Tokyo — A Day of Art and Architecture
Tokyo — A Day Through Art & Architecture

Tokyo — A Day of Art and Architecture

Discover the many facets of Tokyo’s art scene accompanied by an expert

VESSELS

Exploring Vessels — From Teacups to Pagodas

In Japanese, the word utsuwa means vessel or bowl, and in a figurative sense can also refer to a person—their capacity to receive and contain. But does not architecture possess the same quality?

In the morning at the Nezu Museum, deep eaves soften the daylight before it enters the exhibition halls. A little later, a teacup rests in your palms. You feel the weight of the clay, the unevenness of the surface, and the traces of flowing glaze beneath your fingers.

On Omotesando, glass and concrete interact with light in their own way. In Ginza, light passes through walls of glass blocks. In Azabudai, roofs curve gently, echoing the contours of the hills, while in Roppongi, works of contemporary art greet visitors on the fifty-third floor.

The scales are incomparable, yet at the core lies a single question: what is contained within, and what form should it take?

By the end of the day, the memory of the weight of a teacup in your hands unexpectedly merges with the impression of architecture soaring high above the city.

Additional options

 

  • seeen Harajuku — a new art space in the Harajuku district, designed by Kohei Nawa and Sandwich
  • Yayoi Kusama Museum — the artist’s museum (open Thursday to Sunday and on holidays, advance reservation required)
  • 21_21 DESIGN SIGHT and Suntory Museum of Art — a design center conceived by Issey Miyake and designed by Tadao Ando, and a classical art museum by Kengo Kuma (Tokyo Midtown)
  • Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo (MOT) — one of Japan’s leading contemporary art museums, with an extensive collection from the postwar period to the present (Kiyosumi-Shirakawa)
  • Artizon Museum — the Ishibashi Foundation collection, from Impressionism to contemporary art (Kyobashi)
  • The National Art Center, Tokyo — a building by Kisho Kurokawa with an undulating glass façade (Roppongi)
  • Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum — the former residence of Prince Asaka in Art Deco style, built in 1933 (an Important Cultural Property)
  • Tokyo National Museum, Gallery of Horyuji Treasures — the Yoshio Taniguchi pavilion housing treasures from the Asuka period (Ueno)
  • Sumida Hokusai Museum — a museum dedicated to Katsushika Hokusai, designed by Kazuyo Sejima (Ryogoku)
  • teamLab Borderless — a digital art museum in Azabudai Hills
  • Ginza Architecture Walk (extended route) — MIKIMOTO Ginza 2 (Toyo Ito), Nicolas G. Hayek Center (Shigeru Ban), Tokyu Plaza Ginza (Nikken Sekkei)
  • Gallery visits and private meetings — meetings with gallerists and curators (ceramics, painting, sculpture, photography, collection consultations)

*Options may be offered in place of part of the main program or added with an extended tour duration.

*Please note that meals and additional options are not included in the tour price.

*The schedule is approximate. Visits to each museum will be selective. Advance reservation is required for participation in the tea ceremony and lunch. As Nezu Museum is closed on Mondays, the itinerary will be adjusted. During exhibition changeover periods, alternative visit options will be offered.