TERRADA ART COMPLEX Ⅱ, an art complex facility in Tokyo managed by Terrada, has announced the opening of three new galleries: Contemporary Tokyo, Tokyo International Gallery, and UG Gallery.

gallery UG Tennoz

gallery UG is not only celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, but opening its second-ever gallery at TERRADA ART COMPLEX Ⅱ. The gallery, like the Galerie Maeght in Paris, helps support the creation of artists’ work as well as carries out various promotions and creates opportunities for the growth of young, up-and-coming artists. It aims to help expand the space of contemporary art, which it will do throughout the year at its new gallery with various exhibitions, such as solo exhibitions including one that showcases the amusement of 3D art, to more specialised exhibitions.

Contemporary Tokyo

Contemporary Tokyo takes on a more international approach by helping support Japanese artists based in Tokyo and various cities throughout China. The gallery will participate in numerous annual art fairs as well display the artworks of many contemporary Japanese artists. Looking towards the future, Contemporary Tokyo will eventually welcome artwork from Chinese artists, becoming a bridge between the art worlds of Japan and China.

Tokyo International Gallery

Tokyo International Gallery (TIG) was founded in 2019 with a mission to introduce global artists and global methods to the insular Japanese art scene. TIG wishes to to rethink the position of art in society, including environmental issues, urban planning, historical traditions, freedom of expression, and the questions and expressions that arise in the relationship between individuals and groups, subjectivity and objectivity, as well as dealing with subjects that are not framed or not actively discussed in a “borderless” manner. Its aim is to exhibit experimental works by a variety of unique artists.

TERRADA ART COMPLEX Ⅱ plans to open around 10 galleries by spring 2021 as well as a cafe and garden. TERRADA ART COMPLEX Ⅰ, which opened in September 2016, currently has 6 galleries which are also a must-see together with the upcoming new ones.

Kurashiki City Art Museum is now holding an exhibition dedicated to Japanese manga artist and character designer Akemi Takada. Titled TAKADA Akemi Exhibition: Angel Touch, the exhibition is set to run until November 8, 2020.

Akemi Takada majored in graphic design at Tama Art University. After graduating, she entered the world of animation where she learned character design working for the Japanese animation company Tatsunoko Production. She went on to design characters for a range of popular anime series such as Creamy Mami, the Magic Angel, Kimagure Orange Road, Patlabor, and more. Today, she works as an illustrator as well as a designer for book covers.

Angel Touch　©TAKADA Akemi

Creamy Mami, the Magic Angel　©Pierrot

The exhibition introduces original pictures of famous anime characters and Takada’s illustration work. Though solo exhibitions have been held many times for her in both Japan and abroad, this hails as one of the largest exhibitions ever with 200 drawings. Fans will also get to see new works as well which were drawn for the exhibition.

Kimagure Orange Road　©Izumi Matsumoto / Shueisha・Nippon TV・Toho

Creamy Mami, the Magic Angel 2

The all new Kirby Star Allies: The Original Art Book will be released on March 16, 2021—the third anniversary since the release of Kirby Star Allies on the Nintendo Switch. Pre-orders opened on Thursday (September 24).

Kirby’s first official art book

Kirby Star Allies: The Original Art Book | ¥2,700 (Before Tax)

In the 28 years since Kirby has been announced, this comes as the first ever official art book in the Kirby’s Dream Land series.

The book will feature over 500 pieces of art beginning from the launch of Kirby Star Allies to its free patches, from character art to backgrounds, rough sketches, key visuals, and more.

The book will also include comments and interviews with the game’s creators. Fans in Japan who pre-order the book from Value Mall by October 3, 2020 will also receive a free gift.

©2018-2020 HAL Laboratory, Inc. / Nintendo
© ambit 2020

UDS HOTELS is set to open YUEN BETTEI DAITA, a new onsen ryokan (hot spring Japanese inn), in Shimokitazawa, Tokyo, on September 28, 2020. The hotel is just a 1-minute walk from Setagaya-Daita Station and an 8-minute walk from Shimokitazawa Station.

YUEN BETTEI DAITA sits in a quiet location surrounded by old, historical Japanese houses and is basked in nature. It houses 300 guest rooms and has open-air baths, a spa, and offers traditional Japanese food the tea ceremony.

The inn is equipped with considerate facilities and has a relaxed atmosphere. It caters to modern day needs while still promising a traditional Japanese inn experience. And it doesn’t have to be just used as a hotel either – guests can just spend the day there in the hot springs if they like, allowing locals to get away from the hustle and bustle of the big city and their busy Tokyo lives.

The Design

YUEN BETTEI DAITA bases itself on the appearance of residences seen back in Tokyo back in the day. The hotel has taken in furniture and materials that were inherited in a thatched-roof residence in Setagaya which has over a 100 year history, which gives a nod to the history and culture of traditional Japanese architecture, while still incorporating more modern techniques in the wooden roofing and other areas. All of this combines to create a sophisticated Japanese culture-imbued space.

Guest Rooms

There are 35 guest rooms in total, each coming in one of seven types ranging from 19㎡-32㎡. The rooms open up into a tatami and seating area. Guests are provided with yukata and leather-soled geta shoes, and are treated to Japanese tea and confections from local shops.。

Open-air onsen baths (1st Floor)

The large open-air baths receive water from Odakyu Hotel de Yama’s own water source in Hakone. Guests can enjoy looking at a traditional Japanese garden while they bathe and listen to the sound of the water from Mount Fuji. The female baths also have scented mist saunas while the male baths have dry saunas.

Cooking & Tea Ceremony (1st Floor)

Kappou Tsukikage

Enjoy seasonal vegetables harvested from the local farms in Setagaya as well as Japanese sake and wine chosen to pair perfectly with the dishes.

Saryou Tsukikage

Guests can also experience the Japanese ceremony with local tea. Daita was once rich with tea farms, and so guests can look forward to enjoying delicious and authentic tea.

SOJYU spa

If guests want to relax the hotel’s SOJYU spa offers full body massage, original essential oil treatments, and much more. The spa will also be open to non-guests from spring next year.

The Asahi Shimbun and Nippon TV are set to host an exhibition centred on Mickey Mouse at the MORI ARTS CENTER GALLERY in Roppongi, Tokyo, from October 30, 2020 to January 11, 2021, in celebration of 90 years since Mickey Mouse’s screen debut. The exhibition will showcase works shown at the Mickey: The True Original Exhibition held in New York in 2018-2019.

Walt Disney’s concepts and ideas are formed around innovation, creativity, imagination, and storytelling. And one character who walked that journey with him and continues to this day is none other than the iconic Mickey Mouse, who since making his first appearance in Steamboat Willie in 1928, has gone on to be a symbol of the Walt Disney Company loved by people the world over.

Mickey: The True Original Exhibition in New York

The Mickey: The True Original Exhibition held in New York looked at how Mickey Mouse has influenced art and pop culture over the years, covering everything from Steamboat Willie which hailed as Walt Disney’s first black and white sound film to over 100 colour short animations, artwork, and more.

Keiichi Tanaami – “Mickey’s Japan Tourism”

Javier Sanchez Medina – “Studio for Mickey’s hands”

The exhibition was ran from November 2018 to February 2019 and saw installations from over 20 international artists including New York-based artist Daniel Arsham and Los Angeles-based artist and graphic designer Brian Roettinger.

Brian Roettinger – “(L)imitation of Sound”

DRx – “3000% Mickey Be@r”

The Tokyo exhibition will be a travel back through time, looking at Mickey Mouse from the past to the present. It will be split into three zones: “The Origin,” “The True Original,” and “Beyond.”

The Beyond zone will welcome original artwork from five Japanese artists.

Original Merchandise – Pin Badge

Original Merchandise – Ballpoint Pen

The exhibition’s museum shop will have exclusive Mickey Mouse merchandise for sale, as well as pre-sales on other items. See new official goods from works like Steamboat Willie and Fantasia as well as items designed by Japanese artists. It’s a chance to see Mickey in a variety of different ways.

Free eco-bag

Visitors to the exhibition will also receive one of four original eco-bags for free upon arrival.

teamLab Borderless is a world of artwork without boundaries, a museum without a map created by art collective teamLab. Over at their museum in Tokyo, MORI Building DIGITAL ART MUSEUM: EPSON teamLab Borderless, they are exhibiting a range of autumn themed digital art in time for the changing seasons. Let’s take a closer look at what’s on show.

September Flowers

October Flowers

Proliferating Immense Life – A Whole Year per Year | teamLab, 2020, Interactive Digital Installation, Sound: Hideaki Takahashi

Proliferating Immense Life – A Whole Year per Year looks at the life cycle of flowers. Throughout the year, with the passing of time, flowers bloom and change. They bud, grow, and blossom before their petals begin to wither and eventually fade away. The cycle of growth and decay repeats itself in perpetuity as the flowers propagate. When too many flowers grow, they scatter and fade all at once. When people touch them, the flower petals scatter and fall away

A variety of autumn flowers will be recreated in digital art, such as Blackberry Lily (September) and Red Spider Lily (October). Visitors who touch these digital flowers will see them wither and decay, and subsequently bloom new flowers in their place.

Rice Fields

Autumn Colours
Memory of Topography | teamLab, 2018, Interactive Digital Installation, Sound: Hideaki Takahashi

This artwork installation depicts a rural mountain landscape of varying elevations. The scenery instills in the viewer a feeling of eternal permanence, however with the flow of real time the scenery is continuously changing. In the spring, the rice fields are still small and lush. In summer, they begin to mature, and in fall, they turn a golden color.

The colours of autumn will be depicted in its glorious combination of golds and reds for the exhibit.

Forest of Resonating Lamps – One Stroke, Autumn Mountain | teamLab, 2016, Interactive Installation, Murano Glass, LED, Endless, Sound: Hideaki Takahashi

When a person stands still close to a lamp at Forest of Resonating Lamps – One Stroke, Autumn Mountain, it shines brightly and emits a colour that resonates out. The light becomes the starting point, and it spreads to the two nearest lamps. The light from the two nearest lamps transmits the same colour to other lamps, spreading out continuously. The light transmitted always resonates out as a bright light once, passing to close lamps, until all lamps have shone brightly once, and then returns to the first lamp.

For October, this exhibit will turn into Forest of Resonating Lamps – One Stroke, Autumn Mountain.

Flowers Bloom in an Infinite Universe inside a Teacup | teamLab, 2016, Interactive Digital Installation, Endless, Sound: Hideaki Takahashi

Make tea, and flowers bloom inside the teacup. If you pick up the teacup, the flowers scatter and spread outside of the cup. Flowers bloom infinitely as long as there is tea. The tea in the teacup becomes an infinite world in which the flowers continue to bloom. Drink in the infinitely expanding world.

The exhibition hall’s tea house “EN TEA HOUSE” will see a variety of autumnal flowers used including safflower, dianthus, and Chinese aster for September and cosmos, osmanthus, and chrysanthemum for October.

Kato Pleasure Group is set to open its 4th branch of FUFU NIKKO hotels in Nikko, Tochigi on October 2, 2020 following their Atami, Lake Kawaguchi, and Nara branches.

A resort steeped in Japanese history and culture

The site in which the hotel is located has a sacred air to it. It dates back to the Meiji Period and has continued into modern times. Upon entering the hotel, your ears are treated to the sound of classical music. Overhead you will spot high ceilings made from wood which give it a warm and welcoming atmosphere.The shadows of the outside walls, the warmth of the inviting lights, and the metallic decorations which catch the light present a calm and quiet mood.

Classy and sophisticated cuisine

Both the food and plates it is served on capture the essence and beauty of the Japanese way. Meals are prepared using seasonal ingredients from Tochigi as well as high quality foods like foie gras, truffles, and caviar. Each dish expresses elegance and refinement and combines both Japanese and Western flavours.

Hot spring water sourced from Tamozawa

All rooms at the hotel are fitted with hot springs or large baths which natural light from the outdoors shining through. In the open-air baths, guests get to experience the surrounding sights of nature coupled with the sound of the flowing stream and chirping birds.

SOKI ATAMI is a new hot spring accommodation set to open in the town of Koarashicho in Atami, Shizuoka, on November 1, 2020.

The town of Koarashicho is considered the annex, as it were, to Atami. SOKI ATAMI can be reached in around 40 minutes by bullet train from Shinagawa Station. The accommodation takes into account the value of Atami’s hot spring resorts and what’s on offer there. It will serve a ‘sojourn style’ of accommodation that allows you to return to yourself as you are, without any stresses, something which is enhanced thanks to being situated away from the hustle and bustle of the city in nature.

Just being yourself

The accommodation, surrounded by nature, offers a panoramic view of the ocean, and consists of a reception wing, guest room wing, and restaurant wing. In the ‘Village Garden,’ there are trees growing citrus fruits and a variety of plants and crops, showcasing the regional lifestyle and natural features.

Guest Rooms

There are 54 guest rooms in total ranging from 40㎡ to 65㎡ which can fit up to 4 people. Guests can enjoy the hot springs with all room types. TONERICO:INC. is in charge of the inter design who have given it a natural feel.

Tea Salon & Bar

The Tea Salon & Bar on the top floor overlooks Atami Bay. Guests can enjoy sipping on tea grown in Shizuoka as well as tucking into seasonal meals made using Japanese ingredients. There’s also a terrace from which guests can enjoy the firework festivals held at Atami Bay throughout the year.

Public Onsen

The public baths benefit from the changing seasons which changes up the bathing experience. The water is perfect for de-stressing, moisturising, and making your skin look beautiful.

Dining Room

In the restaurant wing is the dining room designed by age co.,ltd which has worked on many different ryokan and restaurants. Fish, vegetables, and other ingredients are all sourced locally and directly.

Art collective teamLab is set to open a permanent exhibition at Nowhere, the new immersive digital art centre which will open in Utrecht, Netherlands in 2024.

Nowhere is a 3,000 m² digital art space which teamLab will transform into a breathtaking, ever-changing, immersive, and interactive art world.

Nowhere’s exhibition will be dedicated to teamLab and their immersive digital art installations which we have covered extensively. Their exhibitions are a collaboration of art, technology, and nature, and encourage audience participation which results in the art pieces changing form, colour, shape, and so on.

Numerous exhibits from teamLab will be on display including, but not limited to Future Park and Athletics Forest. The former is based on collaborative creativity and co-creation, encouraging participants to be creative with others, while the latter is a “physical creative space” that “promotes growth of the hippocampus of the brain and trains spatial awareness.”

Wonderwoods, where Nowhere is being built, is a green development set to open in 2023, boasting 9,649 trees of over 360 species.

Photos: Vero Digital

Pola Museum of Art in Hakone, Kanagawa is currently holding an exhibition centred on Monet and Matisse titled Monet and Matisse: Visions of the Ideal. Eight more Monet works and six more Matisse pieces were added to the exhibition on Saturday.

The exhibition opened on June 1, but due to the situation surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, the museum was not able to obtain the full line-up of artwork from abroad that was originally scheduled to be exhibited. The entire range is now on display, including Monet’s Wisteria borrowed from Musée Marmottan Monet in Paris as well as Matisse’s tapestry The Lute from Mobilier National, also in Paris.

Claude Monet, Wisteria, 1919-1920
Musée Marmottan Monet, Paris ©Musée Marmottan Monet, Paris, France / Bridgeman Images 原画：アンリ・マティス 

Henri Matisse, The Lute, 1947-1949, Pola Museum of Art
Mobilier national, Paris © Mobilier national / Isabelle Bideau

No.35 Claude Monet, Water Lilies, 1907
Musée d’Art Moderne et Contemporain de Saint-Étienne Métro-Pole
Yves Bresson / Musée d’Art Moderne et Contemporain de Saint-Étienne Métropole

No.80 Henri Matisse《光の縞模様のある室内》1942年　油彩／カンヴァスマティス美術館、ル・カトー＝カンブレジ
Musée départemental Matisse, Le Cateau-Cambrésis
Photo Musée départemental Matisse, Philip Bernard

The exhibition is running until November 3, 2020, and is a chance for people in Japan to enjoy the original works from two of France’s most famous painters.

Ginza Sony Park has announced a range of seasonal items and food for Summer 2020.

Toraya Cafe・An Stand

Red Bean Paste Shaved Ice with Matcha & Rice Flour Dumplings | Small ¥841, Regular ¥901 (Tax Included) | Ginza Park Floor B3F | Available: Until September 29, 2020

Loaded with red bean paste and in-house made honey, this limited edition shaved ice is served with matcha sweet bean jelly made with Uji matcha.

Red Bean Paste Shaved Ice with Cointreau & Coffee | ¥540 (Tax Included) | Ginza Park Floor B3F | Available: Until September 17, 2020

This one’s for the grown-ups, served with Cointreau and Hawaiian coffee.

An (Red Bean) Paste – Raspberry | ¥864 (Tax Included) | Ginza Park Floor B3F | Available: Until Late August 2020

Enjoy a raspberry version of the bean paste for yourself which has been mixed with brown cane sugar.

THE CONVENI

CHECKER SHOPPER BAG | ¥7,700 (Tac Included) | Ginza Park Floor B1F

THE CONVENI is selling a checked shopper  bag made from thin PVC so that it does not get dirty easily and also makes it waterproof. The bag, which bears the name of the store, also has pockets inside the bag.

Ginza Sony Park Art Walk

SHUN SUDO – “ART IN THE PARK”

Left: NAIJEL GRAPH | Right: SP. by yuko mohri (Available until August 26)

Ginza Sony Park will also display a range of large-scale art including SHUN SUDO’s wall art ART IN THE PARK, work from NAIJEL GRAPHIC, and more.

BOTTEGA VENETA ‘THE CHAIN’ Exhibition Image | August 16, 2020 – August 30, 2020

A huge installation art piece called THE CHAIN by BOTTEGA VENETA will be displayed on the rooftop for a limited time. This installation piece has been taken around the world, and serves as a message of strength and connection to people during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ginza Sony Park 2nd Anniversary

Free stickers will be handed out until August 16, 2020 to celebrate the 2nd anniversary of Ginza Sony Park, which has delivered unique forms of entertainment to Tokyo’s district of Ginza.

RIVERSIDE CLUB officially opened on the first floor of “THE WORKS” along Meguro River in Tokyo on July 17, 2020. An all-day lounge which can be enjoyed from breakfast to dinner, its concept is a fusion of food, art, and music cultures which it calls “GOOD CULTURE SALON.”

RIVERSIDE CLUB boasts an incredible menu forged by chefs at the forefront of Tokyo’s food culture. Meals can be enjoyed while gazing at the various artwork on display, and customers can look forward to seeing collaborations with numerous apparel brands. It’s a unique space designed by adults for adults, the likes of which has never been seen before.

Comfort food is at the heart of RIVERSIDE CLUB’s menu design which they have cooked up using their own unique vision.

For breakfast, customers can enjoy a healthy smoothie made from a blend of kale, pineapple, kiwi and avocado. If they’re looking for something more classic, they can order the avocado toast served with bacon and eggs, or cold-pressed juice by SUNSHINE JUICE which hails as Japan’s first shop specialising in cold-pressed juice. The thought behind the morning menu is making sure to get both a tasty and nutritional meal down customers even if they’re in a rush.

If customers are looking for something a bit more hearty in the morning then they can check out the all-day menu where they’ll find the lounge’s fat and juicy 100% beef “RIVERSIDE BURGER.” There’s also the “Lemon Rice” provided by LEMON RICE TOKYO, a popular Shibuya-based restaurant owned by Yuhi Komiyama, the vocalist of Hoff Dylan and known as the gourmet chef of the music industry. Everything on the menu is made with Tokyo’s food culture in mind, and if you’re looking for something very Tokyo-esque, then there’s the “Hamburger Naporitan,” a bed of spaghetti topped with a hamburger.

Popular foods from NAKAMURA GENERAL STORE will also be served, such as scones, carrot cake, apple crumble, lemon pie, and more. NAKAMURA GENERAL STORE is a popular Hawaiian bakery which was originally in charge of pastries served at Diamond Head Market & Grill, which is famous for its Hawaiian lunches and scones, but subsequently opened its own store in Kyoto and became so popular that it often sells out its stock by evening time. Coffee made using specially selected coffee beans provided by Minami-Aoyama-based coffee rosters will also be served and goes perfectly with NAKAMURA GENERAL STORE’s food. Customers will be able to order their own coffees or buy their own bag of beans to take home.

RIVERSIDE CLUB has collaborated with numerous artists for graphics on show there. Their logo was created by “& Supply,” a Tokyo-based creative studio. Various artwork will be displayed, including a photograph of Lady Gaga taken by Nobuyoshi Araki for a bondage-themed photoshoot in Vogue Hommes Japan. Pieces by LEEGET, who creates graphics and illustrations, will also be displayed. RIVERSIDE CLUB will continue to serve its “GOOD CULTURE SALON” theme by promoting more artwork in the future.

RIVERSIDE CLUB also allows pets, so customers can enjoy a quiet time with their furry comrades. Pets will get their own pet-friendly menu, toys, and more in the future.