% of Japan’s ramen bowls, the exhibition showcases 40 original bowls. It also introduces "ramen stalls" designed by architects and designers, the culture and history of ramen, and the climate of the Tono region, offering a new perspective on the world of ramen through its vessels.

Period: March 7 (Fri) – June 15 (Sun), 2025
Venue: 21_21 DESIGN SIGHT Gallery 1 & 2
Opening Hours:
Image Credit:
Others: Organized by 21_21 DESIGN SIGHT and the Issey Miyake Foundation / Special Sponsorship by Mitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd. / Cooperation by Ceramic Valley Association / Exhibition Directors: Taku Satoh, Mari Hashimoto / Graphic Design: TSDO (Aya Suzuki, Momo Hasegawa) / Exhibition Design: Takashi Nakahara / Exhibition Design Cooperation: Shizuka Iijima
URL: https://tinyurl.com/mvm27z8b

Pola Museum of Art "New Collection: Picasso - The Vollard Suite 100"
In addition to his painting, Pablo Picasso vigorously devoted himself to making prints, using the technique to avidly delve into subjects such as the body, mythology, painters and their models, dialogues with great artists of the past, and themes such as love and violence. The Vollard Suite is a series of 100 prints that Picasso made in the 1930s, at a point when he had reached artistic maturity. The art dealer Ambroise Vollard (1866-1939) was a skilled publisher who produced over 50 print collections and picture books by painters such as Degas, Bonnard, Renoir, and Picasso. The Vollard Suite is an important collection of prints that was planned by Vollard.

Period:
• First Phase: Until February 26 (Wed), 2025
• Second Phase: February 28 (Fri) – May 18 (Sun), 2025
Venue: Pola Museum of Art, Exhibition Room 5
Opening Hours: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM (Last admission at 4:30 PM)
Closed: Open year-round (Temporary closures for exhibition changes)
URL: https://tinyurl.com/yrrcuhbd

Grand Green Osaka "VS." "Tadao Ando Exhibition | Youth"
The "Tadao Ando Exhibition | Youth," a retrospective of architect Tadao Ando, will be held at "VS." in Grand Green Osaka from March 20 (Thu) to July 21 (Mon), 2025. This exhibition showcases Ando’s ambitious journey from Osaka to the world, his ongoing projects, and his boundless vision for the future.

Period: March 20 (Thu) – July 21 (Mon), 2025
Venue: VS. (Inside Grand Green Osaka)
Opening Hours: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM (Fridays, Saturdays, and days before holidays until 8:00 PM) *Last admission 30 minutes before closing.
Closed: Mondays (Open on public holidays)
Image Credit: Photo Kazumi Kurigami
URL: https://tinyurl.com/n6ehe8z6

WALL_alternative "Weaving Scenery in Harmony"
The alternative space WALL_alternative in Nishi-Azabu will host the special exhibition "Weaving Scenery in Harmony" from March 14 (Fri) to April 5 (Sat), 2025. Featuring five artists—Shinichi Kaneko, Jasmine Noda, Rintaro Hashiguchi, Kanji Hasegawa, and Yuka Mori—the exhibition explores contemporary expressions rooted in traditional Japanese aesthetics through painting, calligraphy, sculpture, and ceramics. It raises questions about the evolving sense of Japanese beauty across generations.

Period: March 14 (Fri) – April 5 (Sat), 2025
Venue: WALL_alternative
Opening Hours: 6:00 PM – 12:00 AM
Admission: Free (No reservation required)
URL: http://tinyurl.com/4juk7zhe

Spring Comes to the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo "Blossoms in Japanese Art 2025"
The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo presents its annual spring event, "Blossoms in Japanese Art 2025," coinciding with the cherry blossom season. Highlights include the limited-time display of Important Cultural Property Gyokudo Kawai’s "Departing Spring," relaxation spaces for enjoying cherry blossoms, special exhibitions themed around flowers, pop-up shops, and the sale of exclusive hanami bento boxes.

Period: March 13 (Thu) – April 6 (Sun), 2025
Venue: The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo (3-1 Kitanomaru Park, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo)
Opening Hours: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM (Fridays and Saturdays until 8:00 PM) *Last admission 30 minutes before closing.
Closed: Mondays (Open on March 31 during the event)
Admission: General 500, University students 250 (Discounts available after 5:00 PM on Fridays and Saturdays)
Others: Organized by The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, Japan Arts Council, and Agency for Cultural Affairs / Access: 3-minute walk from Tokyo Metro Tozai Line "Takebashi Station" Exit 1b / Inquiries: 050-5541-8600 (Hello Dial)
URL: https://tinyurl.com/mss2rm8s

The Museum of Kyoto Special Exhibition: "Canaletto and the Splendour of Venice"
The Museum of Kyoto will host the exhibition "Canaletto and the Splendour of Venice" from February 15 to April 13, 2025. This exhibition marks the first full-scale introduction of 18th-century painter Canaletto (1697-1768) and his veduta (landscape paintings) in Japan. Through his magnificent depictions of Venice, the exhibition explores the development of veduta painting while also featuring 19th-century artists' representations of Venice.

Period: February 15 (Sat) – April 13 (Sun), 2025
Venue: The Museum of Kyoto, 4th & 3rd Floor Exhibition Rooms
Opening Hours: 10:00–18:00 (Fridays until 19:30) Last admission 30 minutes before closing
Closed: Mondays (except February 24), February 25 (Tue)
Admission:
General: 1,800 yen (1,600 yen)
University & High School Students: 1,200 yen (1,000 yen)
Elementary & Junior High School Students: 600 yen (400 yen)
Prices in parentheses indicate group rates for 20 or more people.
Preschool children: Free (must be accompanied by a guardian).
Student discount available with a valid student ID.
Visitors with a disability certificate and one accompanying person: Free.

Image Credit: Canaletto, Regatta on the Grand Canal, c. 1730–1739
Oil on canvas, 149.8 × 218.4 cm
The Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle, Co. Durham, England
URL: https://tinyurl.com/3tprdjam

Toyota Municipal Museum of Art Special Exhibition: "Kuroda Tatsuaki：A Journey Through Wood, Lacquer, and Mother-of-Pearl"
Toyota Municipal Museum of Art will hold the special exhibition "Kuroda Tatsuaki：A Journey Through Wood, Lacquer, and Mother-of-Pearl" from March 15 to May 18, 2025. This exhibition commemorates the 120th birth anniversary of wood lacquer craftsman Tatsuo Kuroda (1904-1982). Kuroda pioneered a new realm in traditional crafts through his unique sense of form and diverse techniques. The exhibition showcases his masterpieces featuring wiped lacquer and raden inlay, along with blueprints and archival materials, offering an in-depth look at his artistic world.

Period: March 15 (Sat) – May 18 (Sun), 2025
Venue: Toyota Municipal Museum of Art
Opening Hours: 10:00–17:30 (Last admission at 17:00)
Closed: Mondays (except April 28 and May 5)

Admission:
At the Door:
General: 1,200 yen
High School & University Students: 1,000 yen
Junior High School Students & Younger: Free

Online:
General: 1,000 yen
High School & University Students: 800 yen
Junior High School Students & Younger: Free

Advance Ticket Sales: February 17 (Mon) – March 14 (Fri), 2025
Organizer: Toyota Municipal Museum of Art

Image Credit: "Fuki-urushi Lacquered Mun Ebony Decorative Shelf," 1966, Collection of The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto
URL: http://www.museum.toyota.aichi.jp/

MOMENT Contemporary Art Center Opening Exhibition　Shinya IMANISHI "Uncharted territories"
MOMENT Contemporary Art Center opened in February in Sanjo-dori, Nara City. This new cultural hub features a gallery showcasing contemporary art from Japan and abroad, along with an artist-in-residence program. To commemorate its opening, the center is hosting an exhibition by Nara-born contemporary artist Shinya Imanishi.

Period: February 1 (Sat) – April 6 (Sun), 2025
Venue: MOMENT Contemporary Art Center (1F, Marushin Building, 484-1-1 Sanjo-cho, Nara City, 630-8244)
Opening Hours: 11:00–19:00
Closed: Mondays
Admission: Free

Image Credit: *Holiday Cracker 36*, 2024 (Detail), Oil on Canvas ©Shinya Imanishi, Courtesy of nca | nichido contemporary art

Organizers: MUZ ART PRODUCE
Special Cooperation: Mori Memorial Manufacturing Technology Foundation
Cooperation: Nara Prefectural Museum of Art, nca | nichido contemporary art
URL: http://momentcac.jp/

Fukuda Art Museum Exhibition: "Higashiyama Kaii and a journey through landscape: From Japan to the World"
In Japan, Higashiyama Kaii is a household name. Everyone has heard of his most famous paintings. Traveling all over Japan, he distinctively captured views woven by nature. He specialized in landscapes and learned by painting in foreign lands. After studying in Germany, Kaii painted scenes in Europe, China, and other parts of the world.

Period: February 1 (Sat) – April 13 (Sun), 2025
First Half: February 1 (Sat) – March 3 (Mon)
Second Half: March 5 (Wed) – April 13 (Sun)

Venue: Fukuda Art Museum
Opening Hours: 10:00–17:00 (Last admission at 16:30)
Closed: February 18 (Tue), March 4 (Tue)

Admission:
General & University Students: 1,500 yen (Group 1,400 yen)
High School Students: 900 yen (Group 800 yen)
Elementary & Junior High School Students: 500 yen (Group 400 yen)
Visitors with Disabilities & One Accompanying Person: 900 yen (Group 800 yen)
Preschool Children: Free

Combined Ticket for Fukuda Art Museum & Saga Arashiyama Museum of Art & Culture:
General & University Students: 2,300 yen
High School Students: 1,300 yen
Elementary & Junior High School Students: 750 yen
Visitors with Disabilities & One Accompanying Person: 1,300 yen
Contact: Fukuda Art Museum Representative (Tel: 075-863-0606)
URL: https://tinyurl.com/7stutm26